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Here are five different ways you can use solar panels to introduce solar energy to your home and make it look good. Read on!
Putting solar panels on your home makes sense. These days, when most people are working from home, shopping from home, and even helping their kids study at home, it makes more sense than ever to generate your own electricity from home through solar panels on your home’s roof. By generating your own electricity, you are using the sun’s energy to cover your power needs. By doing this you get the satisfaction of knowing that you are saving money while helping the environment. Not too many other things you place in your home can give you this much satisfaction.
A collateral benefit of installing solar panels on your roof is the increase in the value of your property. By being solar-powered, your home becomes that much more attractive to homebuyers who will immediately understand that they will save money on their heating and cooling, for example.
Installing solar panels these days doesn’t have to mean the attractiveness of your home could be affected. On the contrary, here are five solar panel design ideas to display your commitment to the environment from your rooftop:
Mounted Panels
Using a photovoltaic system, these panels can be retrofitted to existing roofs and other surfaces. They do not require any major construction work to have them installed. Working with your energy requirements and your budget, you can select among these options:
- Amorphous silicon
- Monocrystalline
- Polycrystalline
- Hybrid
Thin Film Solar Panels
These panels require less material to be produced thus costing much less than other solar panels. Another advantage they offer is that they are flexible and can adapt to all sorts of surfaces. However, you should be aware that they tend to have a much shorter lifespan.
Solar Shingles
Although not as widely available, they offer a promising alternative. If your roof cannot handle mounted panels due to their size or weight, these shingles offer beautiful aesthetics. They can replace some of your current shingles and are light and strong.
Photovoltaic Slates
Just like solar shingles, these can be installed in place of your existing asphalt shingles or added to a new roof. They can also cover your entire roof and are designed to match the color you need to complement your home.
Solar Canopies
These are best suited to create patio roofs or to cover carports. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be placed in such a way as to ensure they receive maximum exposure to the sun.
Are You Considering Going Solar?
Before any of the above options can be installed on your roof, you will need to obtain a building permit. To request it, you will have to provide a site plan for your home.
Also, there are many other factors that come into play when deciding to install solar panels on your roof, besides their type and cost. Among them:
- The watts they produce.
- How efficient they are in converting sunlight into usable electricity.
- How a rise in temperature will affect your panel’s efficiency.
- How large the panels are, particularly if you have limited roof space.
- Their expected lifespan and how their performance degradation will affect the electricity they produce.
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