Friday, August 20, 2010

Am I Ready For a Solar Power Roof System?

Solar energy, the future of alternative energy, provides great benefits on a roof. However, not all roofs work well with solar energy roofing systems. Here, you will find some of the factors you need to take into consideration when choosing a solar roofing solution:

1. Roof Age
If it has been more than 15 years since anyone has worked on your roof, you should let a roofing contractor specialist take a quick look. Solar panels have a great lifespan thus make sure any home improvements on your roof is made before the actual installation.

2. Roof Direction
Solar panels get maximum sunlight exposure when placed facing South in the Northern Hemisphere, thus in order to be most effective you should place your solar panels in this direction. If your house is facing East or West it can still generate solar power. A roofing contractor will alert you if your house is in this category.

3. Roof Type
In general, most roofs support solar panels. The easiest roof type to work is a composite shingle roof. The most difficult roof type to work is the wood-shake roofs. You should hire a roof contractor with many years of experience with solar roofs and who are well educated in the types of roofs that support solar solutions.

4. Space Available
Usually, solar panels take about 1 square foot of space for every 10 watts generated. What does this mean? If you want 5,000 watts produced by your panels, you’ll need about 500 square feet of available space on your roof. Always make sure you have plenty of space for the amount of solar power you want to produce. Also, take into account that you can considerably lower your utility bill even with a smaller solar roof system.


Don't fret if your home doesn't meet some of these factors. Blues Brothers CC will work with you if your roof is less-than-ideal. We have many years of experience serving the South Florida community and many satisfied customers.

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