A solar panel installation has become one of the most lucrative investments for your home. Not only does it help the environment with a sustainable energy solution, but it also helps you hold onto your cash. If you’re a homeowner, the only question becomes whether you have enough roof real estate.
Considering that we expect up to three to five percent of all homes to have solar panels in the future, there’s sure to be a solution for every house.
If you’re interested in joining the growing number of houses with solar panels, you’ve come to the right place. We’re going to look at how to find out if you’ve got a suitable roof for housing these money-saving wonders.
Cell Count In A Solar Panel Installation
The main determining factor in the size of a solar panel is the cell count. Your average residential solar panel size will be around 65×39 inches. That’s for a standard 60-cell panel.
Just because those panels are the standard doesn’t mean there aren’t other options. Even for the strangest-shaped house, there should be a solution that works.
We’ll work under the assumption that your roof can fit at least one of the standard panels. A single panel isn’t what you want, though. You need to get enough of them to offset your energy costs.
You can read more about solar from a panel provider if you’re interested in the ins and outs of the costs.
So the question becomes how to figure out the exact potential of your roof.
Calculating The Footprint Of Your Home
Getting the exact square footage of your roof is only possible with the help of a professional. If you’re feeling a little daring and you’ve got a ladder and a tape measure, you could do it yourself too.
Before you do any amateur acrobatics, there’s an easier alternative to get a rough idea of your roof size.
The footprint of your home is calculable by multiplying the length of your house by the width. You can then multiply that number by 1.3-1.6 depending on how severe the angle of your roof is.
The final number that you get is the rough square footage of your roof. Hopefully doing this will give you a better idea of the solar panel size and the amount you can install.
How Many Do You Need
So you’ve figured out the capacity of your roof, and how many panels you can install. Now you might be wondering how many you need.
The answer kind of boils down to one thing, “The more the merrier.” You’ll need a bare minimum of 17-20 to cover the costs of your home, but extra will feed power back into the grid!
There are a lot of factors that will decide whether or not you can install the correct amount for your requirements. Location is one of the main ones since a place with high levels of sun exposure will make the panel a better investment.
Always Improving Your Home
Remember that regardless of the solar panel cost, a solar panel installation is a huge improvement to your home. Considering that they last over 10-15 years, it’s also a solid investment.
If you’re curious about other ways to add value to your home, or repair something, then read more of our blog! We often plenty of topics that’ll help get you inspired around the home.
