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6 Things to Know Before Installing Solar Panels on Your Roof

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Installing a solar plant is not very difficult nowadays, but no doubt, it is quite expensive. So, if you’re looking to invest in solar panels, you might have a few questions in your mind. How do you know that your home is a good candidate for solar power in the first place? Are solar panels worth it? If you ask yourself these questions, you have come to the right place. I can tell you from my experience that solar panels are not for everyone. In some cases, solar panels might not be a good idea at all.

It’s fair to be tentative before spending a healthy amount of money on something like this, but if you do your research before committing to solar power, then you have nothing to worry about. Mentioned below are a few things that you should keep in mind while shopping for solar panels.

1. Is Solar Energy Financially Viable For You?! 

Before committing to solar energy, you need to find out whether it is financially viable for you or not. A good way to get a fair idea of this is to go to your utility company website and download your electric bills. Check out the bills for the last 12 months at least, so you can get a good idea about how much on average you spend on power. 

Solar Energy Installation

In some cities, electricity is more expensive than others; for example, electricity in California is more expensive than in Texas. Find out exactly how much you’re spending on electricity because that will determine whether solar energy is cost-effective for you or not.

2. Check How Much Sunlight You Get!

One of the most important things to keep in mind before installing solar panels is to see how much sunlight you get in a day. It can vary depending on where you live. You can browse the internet for a daylight calculator. No matter where you’re living in the world, all you have to do is give your location to the daylight calculator, and you will find about the sunlight you get every day.

Make sure that there aren’t any trees or any other obstacles blocking the sunlight. If your solar panels don’t get the right amount of sunlight, they will not function properly. If you have a tree blocking the way, it’s a good idea to cut it off.

3. Examine Your Roof for Repairs

If you’re living in an old house, you should consider getting your roof inspected before you even think about getting solar panels installed. You need to ensure that your roof can support the weight of a solar plant. If your roof is old and worn out, you’ll have to get it repaired first. Going through with the installation on an old roof might not be a very good idea, instead of saving money, you might end up losing it, as removing solar panels can cost at least 2000 dollars.

If you know your roof is old and you might have to get it repaired in the near future, I would strongly recommend that you get the job done before going any further. That way, you won’t have to pay extra to remove your solar panels later.

4. Get the Best Installer

Installing a solar plant can be a risky business. The installer will have to tweak the electric work of the house, which if done wrong, can cause serious damage, so make sure that you completely trust the installer because you don’t want an unprofessional coming inside your house and tampering your electric work.

To prevent such things from happening, you need to choose a reliable company. A company that would provide assistance not just with the installation, but also with the maintenance work that comes afterward. Although there isn’t a lot of maintenance work because solar panels don’t have too many moving parts but you need a company that would stick around to assist you with it. I would recommend you to check out headlinesolar.com before you make a decision.

5. Buy or Lease

While buying your solar panels, you can either pay upfront and be done with it or get them on lease. Before making this decision, you need to do a thorough financial analysis. If you think you can pay for the solar plant upfront, you should do it. Paying upfront might seem expensive, but it has many advantages in the long run.

On the other hand, if you’re leasing, it gives you limited benefits. You won’t have to pay a huge fee upfront, and you’ll be able to get cheap electricity access, but the system would be owned by the company you contract with. This means, you’ll have to pay a certain fee for electricity, and when the lease is up, the company might take the system back, but that depends on your contract. Ultimately, the decision is up to you and whatever you think is right for you, go for it.

6. Connecting to the Grid

A typical residential solar plant would cost you around 18,000 dollars, but if you are planning on building a completely off-grid plant, it will cost you a lot more than that. You will need extra-large batteries and solar plates, and it might cost you over 20,000 dollars.

So, connecting to the grid is highly advisable. At times, when your solar panels produce surplus energy, you get bill credits. These are very useful as you can use these bill credits to cover the cost of your grid electricity use. In this way, you get power even when your solar panels aren’t producing it. Of course, the details vary from place to place, but in some cities, owners of solar plants are reimbursed at the same rate as the electricity users are charged.

Bottom Line

Solar plants are evolving with every passing day, and more and more people are investing in this technology. All things considered, it is a good time to invest in a solar power system. Mentioned above are a few points that you should keep in mind while shopping for a solar plant. 

About the Author:

Louis Paulson is a graduate of California University and is currently working on his dream project of creating organic energy mixes. In his leisure time, he likes to write about climate change, energy, and cleantech. To read more of his blogs, you can visit http://headlinesolar.com/.

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