Currently, many people are using solar panels for roofing their houses. However, there are many things you don’t know about solar paneling. The trend comes with both pros and cons.
Let’s take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages to adding solar to your home’s existing roof:
The pros include:
1.Sustainable Energy
Solar energy is sustainable because it comes from a natural source. No matter how much energy you use, the sun will always be here to fill your solar panels. It’s only limited by our capacity to both capture and store the energy.
2.Environmentally Friendly Energy
Do you love caring for the environment? Using solar energy is an excellent way of proving your love for nature. Apply solar paneling on your residential roof to utilize renewable energy and either cut down or totally eliminate your monthly power bill…
3.Saves Money
If you want to save money, solar panel installations are becoming more and more efficient, meaning the time to pay off the installation with lower power bills is getting less and less each year. Instead of using a large sum of money to pay for electricity bills, you will manage to save some money for other uses. Over time, those cost savings will exceed the cost of installation and you will then enjoy a return on investment for the remaining life of the panels.
4.Adaptable Energy
When carrying out residential roofing, contractors prefer solar panel installation on flat roofs. However, if the top is not suitable for solar, builders can apply different techniques to fit the panels to any available space that gets the sunlight.
5.Low Maintenance
Solar panels can give you a service life of 30-40 years. If your contractors maintain the solar panels well, you will not experience any inconvenience. To maintain ease in operations, trim trees around your building to expose your roof to the sun.
Additionally, trimming trees will keep your panels safe during heavy storms.
The cons include:
1.Expensive Installations and Upfront Costs
On your first installation, you may spend a significant amount of money on your residential roof. Recently, the market has been witnessing a decrease in the panel’s prices though. Hopefully, solar paneling will be even more affordable in the near future.
2.Inconsistent Energy
Solar energy will not always be there. Change in seasons can significantly impact energy production. For instance, you may enjoy summer times. However, you may need another plan for winter when the tilt of the earth’s axis means shorter days and less sunlight.
3.Expensive Storage
Finding high-quality batteries to store solar energy means you will spend a significant amount of money. This can be avoided if you go with a grid-tie system though and there are increasingly better options on the market like the Tesla Powerwall.
4.Panel Efficiency
Panels convert a small percentage of the sunlight they absorb. It means that most of the sun’s energy goes to waste during the day. Researchers are constantly looking at new ways to make panels more efficient with new materials though and there have been a lot of recent breakthroughs in the area of efficiency.
Conclusion:
There’s quite a lot to think about before you decide to add solar panels to your existing rooftop. Consult with your local utility first and see if they have any programs or incentives available in your local area.
