Roofs and Home Solar: What You Need to Know

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The rapid growth in solar panel installations in the Valley of the Sun is helping homeowners harness the sun’s energy to decrease their energy bills and limit climate change. When you’re planning to add rooftop solar panels to your house, it’s vital to ensure that your roof is in top condition. With solar panels having a lifespan of 25 to more than 40 years, you’ll want your roof to be in top condition prior to installation. If your roof has structural damage, can’t support the weight of solar panels and associated equipment, or it’s more than twenty years old, you may need a roof replacement or reroofing before moving forward with the installation.
Another important consideration is the roofing material.

Shingle Roofs

Asphalt and composite shingles are the two main types of shingle roofs. Asphalt shingles are made of cellulose mat or fiberglass materials mixed with asphalt. Composite shingles are composed of slate, laminate, and wood.
Shingles are very flexible and durable making it relatively easy to install solar panels. Any cracked or damaged shingles would need to be replaced first. Studs are drilled into the roof and the panel mounts are then attached to the studs. Any space between the panel and studs is sealed with flashings to prevent water from dripping into your home.

Metal Roofs

Metal roofs are very durable, light, and often made from eco-friendly materials. Metal roofs are the most long-lasting conventional roofing material. This roofing material reflects any sunshine that doesn’t fall on the solar panels helping to keep your home cool.
Metal roofs with standing seams allow for easy attachment of solar panels. This eliminates the need for drilling to attach them which helps reduce the cost of labor.

Tile Roofs

Even though the cost of installing solar panels on a tiled roof is more expensive, slate, clay, and concrete tiles are great for solar panels. These types of shingles are more waterproof than other types of roofing materials. Tile roofs are more fragile and prone to breakage requiring more time to carefully install the solar panel hardware and supports.

Tar and Gravel Roofs

This type of roof is a good candidate for solar panels. Because it’s a flat roof, to provide the optimum panel angle of 30 degrees, the panels may require additional hardware. The additional layer of asphalt provides good support for the solar panels and helps prevent leaks and cracks.

Cool Blew Solar

Call our Cool Blew Solar professional installers today at 623-234-2836 to learn more about going solar. We offer free estimates, and our experts will happily answer all your solar-related questions.