Installing solar panels on your home has taken the market by storm within the last decade. What’s not to love about having your home powered by solar energy? When you install solar electric panels on your home, you reap many benefits, including reducing your electric bill drastically, increasing your property value, and being a part of the fight against climate change. If you have just started your research into installing solar electric panels on your home, knowing that your house is a good candidate for solar is a great place to start. Below are five questions and answers that will help you determine if solar is a good fit for your home.
1. What Is Your Monthly Electric Bill?
Knowing your monthly electric expense is one of the first steps to ensure solar is not only a good fit for your home but also a good investment. If you have high electric rates, which are common here on Long Island, solar panels can save you some serious cash. We have some tips for our customers to have your electric bill handy and review the last six months of your bill. Here in the Northeast, electric bills vary drastically from the summer and winter months. Having those bills handy to review with a solar professional is important to determine your personal electricity needs.
2. How Old Is Your Roof?
The age of your roof plays heavily into factoring if, at the current moment, your roof is a good candidate for solar panels. Solar panel systems can last for 20+ years; these systems being so durable makes them such a great investment. However, removing them to re-do your roof can be costly. If you believe your roof is on the older side, it might be a good thought to replace your roof before installing a solar panel system. Before every installation, a solar expert like us at Sunshine Plus should analyze the roof to ensure that, in fact, it is in good shape to install a solar system on top of it.
3. How Much Is Your Roof Shaded During the Day?
For solar panels to work up to their full potential, adequate sunlight is necessary. To see if your house is a good candidate for solar, try out a solar panel suitability checker such as Project Sunroof from Google. A common myth within the solar industry is that your roof needs to be southward facing for solar panels to work. Even with west and east-facing roofs, solar panels can still provide significant savings.
4. Check to See If You Have Enough Room
To cover up to one hundred percent of your electric bills with solar power, most commonly, that takes up a significant portion of your roof. Frequently, we have customers inquiring if we can install a solar panel system on a shed or garage. This is certainly plausible; however, we would like to ensure enough solar panels are installed to cover your electricity needs. If, in fact, there is not enough space on your roof for solar panels, no worries! There are alternatives to rooftop solar such as a ground-mount system.
5. Get an Expert Opinion
After all your research, if you feel confident that your home might be a good candidate to install solar electric panels, it is time to contact a professional. Although you can find rough estimates for the number of solar panels needed and the installation cost, contacting a professional can also determine what solar electric system would be best for your needs. Contact 631-422-3500 today to speak with one of our team members at Sunshine Plus to discuss your solar needs!
References:
1. Aggarwal, V. (2020, March 11). Is My Home Good For Solar in 2020?: EnergySage. Retrieved November 25, 2020, from https://news.energysage.com/home-good-solar-find-now/
2. Homeowner’s Guide to Going Solar. (n.d.). Retrieved November 25, 2020, from https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/homeowner-s-guide-going-solar
Sunshine Plus Solar Corp. is a solar energy contractor that has been in business since 1982. For over 35 years, Sunshine Plus Solar has provided custom-designed solar energy systems for Long Island residents and business owners.
Learn more about how you can switch to solar energy today by contacting Sunshine Plus Solar at https://sunshineplus.wpenginepowered.com/sunshine-plus-solar-long-island/