With electricity prices rising at alarming rates and the urge to reduce greenhouse emissions, solar is becoming the smarter move to reduce your grid electricity usage. The first step is to make sure your house or commercial building is solar-ready. If you’re building, you probably thought about the possibilities of solar energy and you may have concluded: “we can add solar afterwards” (visit our retrofit page here). But whether you are building or simply want to install solar on an existing building, here is a list of things to consider:
- Your roof
If you consider a rooftop installation, make sure your roof is solar-ready and can carry extra weight. If your roof needs to be replaced in the next few years, it could be a clever idea to do it prior to the installation to avoid extra costs of uninstalling and reinstalling the system.
If your roof is made of state or asbestos, panels cannot be installed and you should consider reroofing. When building, avoid those types of roofing material.
Chimneys, ventilation pipes and fans can obstruct the panels and reduce your energy production, you may need to move them. If you are planning solar for your new construction, prefer placing these items on the south-facing roof.
When constructing, remember that north facing roof is the best option to maximise the energy production. East and west facing roofs are also suitable.
Solar panels are quite large. Allow at least 3,5m to fit two rows of panels on your roof.
Also, remember that solar panels must be installed on an angle to capture as much sunlight as possible. It might be a cheaper option to avoid flat roof if you want to install panels. Of course, it is possible to install panels on flat concrete roofs but it can increase the installation costs and preparation work.
- Equipment space
Whilst the panels are on the roof, the rest of the equipment will be installed on ground level. You need to identify locations for the inverter and your battery system (if you decide on this option). The inverter has to be installed near the electrical panels and the batteries will more likely need to be kept inside, depending on their type.
If you’re building with solar and storage in mind, ensure there’s suitable, safe space available to install inverters and battery systems when needed.
- The shadow
As mentioned before, shadows can significantly reduce your energy production. You need to check the surroundings and make sure your roof receives as much sunlight as possible. Trim the surrounding trees if needed.
Before building, anticipate all the possible shadings.
In any case, seek advice from a solar installation company. Energis will help you planning your solar installation properly and get solar-ready. Contact Energis today for a free quote: 1300 782 217 or via email at sales@energis.com.au.
