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You know that solar power saves you money on your energy costs, especially in Florida, and you know that solar has other benefits, too—it can even make you money on the side if you play your cards right—but you might not be sure where to put your solar panels. Some neighborhood associations help with this—sometimes neighborhoods will expect all solar users to put their panels on their roofs, but sometimes the choice is left up to you, the homeowner. 

There are particular benefits to installing solar panels on your home’s roof as opposed to elsewhere in your yard or house, but installing solar panels on your roof requires specific conditions to function effectively. The good news is that solar panels work well on most roofing materials, which means many roofs are perfectly suited for solar!

Here are some tell-tale signs that your home’s roof is right for solar:

A good roof for solar already naturally gets a lot of sunlight during the day. 

It may seem obvious, but the best way to tell if your roof is going to be good for solar panels is to sit and watch how much sun your roof gets throughout the course of the day. If your roof is sun-soaked, solar panels will work well. If your roof doesn’t typically get too much sun, maybe thanks to dense treelines or your home’s position relative to a taller home or building nearby, no matter how good the rest of your roofing conditions are for solar, installing solar panels on your shady roof will probably not work as well. 

A good roof for solar is south-facing.

A south-facing roof will absorb the most sunlight for the longest duration throughout the day, since a south-facing roof will be exposed to sunlight from sunrise to sunset. A roof that faces east or west is also perfectly acceptable for solar panels—an east-facing roof will get a lot of sun in the earlier half of the day (since the sun rises in the east), and a roof that faces west will get a lot of sun in the latter half of the day. If your roof faces north, you might consider installing your solar panels in a place in your yard which gets more consistent sun. 

For solar panels to work most effectively, it’s good for your roof to have close to a 30-degree slant. 

Your roof’s angle is also important to consider when you’re thinking of installing solar panels. A roof that is totally flat might make solar panel installation easier, but in the long run, solar panels which are installed flat can get damaged in weather and can cause rainwater to pool on your roof, which could lead to damage. Particularly in the Tampa Bay area, given our heavy rainfall, this is something you’ll want to avoid. On the flip side, though, it is difficult to install solar panels if your roof slants too steeply, so you’ll want to take into account how deeply your roof is pitched for this reason, too. 

The best roof for solar is large and rectangular, with few vents or chimneys to work around. 

Because most solar panels are generally large and rectangular, it makes sense that if your roof is shaped similarly, that means your roof is better suited for solar. The same holds true if your roof has fewer vents or chimneys that you’ll have to work around. But don’t fret—these days, solar panels can be purchased in lots of different shapes and sizes, so odds are good you’ll be able to find the right combination of shapes to work around whatever features your roof already has built in. 

A good roof for solar is in good condition—it is structurally sound with no major defects or repairs expected. 

Last but not least, it’s important to take into account the current condition of your roof. After you install solar panels, it can make other roof repairs more tricky, time-consuming, and costly. Solar is best suited for well-made, newer roofs, though here at Solar Bear, we are always happy to service any solar panel related roof issues for you after installation. 

Solar Bear Tampa 

Keeping these five factors in mind will help you decide whether your roof is right for solar. But don’t worry–our Solar Bear experts are always here to help assess your solar needs and assist you in making a decision on where the ideal place for your new solar panels is. Call us today at 813-922-3735!

Want to install solar on your home or condo in Tampa, but unsure of how your HOA will react to this choice? Some HOAs or Neighborhood Associations might express resistance to the installation of solar on your roof or home, but they cannot prevent you from installing solar on your own home, thanks to Florida’s Solar Access Law, which you can find here. The law states that while homeowners’ associations can dictate where and how you install your new solar panels, they cannot keep you from installing a solar power system if you choose.  

Talking to your HOA about solar can be as simple as letting them know about your decision, or as complex as citing to them the Solar Access Law and then discussing applicable restrictions. 

Either way, it’s a good idea to keep the benefits of solar in mind when approaching your HOA, so that your conversation will go more smoothly. Here are a few points to mention during your talk about installing solar: 

1. Solar panels are proven to increase home value. 

As we’ve mentioned on our blog before, solar panels can actually raise the overall value of your property, meaning that installing solar panels on your home also increases the valuation of the neighborhood as a whole.  

