Solar panels can be mounted either on your rooftop or the ground. Which one suits your home the best, however, depends on a lot of factors. To make this task a bit easier, we have zeroed in on the 5 most important factors that you can consider while choosing the right mount.
If you are the kind of person who values efficiency more than anything, you’d be glad to know that ground-mounted solar offers better efficiency when compared to roof mounts. Why? Simple. Unlike roof mounts, where solar panels are placed on a pre-existing structure that is the roofs, ground mounts have a foundation built entirely from scratch. This comes with a distinct advantage: Here, you have the liberty to build the foundation in such a way that the panels face the direction that offers optimum exposure to the sun. And as we know, better exposure leads to better panel efficiency. This isn’t to say rooftops are a complete let-down. They certainly do rank high in certain aspects, which we shall explore in the coming paragraphs.
Ground mounts can be a better option when you have a lot of room on your property to play with. But what if you don’t? Or what if you left the land empty for some other purpose? No, you don’t have to ditch your dreams of leveraging solar energy altogether. All you have to do here is opt for roof mount solar. By placing your panels on the roof, you are essentially taking advantage of the space that otherwise goes unused. And that’s just not all. Rooftop solar has other benefits over the ground mount, which we shall see next.
Generally, to get your solar unit up and running, you first need to get a green light from your local AHJ, a process that is usually daunting given the inherent complexities involved. Making things even more difficult is the fact that with ground-mount systems, this difficulty in acquiring a permit shoots up. This is because the authorities consider a new ground-mount PV system as a completely independent structure, as opposed to rooftops, which are built on a pre-existing foundation.
However, if you still want to opt for ground mount for its obvious advantages, worry not! Illumine Industries can fix you up with top quality PV plan sets that can save you a lot of trouble.
Ground mounts, for all their benefits, can be quite difficult to install when compared to roof mounts. Why? Because, unlike roof mounts, ground mounted PV systems come with a slew of parts and pieces. Being labor-intensive also means installing a ground mount system is not a pocket-friendly affair. So, if budget is a concern, roof mount solar may be the better option for you.
Learn about the different ways you can finance your solar installation here.
Installing your solar PV system is one thing, but maintaining it is a different thing altogether. Remember, how well your solar panels function depends on how well you maintain them. And with roof mounts, this can be a tough ask since you have to climb all the way up the roof for even the slightest of maintenance work. Troubleshooting your PV system can also be a problem when the panels are up the roof. And the less said about fire breakouts, the better!
So, there goes the 5 most important factors to consider when selecting the right solar PV mount for your home. The very existence of different mounting options is further proof of solar’s growing versatility. It has come a long way since its inception, and like every other disruptive technology, it will continue to perfect itself by adapting to the user requirements. Bright days ahead!
