Make the Most of Your Home's Roof

Say what? You mean there's more your roof can do than keep the weather out of your home?

Absolutely!

Put solar collectors on your roof and it can help power your home. This isn't advice just for sunny places like Florida or southern California. Most places get enough sunlight that you can take good advantage of solar power.

Solar panels use photovoltaic cells to turn sunlight into electricity. I won't get too much into the details right now; you can look up the details if they interest you. But for most all that matters is that it works.

You'll want to talk to professional installers with experience in installing solar powered systems. This is because having your panels installed at the right angle can make a huge difference in the benefits you get. They may need to install a mounting system that will adjust the exact tilt of your panels.

A good installer will also check the strength of your roof. Not every roof has been built strongly enough to support solar panels plus the mounting equipment. Obviously you need to know what extra work may need to be done in order to make your roof properly support this weight.

Alternatively, do some research into solar shingles. Just as they sound, these are solar cells in shingle form that can be used to replace your existing roof. Obviously the effectiveness of these will depend on the angle of your roof, and you will have to decide if they are the right solution for your particular situation.

Depending on the system you install and the amount of sunlight you get, you may even produce a surplus of energy. Many people sell this surplus back to their local electric company, but others choose to charge a battery and just use it themselves at the times their system is not producing enough electricity. There are advantages each way, and you will have to figure out which is right for you.

While these systems are expensive and a definite investment, many states have programs in place to help you pay the cost. Don't expect these programs to pay the entire cost but they can help significantly. You can research programs for your state as well as federal programs online.

It will take years to pay back the investment in solar power. This is still not the cheapest way to get energy, rebates or no, but as electricity costs increase through the years you may benefit more than you think at first. It's also better for the environment.

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