Home Structural Requirements for Solar Power

Installing solar panels is an exciting proposition that will save your family money for years to come, but any major home upgrade requires serious thought. While solar panels aren’t extremely heavy or bulky, they will add weight to your roof, and they’ll also test the limits of your electrical panel. Make sure you consider these home structural requirements for solar power before you install anything!

Roof Direction

Thankfully, your roof direction is not a deal-breaker, as that would be a tough problem to fix! However, you should know that you’ll see the most energy production if you have a south-facing roof. Since the panel production is dependent on the sun’s position, south-facing roofs enjoy the highest rate of production, which translates to the most efficient solar panels.

Evaluate Roof Strength

While nearly all roofing materials can support solar panels, not all roofs are equally strong. Whether due to natural wear and tear or cut corners during the roof installation process, many roofs are not strong enough to support solar panels.

To ensure that your roof won’t start caving in with the added weight of solar panels, you should hire a professional roofing service to evaluate your home and guarantee that your roof can handle the extra load.

Electrical Panel

Solar panels bring an increased load to more than your roof—your electrical panel must also be prepared for more input than usual. You should consider hiring an electrician to make sure your panel can handle solar power and the wiring required to connect your roof to the electrical panel.

Once you know that your electrical system and roof can handle the added load, purchase solar panels in New Mexico and start saving money on every energy bill!

Repair Before Installation

A roof with structural problems is not the end of your solar panel dreams! All you need to do is have a roofer make repairs and confirm that the new roof is strong enough to support a little extra weight. You should consider a touch-up even if your roof is already rated to hold solar panels—future repairs may be made more difficult, as roofers will need to work around your solar panels.

Now that you know the home structural requirements for solar power, you can hire professionals to certify your roof and get ready to save hundreds of dollars every year!