Where Is The Best Place to Install My Solar Panels?

Can’t I Install My Solar Panels Anywhere I Want?

Whether you’re trying to build a garden or planning where you want your tool shed positioned, location is extremely important.

In order for the garden to flourish, it must receive the appropriate amount of sunlight and be placed in good soil in the most optimal conditions for growth. As with a tool shed, the best place is usually where it can be easily accessible, doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb, and maximizes space.

Position, placement, and orientation is equally important, if not more so when it comes to solar panels. If you were really insistent on placing your solar panels horizontally on the side of your house, you probably could, but would that make sense?

For a big investment that is supposed to return value to you, putting aside time to carefully analyze and determine the best placement is definitely a big deal that could use consultation with a professional.

More often than not, solar panels are seen placed at angles on rooftops and there’s a really good reason for that.

So, instead of asking whether you can install solar panels anywhere you want, the better question you should ask is where and how your panels should be placed to achieve the benefits that you want. These benefits could include dollar savings, reducing CO2 footprint, and/or the satisfaction of producing your own power.

Usually, solar panels are mounted on rooftops, but they can also be placed on the ground, over parking lots and exterior corridors, or even close to walls. Depending on the conditions and setting of the property, as well as the amount of energy required, any of these positions may provide for maximum sunlight.

The various factors that determine positioning and orientation include the direction at which the roof and/or property is facing, the angle or tilt of the roof, the roof’s strength, the type of weather such as rain, hail, and snow that hits the area year-round, and of course any obstructions that may cause shading.

The reason rooftops are popular in terms of positioning is because they tend to receive the most sunlight and are out of the way, but sometimes roof-mounting isn’t practical due to certain limitations such as space. So, in cases like that, ground-mounting may be the best option.

Sometimes you may think that you’re getting plenty of sunlight, but unexpected shading throughout the day, however big or small, can make a huge impact on how much energy you’re truly receiving. Just because your property doesn’t have any big obstructive trees, it doesn’t mean that the neighborhood palm tree couldn’t shadow your home at some point in the day even if it seems far away.

If you want to find out where the best placement for your solar panels would be, it would be a good idea to ask a professional in addition to doing your own analysis and observation so that you can better understand your system. A solar expert can actually measure the amount of shade that falls on your property throughout the day and give you the best recommendation for solar system placement.

So, where is the best place to install your solar panels? I hate to say it, but it depends. The good news is that figuring out location can be easy. If you’re around our area, don’t hesitate to call – we’d love to help!