Solar News & Information
Is Your Home Ready for Solar?
February 19 , 2024
Saving money and having a positive impact on your environment makes solar a valuable choice to consider in upgrading your home.
The most basic requirement to solarize your home is access to the sun during the day. The more you home is shaded, the less you have access.
Here are some tips to help you decide if solar energy is a workable possibility for your home.
What Makes a House Good for Solar?
At SunRa Solar we look at three key areas at once after we receive your information.
- Using assessment software, we estimate how much sunlight you may receive on average in a hypothetical year. Satellite based technology lets us consider shading from adjacent trees and land formations if you are in a valley, for example.
- Your home’s design, including roof size, roof geometry, and the orientation of each roof surface whether south facing, or other orientation.
- Your current energy needs. Thanks to well-crafted state incentives, Massachusetts is unique compared to many others where your home doesn’t need to consume a large amount of energy for solar powered savings to pay off. We always ask for a copy of a recent utility bill to give us a way to quantify your demand.
What Might I Need to Make My Home Ready for Solar?
Many homeowners are conscientious and take care of their homes to keep their investment in top shape. Repairs and updates are budgeted for some time in the future when money is saved or available. Emergency repairs are needed occasionally, too.
When considering the installation of a solar energy system, you have a chance to consider related repairs and upgrades, some of which may be included in your total solar costs which are subjected to incentives.
At SunRa Solar, we always consider electrical panel condition and capacity, as well as roofing condition and age when assessing your home. These costs will never be hidden when we are designing your options to go solar.
How Do You Know If You Need a New Electrical Panel for Solar?
We find the electrical system in most modern homes is adequate for the addition of solar. Older homes may not have adequately sized service panels, but for the most part the need for replacement is infrequent.
If your main service panel is rated at less than 200 amps, we often will recommend an upgrade. The homeowner may quickly determine this value themselves by looking at the rating of the main breaker, often at the top of the panel box.
During the design of a solar energy system, we also will ask homeowners to consider any future plans to buy electric vehicles, wanting the ability to charge them at home. You may have future plans to install more heavily demanding electric appliances (heat pump, electric water heater, pool, hot tub)
How Do You Know if Your Roof is Ready for Solar?
The condition and age of your roofing materials must be assessed before installing a solar energy system on top. There aren’t a lot of rules and guidelines, and an inspection may be necessary in some cases.
SunRa Solar limits the type of roofing materials upon which we will fasten a system. Asphalt shingles are preferred. Difficult to penetrate materials like slate and clay tiles are avoided. Other constructions may be considered.
However, we do generally follow a few guidelines:
- For asphalt shingles with a standard 25 or 30 materials warranty, replacement should be examined and estimated if there are less than 10 years remaining on the warranty.
- Past or recent damage, both repaired and unrepaired, should be taken into consideration.
Although the installed solar system does supply some additional shade and protection from UV exposure, our guidelines are intended to give the homeowner enough time to fully return their investment plus extra years of savings. It is possible that you may bank enough to help cover the cost of repairs or replacement.
You can get a ballpark savings estimate of your own. Click at the top of this page to Get Estimate!
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Contact Us with questions or to see exactly how solar power will work for YOUR home, saving you thousands. It’s a free evaluation with absolutely no obligation.
