November 8, 2019

Questions to Ask Before Installing Solar Panels

There has been a growing trend in people’s fascination with the idea of sustainability and going green. With the need to conserve resources, buildings and houses saw the need to use

renewable energy. By using renewable sources of energy, people can lessen their contribution to the detrimental consequences resulting from the use of coal, petroleum, and other types of fossil fuels.

With this, more and more people have been shifting to solar energy. In adapting this type of renewable energy source, solar panels are used. However, before you decide to buy solar panels, there are some questions that you need to answer first.

1. Can your roof support your solar panels?

This question is essential to be answered. Even if you have the desire to install panels on your roof, the real deal is if whether or not your roof can support them or not.

When your roof is not exposed to sunlight, it may not be favorable for your solar panels. When the panels are covered in the shade most of the day throughout the year, they may not store enough solar energy to be converted to electricity. So, you need to justify the costs of the panels.

If your roof won’t cut it, that doesn’t mean that you give up on using solar energy. If you are renting an apartment or a condominium, you may want to consider a community or shared solar. Community solar lets various people purchase a stake in solar installation, which allows you to receive credits on your energy bills.

2. Do you know how efficient your power usage is?

When you decide to shift to solar energy, you need to know how big your consumption is. The amount of solar energy required to produce by your panels depends on how much you use electricity in a day.

With this, you may need to trim down your usage before purchasing your solar panels. You can start by doing an energy audit and check for efficiency upgrades before making the blueprints.

3. What type of solar energy do you need?

There are two major solar technologies that you can choose from: thermal and photovoltaic.

Thermal solar energy uses sunlight in heating water or air for inside use. Photovoltaic solar energy, on the other hand, makes use of arrays of cells that convert sunlight into electric energy.

Know first if your home or building consumes more energy for heating. Or if heating fuel costs more concerning electricity where you are staying before you decide on the type of solar panels that you will need. Solar thermal panels are hard to find, especially from homes. So, it is necessary to know the conditions of your home relative to your energy consumption before choosing solar panels.

4. Have you found a trustworthy installer?

Once you know the type of solar panels that you need, you will have to make sure that the installer you will hire is trustworthy. Since the installer will enter your home to install the panels and do the electrical work, you need to find someone you can rely on.

Check the references and credentials all the time before hiring a solar panel installer. Hiring a solar panel installer entails a lot of costs, so you have to meticulous on this. The installation of solar panels has an impact on the quality of your overall solar power system.

5. How do you connect the panels to the grid?

Depending on the location of your home, the details in utility connection vary, but the principle remains the same. And that is, you will have to sort out several logistics. Know if you need to pay a fee, or how long will it take for the utility to be connected.

When your panels are linked to the utility, you need to figure out how much electricity does it generate to your building or home.


Nowadays, the decisions consumers make when buying things have been leaning towards the idea of saving the environment.

When you can ask the right things before pushing through solar panel installation, it would be easier for you to generate quality solar energy. With the answers to all your questions, purchasing the panels and even the solar light fixtures you need are much easier.

There are various manufacturers of solar energy components that you can look into. Before making the big decision of installing solar panels, you can start first by purchasing solar LED light fixtures or innovation solar street lights for your perusal.

About the author 

Imran Uddin

