The sun provides our planet with unending energy, and it won’t make sense for us not to harness it. Fortunately, many of us with spare change can fetch a few solar panels and secure them to the roof. This technique is a wise investment with great returns both environmentally and, of course, financially.
One of the few challenges in installing solar panels on your roof is that the panels can look off. Imagine seeing those panels on top of a rustic home or Victorian-style home’s roof. They would certainly look out of place.
This is one of the reasons people decide to use traditional electricity rather than sacrifice the beauty of their homes. Lucky for you, there are multiple ways you can prevent these panels from ruining your home’s aesthetics.
Tips You Might Want to Consider
The following are tips you can do to properly install solar panels in your home without damaging your home’s design:
Contact a Contractor
First things first, you need to search for a contractor who will be responsible for installing your home solar panels. Most contractors will also enlighten you on the impact of having solar panels on your home’s aesthetic and may come up with an idea on how to counteract it.
In addition, contractors can help you look for the right solar panels, universal covers for solar inverter, and other solar devices that will match well with the design of your house.
Consider a Fully Integrated Solar Roof System
You can reduce the use of solar panels to save your home’s aesthetic. To do this, you can choose to go for an entirely integrated solar roof system. This system is also popularly known as solar roof shingle arrays.
Choosing this system means that you won’t be installing panels on your roof. Instead, you will be provided with a complete system that aesthetically complements your roofing. Furthermore, this system places the solar panels on the ground, which saves the integrity of your home’s architecture.
Solar roof systems and your traditional roof can be challenging to tell apart. However, when you look at them closely, you will only know that they are solar collection devices.
Consider Solar Architecture
Suppose you worry about solar panels being aesthetically incompatible with your home’s current style. Why not renovate your home and make the solar panels appear more compatible with your home’s aesthetic? You can choose to adapt solar architecture and turn these panels to look like they belong.
Multiple homes have been designed to make them more compatible with solar panel installations on the roof. If you want your home to be like this, you can work with your architect and know your options. Most owners work hand in hand with their architect to designate any flat or unused space in their property to try and place solar panels without it being an eyesore.
Think about Building-Integrated Photovoltaics
If your home has a contemporary design, you might want to consider getting a hold of building-integrated photovoltaics or BIPV. BIPVs are different from regular solar panels. BIPVs look more aesthetically pleasing to the eyes since they usually look like the typical building facade.
BIPVs are common, and you might have seen one but didn’t notice that they were solar panels all along. It is vital to know that BIPVs are sometimes used as building envelopes. This means the BIPVs will act as a separator and protective layer in your home against the sun, heat, and rain.
Installing The Solar Panels As Shade Canopies
It is vital to know that it is not only on the roof that you can place your solar panels. Lucky for you, you can get solar panel arrays to function as shade canopies for your patio, deck, or gazebo. This technique can help your property stay pretty since it can be very stylish.
Benefits of Solar Panels in Your Home
Although solar panels might not be pretty to look at, they provide multiple benefits to your home. Solar panels’ top benefit is that they can help reduce the use of your electric bill, saving you a lot of money in the long run. This is because solar panels utilize the sun’s energy and transform it into electricity or gas.
Solar panels are designed to withstand any extreme weather condition your house might experience. This means there’s no need to worry about power outages. Furthermore, besides reduction in electricity bills, solar panels are also environment friendly and are low maintenance.
Another crucial benefit of installing solar panels for your home is earning tax credits. In the United States, having Solar PV systems at home makes you eligible for a 26% to 30% tax credit. Since taxes have been skyrocketing in America, it is wise to find as many legal ways as possible to manage them. If you have other tax credit eligibilities, you maximize your savings even more.
How to Estimate Solar Panel Installation Costs And Savings
Solar panel installation costs vary widely depending on the type and size of system you choose, as well as the location of your home or business. However, there are some ways to get a ballpark estimate of the cost and savings you can expect from solar.
EcoWatch’s solar calculator allows you to input your location, utility provider and current shade to calculate an estimate of the monthly savings for the use of solar systems.
To Wrap It Up
There are multiple reasons why people should use solar panels as a source of electricity for their homes. Doing so can help you save some cash, be environment-friendly, and can even encourage other people to follow suit.
However, most people don’t choose to go solar since it can be an eyesore. Fortunately, there are many ways that can make solar panels less appalling.