When it comes to the topic of solar energy and how beneficial it can be for homeowners, it really is a very exciting topic. In fact, every year in the U.S., the solar power industry continues to grow larger and larger. In fact, solar energy generation capacity is now the largest energy source on the entire planet. To put this into perspective, in the year 2017 alone, solar power was responsible for supplying over 9.5 million homes with power, which is more than 50 gigawatts of total power says Green Spark Electrical & Solar. But even with all of that being said, when it comes to residential homeowners, many of them are still on the fence about whether or not solar energy is the right thing for them. Here is exactly how to know whether or not you should make the jump to solar power and start saving money on all of your power bills.

Is Your Roof Large Enough?

When it comes to installing solar panels on your home, the most common space is going to be on your roof. With that being said, there are actually going to be several factors that you will need to size up before you do decide to pull the trigger on solar power. For example, the direction that your roof is facing (if you install panels on a part of your roof that gets no sun, the panels won’t work), the age of your roof, and even the pitch of your roof. All of these factors are going to play a huge role in deciding whether or not installing a solar power system is going to be a great idea for you.

If your roof is facing west or south, it is going to be much more optimal to take advantage of solar power. While you can still produce power if your roof is facing the other directions, it is not going to be nearly as much. As for the pitch of your roof, you are going to want to make sure that there are no obstructions such as chimneys or skylights, as well as have a pitch that is 30 degrees.

Finally, is your roof in a shadow? Do you have any buildings or large trees that are going to be blocking the amount of sunlight that your solar panels are going to be receiving? These are all going to be things that you want to consider before deciding that solar panels are right for you.

Always Consider Your Climate

While you may be used to the climate in the area you live in, you are going to need to keep in mind that without sunlight, your solar panel system is not going to work. But keeping that in mind, studies have shown that solar panels actually work better in colder weather. This is going to be because the photovoltaic solar panel productions are going to be its most efficient when there are colder temperatures. With that being said, if you live someplace that never receives any sunlight, the solar panels are probably not going to work as efficiently.

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