Is My House Good for Solar? How to Know If You’re In a Good Spot

At just $0.06 per kilowatt-hour, did you know that solar is the cheapest type of energy in the world?

It’s also renewable, making it much more eco-friendly than other energy sources and helps you lower the carbon footprint of your home. In terms of how we power our houses, this is one of the best options.

Unfortunately, not every home is suited to the panels you need to become self-sufficient on solar energy.

If you’re wondering “is my house good for solar?” Keep reading to find out the answer.

Google’s Project Sunroof

Anyone asking “is my house a good candidate for solar?” should check out Google’s Project Sunroof. It uses footage from Google Earth to take measurements of your home and the amount of sun you get. From here, it can let you know if solar panels are a good fit for your home.

It also shows you how much you could save on electricity bills, which is a great idea! Knowing the kind of money you could be pocketing each year just by switching can help you decide is my home good for solar? and whether you want to go ahead.

Enter your address into the tool to find out your data and start saving money with solar!

Check the Amount of Sunlight Yourself

Unfortunately, Google’s great tool isn’t available for all homes. If yours doesn’t appear, you’ll have to do the legwork yourself.

To start working out how much sunlight your roof gets, take a look at your surroundings. Are there any tall buildings, trees, or other obstacles that are going to block the sun? Make a note of them.

You should then record how many hours of sun your roof gets. This means going outside every so often to make a note of when the sun hits your roof and when it disappears. Remember to take into account shade from those sun-blocking obstacles!

The best side for your panels is usually south-facing. But if you have to put them on an east-facing or west-facing roof that’s okay! If the only roof suitable for your panels is a north-facing roof, though, you probably won’t get much sun and your home might not be the best for panels.

The Local Climate

Another important factor that might affect your home’s suitability for solar panels is your climate. If you live in a hot, sunny place that rarely sees rain, you’ll be an ideal candidate! On the other hand, if your town is often covered in clouds it might not be worth getting panels installed.

If you’re uncertain, take a look at your area on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s solar map. It’ll show you just how sunny your area is, giving you a better idea of whether or not you’ll get enough sun for solar panels.

Do You Have Enough Space?

Something else to consider when wondering “is my roof good for solar?” is whether or not you even have the space! It’s easy to think your roof is ideal because it’s covered in sun for 10 hours of the day, but if you don’t have the room there’s not much you can do.

You can measure your roof to get a better idea of whether it’s suitable. A solar panel is around 17.6 square feet and generates around 265 watts per day. Divide your roof by 17.6 to work out how many panels you can fit.

You should then multiply the panels you can fit by 265. This will give you the average amount of power you can generate in a day. Compare it to your electricity bill to see if you’ll have enough panels to run your home.

If it doesn’t, don’t worry! You can still use solar panels alongside your normal energy provider as a supplement. Choose a provider that also uses renewable energy to help your eco-efforts.

What Kind of Roof Do You Have?

Solar panels will sit best on strong roofing. If yours is made out of a durable material, like asphalt shingles or concrete tiles, your panels will be more stable on your roof.

If your roof is made of clay, composite coated steel, or slate tiles, it’s going to be harder to install your panels. It definitely can be done, but you should get the help of a professional to put them up.

It can also be a good idea to replace your roof before you get solar panels or at least do patch repairs. This will provide a more stable foundation for them to lay on and prevent having to take them off to do repairs in the near future.

What is a Good Solar Number?

A lot of people ask “what’s a good solar rating for my house?” Whilst some companies use solar ratings and numbers to show the solar potential of a home, it’s not a nationwide measure.

Some solar panel companies will be able to give you a rating though. If you search solar company near me you should find plenty of businesses. They can send out professionals to come and assess your home, working out whether or not it’s suitable so you don’t have to.

Is My House Good For Solar?

As you can see, there are a lot of factors you need to look at when wondering “is my house good for solar?” Make sure you know you’ll be able to make the most of them before you have them installed.

For more home tips, check out some of our other articles!