Your rooftop may not be suitable for Solar panels but there are alternatives

The rooftop is most commonly where home solar panels are found. Specifically because the roof will tend to have the greatest sunlight exposure. However, what happens if, for any given reason, your roof cannot support solar panels? Will you then miss out on this cost-effective renewable energy source? Fortunately, there are suitable alternative locations on your property.

To begin with, rooftop space doesn’t have to be a limiting factor. Depending on your home’s particular location, you can still mount solar panels elsewhere on the property.

Why a rooftop may not be fit for solar panel installations

Generally, a rooftop is the primary location for solar panels on a typical home. For the most part, they’re out of the way up there. Furthermore, they will usually be at the highest point of the structure, but easy enough to access. But there are just some situations where it’s not ideal to place solar panels on the roof.

• Your rooftop cannot properly support the panels
• Other structures are already in place
• Considerable obstruction of sunlight due to surrounding buildings
• Large trees obscuring the roof from adjoining properties
• Owner isn’t keen on solar panel aesthetics
• Lastly, your local homeowners group may not allow it (although this is getting rarer now)

Notwithstanding the reason, you’ll want to find a solution. It’s tough if it will force you to take a raincheck on solar energy. However, there are alternative ways of rectifying this problem. For example, you might want to consider placing the panels in other locations as long as performance won’t be compromised too much. There are so many benefits to solar power, and it would be a shame not to take advantage of them.

Where else can you place solar panels other than a rooftop?

Where it’s not possible to install panels on the rooftop, you can consider the following alternative locations. Consult with your solar panel provider for the best option. You will still need to consider how much sunlight the panels will get, as well as mounting viability. To illustrate, here are some spots around your property, which you might want to consider:

• On the ground: if your property has considerable open space outside the house, you can place the panels there. It will obviously limit your use of that space, though.
• Patio overhang: the supports for the overhang might be better suited for your new panels. This is especially true if your patio overhang is a new and strong construction. Elevation might be limited, but the important aspect here is still exposure to sunlight.
• Side walls: good if you get more sunlight on a particular side of your home. It could be worth adding panels to the walls there, but the verticality does limit exposure access and time.

You can also opt for portable or mobile solar panels. The advantages for home use are not quite as good, but you have the option to move or store these units. That’s in case you need to use the available space for other purposes.

We are here to explain the alternatives to rooftop solar

In short, solar panel systems are versatile enough to allow home use even if your roof is not an option. To summarize, even with limited space, there are still plenty of ways to put solar panels in place. Talk to us at Renewable Energy Corporation today so that we can assess what options are viable for your home. This way, you can enjoy the benefits of solar energy even if the panels can’t go on your roof.