Solar on metal roofs is an increasingly popular topic among homeowners because metal roofs are light, durable, and often made from eco-friendly materials. Metal is one of the best roof materials for solar panels if you fall into this category. Installing solar panels on a metal roof is easy, durable, and environmentally friendly. Read on for a more in-depth explanation of all of these topics.
Metal Roofs Are Easy To Mount Solar Panels
The mounting for your solar panels is usually attached to your roof by drilling holes. An improperly mounted solar panel system can cause leaks or other roof problems, which is a major concern for many homeowners considering solar. To reassure their customers that they won’t have any problems with the installation, most qualified solar installers offer workmanship warranties and roof warranties.
Solar Panels on Metal Roof, no problem!
However, your solar installer may not need to drill any holes in your roof if you have a metal roof, which virtually eliminates future problems. Alternative mounting options make installing solar on a metal roof easier:
Standing Seam Metal Roofs
Installers can attach panels to standing seam metal roofs without making holes using a clamp-on mounting system that clamps onto the seams. Using this type of racking can also reduce your labor costs because your installer won’t have to drill holes into your roof.
Corrugated Metal Roofs
When it comes to corrugated metal roofing, it is generally required to drill some holes into the roof, which is different than the previous two types of metal roofing. A solar panel mounting system provides a unique solution for the installation of solar panels on corrugated roofs. With mounting systems, the waterproofing issue becomes much more of an issue, since you will have to drill holes into your roof to mount the racks, thereby making waterproofing a much more important issue.
A Thin-Film Solar Panel Can Be Mounted On Metal Roofs
Many Americans who have installed solar panels on their roofs are using standard silicon photovoltaic (PV) panels, but there is another option available for homeowners with metal roofs – thin film solar panels. It is no secret that thin film solar can only be installed on certain types of roofs, and standing seam metal roofs are perfect for this type of installation. The main advantage of thin-film solar panels is their lower profile, which makes them easier to install and enables them to offer a higher efficiency per square foot than PV panels. Additionally, silicon solar cells require far less energy to manufacture than silicon solar cells, which means that they can be considered a lower-emissions renewable energy option from the very beginning.
Metal Roofs Are Durable Enough To Outlast Your Solar Panels
This is one of the reasons why solar panels are a great investment for your home because they are extremely durable and will last you for 25 to 30 years. Unfortunately, this can result in the solar panels outlasting your roof in many cases, which can result in the added expense of replacing them later on. If your roof is aging, you will need to replace it before installing solar panels. Otherwise, you will need to pay an additional amount of money to remove and re-install your panels as soon as your roof needs to be replaced.
As a result, metal roofs are considered to be one of the most durable conventional roofing materials available today. The lifespan of a metal roof is likely to outlast the lifetime of solar panels, which saves you both money and hassle in the long run.
Adding Solar Panels To a Metal Roof Increases Its Cooling Efficiency
Builders and contractors often tout the benefits of cool metal roofs (i.e. metal roofs coated with reflective paint) for keeping your home cool in the summer and reducing your energy bills. This can be true. The metal roofs reflect more sunlight than the traditional asphalt shingles, and some of them also come with reflective paint that makes the effect even greater. Adding PV solar panels to your roof will not only reduce your electric bill, but you will also be able to save a great deal of money on your energy bills.
Solar And Metal Roofs Create An Eco-Friendly House
Metal roofing is one of the best ways to make your home truly eco-friendly, and solar panels are also one of the best ways to achieve this. The installation of a cool metal roof can help you earn points through green building certification programs, such as LEED and ENERGY STAR, which both encourage renewable energy options in the house, including solar panels. The additional benefit of solar panels and metal roofing materials is the fact that they are both recyclables at the end of their lifespan, unlike many other options.