2. Solar panels save money—meaning you can further beautify your home in other ways.

Using solar power instead of or in addition to traditional electric to power your home also saves you money on your electric bill every month, which definitely comes in handy during the hot and muggy Florida summer. But these savings can also help you save to pay for other, more aesthetic improvements to your home and lawn—a solar pro that will certainly make your HOA happy. 

3. Solar panels are often functionally invisible to the average passerby.

Depending on where your solar panels are installed (especially if you choose to install them on your rooftop), most passerby will never even see your solar panels, unless they’re looking closely for them. In most cases, a homeowners’ association will be concerned about solar for aesthetic reasons—what if it throws off the symmetry of the neighborhood, visually speaking?—so bringing up this point, that solar can easily be discreet, is usually a good way to go.

Keeping these positive attributes of solar in mind during your conversation with the homeowners’ association will help them see the benefits of adding solar to your neighborhood. And remember, in Florida, it is legally your right to install solar panels on your home. If you need backup, our team at Solar Bear Tampa is here to help you through the whole installation process. Call us today at 813-922-3735! 

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. 

There are numerous reasons why adding a solar system to your property makes sense, from developing an environmentally friendly footprint for your home to lowering energy costs. But one aspect that many people may forget is that solar power can also increase your home’s property value. 

According to Zillow, homes with solar panels generally sell for 4.1% more than homes without them and can add nine thousand dollars to the cost of the home. 

Here are the top three ways that you can increase your home’s property value with solar panels from our pros at Solar Bear…

Solar Energy is Valuable 

Energy efficiency is great for the planet and your bottom line. Generally, any kind of energy-efficient upgrade will increase the value of your property, and when it comes to solar panels, home buyers want them. 

Not surprisingly, research indicates that solar-powered homes sell faster than non-solar homes in some markets. Further, some buyers want a move-in-ready house, so they may find extra value in a home that already has energy-efficient upgrades like a solar system in place. 

Solar Power Pays Back 

Once you have your solar panels up and running, you will be less reliant on the energy grid, and your system will start paying you back through energy savings. 

Even if you are not sure that you are going to stay in your home long enough to enjoy the benefits of solar, they are still a smart investment because of the value that they add to your home. 

How much value that they add to your home depends on many factors including:

• Where you live
• The price of electricity in your area
• The size, condition, and value of your home (before installation)
• The age of the solar panels
• How much energy the system saves

Energy Savings 

Finally, a solar panel system will allow you to enjoy enhanced electricity bill savings over the 25-30 years of your solar system’s lifetime. As utility rates increase, your electricity bill savings will grow with time. Even if you never sell your home, your solar installation will fully pay for itself many times over. 

If you do decide to sell, you will be able to sell for a higher price, which will help cover the upfront cost of installing solar panels. 

Other Ways Solar Panels Increase Your Home’s Value

Not sold yet? Here are a few other ways that solar panels can increase your home’s value:

• Reduce costs of homeownership
• Environmental protection
• Protection of your roof from the elements 
• You can sell excess power back to the power company 
• Futureproofing
• Able to charge electrical vehicles at home with solar energy
• Self-reliance and self-sufficiency 

Things to Keep in Mind

Solar panels are more desirable in certain markets and areas than in others. In cities where buyers are more conscious of environmental issues, solar panels are more valuable when selling a home. 

In addition to improving a home’s value, solar panels can also help your property sell more quickly. Many home buyers actively seek out green or energy-efficient properties, and solar panels can draw in buyers who are seeking a reduction in utility bills, energy savings, and environmental protection. 

If you are concerned about increasing your home’s value with solar panels, consider talking with an experienced real estate agent in your area. They will be able to determine if green improvements like solar panels will enhance your home’s value and make it easier to sell in the future. 

Choose Solar Power 

Whether you are a homeowner or an owner of a small business, investing in solar power has both immediate and long-term value. Solar energy systems benefit homeowners by allowing them to gain energy independence, reduce utility bills, and add value to your home. 

Solar Bear has extensive solar panel installation experience and can help you decide if a solar panel system is right for you! We also offer home energy audits to show you all the potential ways that you could be saving money and energy—and adding value to your home! 

Contact us today for a free estimate on a solar system in or around the Orlando area —407-904-7585!