Roofing: Got Solar Panels?

Have you been thinking about getting a solar panel roof installation? The solar power industry has been booming and is slowly (and hopefully) becoming a standard alternative to fossil fuel power. But should you take the plunge and invest the money into solar panels for your home or business? There are some factors to consider, but it also helps to really understand what solar panels actually do.

What are solar panels?

Solar panels are thermal or photovoltaic modules designed to absorb the sun’s rays as an energy source for generating power or heat. Solar panels are becoming more popular every day as a new form of renewable energy. In some places, the installation and battery costs for solar panels is dropping lower and lower to encourage their use as an alternative to fossil fuels. In Sun City Arizona, roofers have been doing more and more solar panel roof installations due to our obvious exposure to the sun regularly with little climate changes.

Think of your parked car on an especially swelter Sun City summer day. The sun hits your car, and subsequently heats up everything inside including seats, seat belts, the dashboard, etc. Your car is the vessel that contains this heat once it is absorbed by the sun and keeps it from getting out. Solar panels act similarly in that they absorb the heat from the sun and store it as energy.

Understand utility rates

You’re paying around $100 a month in power utilities regularly. One month, you got a little careless with the air conditioning and ended up paying around $250. What many customers don’t know is that different power companies have rates that work in tiers. If you’re in Tier 1 and maintain a steady $100 a month in power usage, your rate doesn’t change. But because of your crazy $250 month, you’ve just been knocked up to Tier 3 and your rates per watt has been increased.

With solar panels, high rate tiers are usually removed. You can use more power with solar panels for a solid rate than you would have without solar panels. This varies wildly between companies and cities, so always check out what rates will be like if you go solar.

Calculate your energy use

A house with two residents will usually use a lot less power than a house with five residents. However, living situations change, kids go to college, people have babies. Solar panels are a long term investment, so it would be wise to calculate how much power you will be using as opposed to how much you are currently use.

You probably won’t have to worry about batteries

Unless you are living off the grid or building a completely sustaining campus, you probably won’t need solar batteries. During the night you will continue to get power from local utilities without worry.

Property insurance

Figure out how to amend your renter’s or homeowner’s insurance to include your new solar panels. You’re investing in their installation, so protect what you’ve bought. Usually increases in insurance costs are less than ten dollars.

Energy efficiency shouldn’t stop at solar panels

You additional energy savings once going solar will be even greater if you switch to incandescent lighting and make other small energy-saving changes.

Property tax

Will solar panels increase property tax? Property tax is typically affected by construction room additions or gardens that increase the square footage of your property. In most states the addition of solar panels are exempt from property tax increases.

Is my roof going to be busted up by the installation?

Not if the solar panels are installed properly. Also invest in a quality, well-reviewed, certified, and insured roofing contractor in Sun City to install solar panels properly so that if you have to remove them, they will not leave damage behind.

Your roof type matters

If you have a sloped, shingled roof rather than a smooth asphalt roof, the cost of solar panel installation will be affected. Tile is more delicate and brittle than asphalt so addition time and care will have to go into installing the solar panels properly. This can range from ten to twenty percent in cost increases.

Warranties

Always investigate and ask about warranties for the solar panels you with to install. Manufacturer warranties typically are about twenty years and roofing companies will usually offer an additional warranty for their services.

Thirty years of bliss

Solar panels will typically last for thirty or more years. Over time, a solar panel’s conversion efficiency will degrade. Annually this is usually a half percent rate of efficiency loss. But thirty years is a long time and taking care of your solar panels through effective maintenance will keep them going for even longer.

Where can I find a roofer that is experienced with solar panels in Sun City?

If you want to take the plunge into solar panels, an evaluation of your roof’s condition should be your first step. Arizona Native Roofing has been providing the Valley with quality roofing services for years. Trust a company with the experience and expertise to get the job done right. Call Arizona Native Roofing today to get started.

Written By:
Jason Swim – Owner

Category: Roofing
Genre: Home Repair