How To Compare Residential Solar Panels And How They're Installed On Different Kinds Of Roofing

If you want to get solar power for your home, you'll need a way to collect energy from the sun. That's usually done by mounting solar panels on the roof of your house. It's possible to mount solar panels on the ground, but your roof is usually the preferred choice. You have options in residential solar panels, so comparing your choices is a good place to start. Here are some tips for choosing solar panels and an overview of how they're installed.

How To Choose Your Solar Panels

Once you start looking at residential solar panels, you'll notice they come in a range of prices. This makes it possible to set up a solar power system using current technology at a more affordable price if your budget is tight. If you have a lot of room in your budget, you can opt for premium panels that cost more and put out more power.

Solar panels come in different sizes and with different numbers of cells. That's one reason some panels put out more energy than others. However, some manufacturers use their own technology to improve output. For instance, some panels have a reflective backing that bounces the sun back to the surface so the panels can make more power.

You'll probably need professional help to determine how much power you want the panels to produce and how much space is available on your roof. This helps you narrow down your choices in solar panels. You'll also want to consider cost and warranties when you compare options.

How Solar Panels Are Installed

Solar panels are usually installed on the south side of your roof where the panels can be exposed to sunlight for most of the day. Your installer might consider the west side too, but your panels won't get much sun in the winter since the days are shorter and the west side only gets sun in the afternoon.

Once the location is chosen, the roof in the area is inspected. You'll ideally put the panels on a roof that's in good condition so the roof won't need to be torn off any time soon. Solar panels can be installed on any type of roof. If the panels are screwed through the roof, the installer takes care to seal the puncture so rain can't seep through.

The mounts for solar panels can clip on metal roofing or screw to the rafters on an asphalt shingle roof. Clay tile roofing is more difficult to work with and the roofer has a few options such as using hooks or replacing single tiles for mount tiles that support the panels.

Reach out to a company like Surf Clean Energy for more information about residential solar panels. 

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