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 Is My Home or Property - Suitable For Solar Panel System?
The following guide will give you an idea as to whether your home or property is suitable for a solar panel system but to be completely sure it is best to have an assessment performed by a local solar power expert.
Whilst it is possible to install solar panels on the ground we have assumed that most people will opt for the most common installation of solar panels on their home or properties roof.
The following check list is a guide only and is somewhat in order of importance.
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MAIN ISSUES: |
IDEALLY |
COMMENTS
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1) Roof Direction |
North
Facing |
In Australia the optimum direction to face solar panels is due North however it is acceptable to have solar panels facing 300either North East or North West without much loss in power production.
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2) Roof Area |
8m2 area
per 1.0kW system |
You will need approximately 8m2 of roof space per 1kW Solar Panel System. So a typical 1.5kW system will require about 12m2 of space on your roof free from sky lights, antennas, chimneys or ventilation systems.
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3) Roof Shading |
No Shade |
Shading has a dramatic effect on the potential power production of your solar system, so you will need to ensure your roof area is not shaded by trees or other buildings at least between 9am - 3pm.
The best time to guage this is in winter as the sun is at its lowest. A good idea is to take a picture of your roof every hour between 8 - 4pm. This way your installer will be able to give you a better indication of where is the best location to install your solar panels.
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OTHER ISSUES:
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IDEALLY |
COMMENTS
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4) Roof Angle |
20-30 Degree
Pitch
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The optimum angle for grid connected solar panels to face is calculated by your homes latitude less 100. For example in Sydney this would be about 220 .
Most pitched roofs are already angled between 200 - 300 so installer will generally not need to change the angle the solar panels face and so will just lie the solar panels directly onto the roof.
For flat roofs however the installer will need to install brackets to lift the panels to the correct angle. These generally add about $300-$500 to the overall cost of your solar panel system.
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5) Roof Material |
Metal |
Do you have a tiled roof or metal roof? Whilst neither will effect your homes suitability to install solar panels, it is easier to fit solar panels to metal roofs so a tiled roof will generally cost a little extra to install.
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6) Permission |
Own - Freestanding |
If you live in an apartment or shared complex - you will need to obtain written permission to install the solar panels from your body corporate or other owners.
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7) Council Approval |
Local Requirents |
Check with the local council if there are any requirements with installing solar panels in your local area. Some councils do not want street facing solar systems.
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8) Future Developments |
No Potential For Changes for access to sunlight |
Future Developments - Maybe this should appear much higher in this listing given a lot can happen in 20-30 years!!!
Small trees can grow to big ones, new buildings developments can happen next door.
All making your dream solar installation potentially worthless.
Note: I am unaware of any councils in Australia that have already introduce covenants against new building affecting a solar installations access to light.
This will probably change overtimebut it would be a good idea to assess now whether there are any risks!
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Suitable For Solar Systems
