Is my roof right
The first step is to check your roof orientation, please click here to see if it has a suitable south facing roof pitch.
There are also a few other things to consider before you decide whether solar panels are right for your home .
Pitch
The ideal pitch is between 30 – 40 degrees, but its not essential as flat roofs can also be used.
Size
The average home uses around 3.3Kw of electricity per year and an average three bed semi detached home will have enough roof space to accommodate a 2.5Kw system, which is roughly 20 square metres.
Shading
The shading that can occur over your roof from trees or other buildings is essential to consider as a very small amunt of shading can reduce the efficiency by 20%.
Roof condition
Please remember that this is a 25 year investment and you should take into consideration the life span you have left on your existing roof covering.
Weight on the roof
Solar panels are very light and the average system would only add an extra 200kg to your roof which should not cause any problems. If for any reason on a large system it was a concern, we have structural engineers at hand to assist with any calculations.
Maintenance
As there are no moving parts to the panels and the glass casing is self cleaning there should be no need for a clean.
Planning
Usually planning is not required, however in some instances this may be needed in conservation, heritage or listed buildings. If this is the case Live Solar will take full control of this for you.