Solar Power and Insulation: Why is Insulation Important for Solar?

Whenever you discuss home energy, whether that’s green, solar energy, or traditional energy, insulation is an important topic. Why? Well, in some ways the answer is simple: a well-insulated home costs less to keep cool in the summer or warm in the winter, because good insulation prevents cool or hot air from seeping out through leaks. Good insulation is essentially the equivalent of keeping your back door shut when you run your air conditioner unit, or using a bucket without holes in the bottom. When it comes to home energy conservation, good insulation is just good sense, all around. 

But insulation is doubly important for solar power. Solar power comes in two basic flavors: active solar energy, which is the kind of solar energy that solar panels capture and then convert into the energy that powers your home, and passive solar energy, which is the kind of solar energy that naturally heats anything that sits out in the sun for too long—a rock, your body, or, if you build using the right materials, even your home. 

Passive solar energy can give us great insight into why insulation is such a huge topic in the solar power community. If your house is better insulated, in the winter, it can use passive solar energy to retain the heat your home absorbs from the sun over the course of a day (and thus reduce your heating costs). On the flip side, if your house is insulated well, it will keep the same passive solar energy from overheating your home in the summer. Insulation essentially provides a barrier between the inside and the outside of your home, preventing excess energy from leaking out into the world (and keeping you from having to pay for it). 

Additionally, solar panels themselves can act as additional insulation when placed on a roof, as has been shown through a study published in the scientific journal, Solar Energy. Due to their reflective surfaces and the way solar panels are installed, these solar panels actually act as giant shades to the roof of your home, helping you further conserve energy and thus reduce heating and cooling costs even further. 

If you’d like to learn more about whether your home has the right insulation for solar, contact us at Solar Bear Tampa today, and we’ll set up a time for a free consultation. Call 813-922-3735 now, and learn how solar power can revolutionize your home’s energy costs.