The first step to a long period of sustainable energy is installing solar panels on your house. However, you will have to determine how to make your house generate as much energy as it can to make the most of your sun-sourced energy.  

Today, we are going to share with you a couple of things you should know about installing Fort Lauderdale solar panels on your house. 

Roof Material and Roof Shape 

Of course, you aren’t the one to blame if you have not given much thought to your roof’s shape. However, it will factor into how much energy and sunlight you are able to harness. The best shape for a solar panel installation is a regular gable roof. The reason for this is that it makes for a quite easy installation. However, there are a lot of other roof shapes that could also work great with solar panels. The installers will consider the degree of pitch, shading, and roof shape during a site visit. This will help figure out how much sunlight your roof is able to absorb effectively.  

When it comes to handling solar panels, a couple of roof materials are better compared to others when it comes to composition. 

  • Tile roof surfaces vary on the material. Clay tile is hard because of its tendency to break while the concrete tile is quite easy.  
  • Another material for easy solar installation is composition shingle. 
  • Metal has a tendency to be the simplest material to install solar panels. This includes corrugated, tin, and standing seam metal. The reason for this is that it doesn’t require roof penetration. 

Roof Has to Be in Excellent Condition 

The material, shape, and age of the roof matter when it comes to harnessing the energy of the sun. 

You might be better off taking care of your repair needs before you install solar panels. This is particularly true if you’ve got an older roof that will have to be replaced within several years or if it has seen some damages and requires fixing. You’ll have to get rid of the panels for the repair and have them reinstalled if you opt to install solar panels now and make the repairs later on.  

A professional technician will be able to figure out if the roof is sound enough structurally to support the solar panel’s weight. 

Roof Direction 

There are a couple of areas around the world that get a lot of sunny days every year compared to others. However, if you live in these areas, it does not necessarily mean that your house is the ideal candidate for installing solar panels.  

The panels will not be able to soak up enough light to generate energy if your roof is not angled toward the sun. The ideal houses for solar panels are the ones with roofs facing west or south.  

Fortunately, solar panels can potentially harness enough energy, even if they are installed on a north- or east-facing roof. This greatly depends on the roof’s pitch. Make sure you hire a technician first to examine your roof.