Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Solar Roof Panel Installation Advice

Many people these days are converting their homes to be powered by renewable energy. This is great for the environment and at the same time saves you money. One of the main forms in which renewable energy is created is called solar power. This uses the power of the sun to create stored energy. Rather than hiring someone to install a solar roof panel onto your home, you can easily do it yourself. Before you begin though, you should take into consideration a few basic concepts.

One of the first things you should consider is placement. Where will the solar roof panel receive the most amount of sunlight? Facing the panels south is the best choice for optimum energy. Never face them to the north.

You should make sure that you check with your local building department before you install the panels. Some areas require you to have a special building permit.

Make sure you tilt the solar roof panel in relation to the latitude in which you live. There is a rule of thumb to follow for efficiency.

0-15 degrees latitude: 15 degree tilt 15-25 degrees latitude: tilt degree = same as latitude degree 25-40 degrees latitude: tilt degree = latitude degree + 5 degrees 40+ degrees latitude: tilt degree = latitude degree + 20 degrees

Allow a few inches between the solar roof panel and and the actual surface of your roof. This allows the system to "breathe" and results in better performance.

One last word of advice would be to install your system in groups, rather than individual panels. This makes your job so much easier.

For more information on this topic check out this Solar Powered Blog

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