Typically, a residential solar setup produces anywhere from 350-850 kilowatt hours (kWh) per month. The average home uses approximately 909 kWh of energy per month, so owning solar can save you upwards of 90% on your monthly electric bills.
Is solar really worth getting?
When Are Solar Panels Worth It? – There are various ways solar panels pay off, from reducing your carbon footprint to increasing your home’s value. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found that homes with solar power increased in value by $20 for every dollar saved on energy.
That is a 20-to-1 return on investment (ROI). There are, however, some instances when solar panels may not yield as high returns as you want. According to Garrett Nilsen, the deputy director of the U.S. Department of Energy ‘s Solar Energy Technologies Office, local electricity rates, your total system cost, and whether you pay up-front, take out a loan, or lease your system can all affect your ROI.
Changing compensation patterns with your local utility or an unexpected lapse in a system’s performance may cause your payback period to take longer. In these rare instances, Nilsen advises engaging with your installer to understand the expected production or why it’s not matching their estimate.
Will solar panels damage my roof?
Do Solar Panels Damage My Roof? – So, do solar panels damage your roof when installed? For most homeowners, as long as your solar panels are properly installed, they shouldn’t do damage to the exterior or the infrastructure of your roof. If you are working with a qualified licensed professional and your roof is in good condition, your solar panels won’t affect the integrity of your roof.
- When solar panels are installed, installers will drill holes into the roof to anchor and mount the panels securely.
- These large holes are for lag bolts, which are strong enough to keep solar panels in place and are made to withstand the elements for a long time.
- While it may strike a bit of fear into your heart to know that a contractor is drilling holes in the outer layer of your home, this is all part of the process of mounting solar panels so that they are entirely secured to your roof and won’t cause damage.
Once the panels have been attached, the lag bolts are covered with flashing to protect your roof. Flashing is a thin roll of moisture-resistant metal or plastic that helps close off this hole and seals out moisture, wind and the elements. It directs water away from the location so you don’t have to worry about solar panels letting moisture seep into your roof.
Does snow melt off solar panels?
If you live outside of the sunny Southwest, the weather can bring sudden changes this time of year. Many parts of the country have already seen snow, and the polar vortex has extended far enough south that even our nation’s capital has experienced a few deep chills.
Although at first blush it may seem that solar power is ideal for the summer, solar photovoltaic (PV) panels actually produce useful power throughout all four seasons. Tackling weather-related challenges is one reason why the SunShot Initiative funds Regional Test Centers, where solar panel performance can be time-tested in widely varying climates.
Researchers at the test centers have shown that solar can still successfully generate electricity in snowy areas and other harsh environments. A dusting of snow has little impact on solar panels because the wind can easily blow it off. Light is able to forward scatter through a sparse coating, reaching the panel to produce electricity.
It’s a different story when heavy snow accumulates, which prevents PV panels from generating power. Once the snow starts to slide, though, even if it only slightly exposes the panel, power generation is able to occur again. Heavy snowfall can present a problem when the weight of the snow places stress on a PV system’s support structure.
The majority of PV panels in the field today have frames, which tend to create localized stresses at the mounting points. At the Vermont Test Center, researchers are characterizing impacts such as microcracks formed by the non-uniform load of the snow.
As can be seen in the photo, the absence of a frame allows the snow to slide off. This research has the potential to make solar a more economic option for energy generation in northern climates. With or without frames, though, it’s important to note that snow can actually help clean a PV module as it melts away.
It’s similar to what happens to a car’s windshield: if the snow is allowed to melt off, the windshield is left without a speck of debris. That’s because any dirt on the glass will bond with the snow, washing it away when the sun melts it off. The anti-soiling properties of snow inherently make solar panels cleaner and able to reach higher efficiencies.
SunShot is exploring other ways to help PV panels withstand the elements of winter through our support of the DuraMat Consortium, led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. DuraMat researchers are investigating how a variety of materials used in the packaging and mounting of PV components perform in different climates.
These studies will allow lower cost, more reliable, and more predictable new products to find their way to mass production. DuraMat is also investigating approaches that optimize frameless modules and make them more readily adaptable to outdoor extremes. Charlie Gay Dr. Charlie Gay is the former Solar Energy Technologies Office Director for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.Dr. Charlie Gay is the former Solar Energy Technologies Office Director for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. more by this author
