You have decided that you want to pursue solar energy, but figured out that your home isn’t right for solar panels for whatever reason. What next? Don’t give up on solar energy without considering a ground mount.
There are a few reasons why a solar installer would tell you that your house isn’t right for solar:
- You don’t have a south facing roof, or anything close to it.
- You have a lot of shading issues caused by trees you can’t or aren’t willing to cut down.
- You don’t have a big, flat space for solar panels – either you have a lot of dormers or there are a good amount of obstructions on the roof, i.e. skylights, vents, chimneys, etc.
- Your house isn’t constructed to withstand the weight of a solar energy system.
- Your roof is old, but you’re not ready to re-shingle.
There are also a few reasons why you would tell your solar installer that you don’t want panels mounted on the home:
- You do not want solar panels on the home for aesthetic reasons.
- You own a historic home and the preservation or historical society forbids you from installing a solar energy system.
A ground mount is the easiest way to mount solar panels, but it does require a few extra steps that are not involved with a roof mount. The supports are constructed with stainless steel beams that are reinforced in the ground with a concrete slab. The advantage of a ground mount is that you can tilt the solar array so it can receive maximum exposure to the sun and create optimal energy production. The disadvantage is that is can be slightly more expensive than a roof mount system because of the additional materials and equipment needed for digging holes and filling them with concrete.
You should consider a ground mount if you have a large property and portion of that is unshaded from trees. Typically, people in rural or suburban areas seem to have the land available for a ground mount system. If you’re interested in seeing if you are a good candidate for a roof mount or ground mount in Massachusetts or Connecticut, Brightstar Solar would be happy to give you a complimentary evaluation and free estimate for a solar energy system.
Inspected the site for ground mount. It implies greater costs due to added materials. However I plan to install a south facing large shed with a single slanted roof. So the panels would be mounted on my shed roof. Therefore I suspect I won’t need the added structural material that ground mounts require? What compares to ground mount is that my shed will be fully detached from my home with unencombered sun exposure. What is a suggested minimal array of panels including overall dimensions? Thx.