Did you know that the US has 64 GW of solar energy installed across the country? It now accounts for almost 2% of all electricity generation.
The trend of solar power development continues to take the US market by storm year after year. Government incentives continue to make the transition easier for the average homeowner. However, these incentives may be going away soon.
While the cost of solar panel installation has decreased as manufacturers have ramped up production, DIY solar installation is still a long-standing economical option. The reality is that home solar power can make a huge difference to your bottom line for utilities.
But how exactly do you install solar panels on your home?
In this article, we will walk you through everything you need to know about how to avoid DIY solar mistakes by choosing the right panel installation options for your home.
Ground-Mounted
If you have a large property, a ground-mounted solar solution may be your best option. You’ll be able to position your solar panels in exactly the right location to maximize their power output. This is a major advantage over roof-mounted systems that may not be angled correctly toward the sun throughout the day.
You’ll want to select the best spot for mounting your solar panels on the ground and then build out your ground structure. You can usually purchase these directly from manufacturers.
After that, it’s as simple as mounting your solar panels onto the structure. You can then connect your solar panels to the inverter and start producing power.
Roof-Mounted
Roof-mounted systems are one of the most common in the US. This is because they don’t take up any additional space for most homeowners.
Typically, homeowners never go onto the roof. They also usually have one side of the roof that faces away from onlookers on the street.
One of the challenges of roof-mounted systems is that they may not be able to change their angle throughout the day to match the position of the sun. This lowers intensity and overall solar output.
Solar Tile Roofing
More recently, solar tiles have been developed as an option to improve your solar output. Typically, these are more effective when you already have a set of solar panels in place. However, if you’re planning to replace the roof, you may want to think about adding solar shingles to increase your daily production.
No matter what type of installation you choose, Blue Raven Solar is here to help provide you with the most professional installation available.
Choosing To Install Solar Panels On Your Home
At the end of the day, if you are hoping to install solar panels on your home, you have a variety of options available to you. Ground-mounted and roof-mounted systems make sense for different types of homeowners depending on the size of the property and location near the street. If you’re planning for a roof replacement, you should think about adding solar tile roofing. Just make sure to hire professionals like G&A Certified Roofing North to do the job.
If you enjoyed this article about home solar power, please check out the other articles on our blog!
Wayne Probert is a senior reporter at Zobuz, covering state and national politics, and he is a grantee with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. Before joining Zobuz, he worked as a freelance journalist in Kentucky, having been published by dozens of outlets including NPR, the Center for Media.