With all the hype about solar panel systems, it is no wonder so many people are beginning to look into it. Location and home structure, however, are significant factors in whether or not your home is a good candidate for solar. At New Jersey-based Green Essex Solar, professional solar consultants will evaluate your home for free to determine whether or not solar panels make sense as an investment. Vadim Daynovsky, President and CEO of Green Essex Solar, discusses the various aspects that may determine a home’s suitability for solar.
Location
The number one issue for Essex County, NJ PV installation, according to Daynovsky is shading. Solar panels work by using the sun’s energy to power the electricity within your home. With little access to the sun’s rays, solar panels will not be able to produce much power. When installing solar panels in Essex County, NJ or in the surrounding regions, Green Essex considers shading to be of paramount importance, given that many areas in Jersey are quite wooded. Making sure that the roof of your home is not blocked by any sort of shade is important if you want your solar panels to work properly. Sometimes tree trimming can even do the trick. Consult with Green Essex Solar to make sure your home has the optimum conditions for solar panels.
Roof orientation
Being in the Northern Hemisphere, Essex County, NJ solar panels produce the most energy for your home if they are installed on the southern side of your roof (Southwest and Southeast are fine as well, and East/West, while not ideal, still usually make financial sense). Consequently, the orientation of your roof can affect the efficiency of your solar panels, as you want to ensure that the sun hits the photovoltaic system as much as possible during the daylight hours. At the same time, anyone with a roof facing north, east or west should not completely rule out solar panels. While not as ideal as south facing roofs, such properties may still reap many of the benefits of an energy- and cost- efficient system.
Roof size/material
The size and material of your roof also has a significant impact on your solar panel installations. Your roof’s footprint can help you determine the possible size of your solar panel system and how much of your electric bill it will save. Also, a couple of unusual roof surfaces—like Spanish tiles—may require extra labor time and may slightly increase the cost of the solar system.
Electric use
The number of solar panels installed on your home is usually proportional to energy usage, says Daynovsky. The larger the energy use the more solar panels will be necessary to offset it. Homeowners with a small electric bill will usually be able to wipe it out completely by going solar, but will seldom be allowed to put up more panels than necessary. As Mr. Daynovsky notes, Green Essex Solar typically performs a complimentary energy analysis of your electric bills to determine approximately how much your current electricity expenditures average, and how much going solar will save you.