Solar Panels: Make Your Own Power with the Right Roof

July 27, 2020 | Filed under: Buying a New Roof,Consumer Education,Energy,Environmentally Friendly

Solar-Panels-Classic-Metal-Roofing-Systems

For many homeowners, solar panels offer opportunities to save money and make your own power.

Roof Mounted Solar Panels

 

Roof-mounted solar panels are an excellent way to generate free power by taking advantage of space you aren’t using- the top of your home. Your roof is perfect for solar power generation: wide, smooth, and directly exposed to sunlight. However, roofing materials aren’t all created equally when working with solar. So how can you know which type of roofing works best? 

Here are 2 great options for making your own power with a Classic Metal Roofing System:

  1. Mounted solar panels- traditional photovoltaic panels mounted on top of metal shingles using stainless steel brackets
  2. Integrated solar panels- dual-function photovoltaic panels working as shingles strategically added in the place of some metal shingles.

Mounted panels are the better option right now, but integrated solar roofing panels show a lot of promise for the future.

Mounted solar panels work best with our metal shingle roofs for several reasons: most importantly durability and long-life. A solar panel has a functional life of around 20 years, much shorter than our metal roofing shingles, but longer than asphalt shingle roofing. When it’s time to replace the panels on one of our metal shingle roofs, the roof remains intact with no need for shingle replacement. 

Mounting and clamping panels to the rib of standing seam roofing damages the seam, leaving a potential weak point. Even worse, removing solar panels with standing seam roofing means replacing the entire slope underneath the panel. This is why we recommend using our metal shingles instead of a standing seam roof for solar applications. 

Choosing a metal shingle roof goes beyond just providing an excellent base for solar power generation. A high-quality metal roof from Classic Metal Roofing is:

Durable

Our metal roofing lasts decades longer than asphalt shingles, meaning no more painful re-roofing jobs. A permanent roof makes solar panel replacement and maintenance much easier. Standing up to the environment provides a strong foundation for solar panels, keeping your investment protected from harsh weather, high winds, hail, and fire. 

Energy-efficient

Generating solar power drastically reduces your need for standard electric power and high-quality metal roofing goes even further, cutting energy costs by up to 20%. A metal roof also addresses all 3 forms of heat transfer to keep your home cooler and maximize energy efficiency. Radiant heat from the sun reflects off the specialized coating found on every Classic Metal Roof, conductive heat dissipates between the roof and attic, and convective heat flows out through the ventilation. 

Beautiful

Classic Metal Roofing is available in a variety of colors and styles. It can resemble wooden shake, tile, or slate. This beauty is enhanced by proper installation, something talented roofing crews provide to many happy customers. Your neighbors will be jealous of your brand-new, striking Classic Metal Roof.

If you are considering solar power generation for your roof now or later, we can help. Designed to work hand-in-hand with solar panels for a lasting solution, you can choose to have your roof installed “solar-ready”, leaving room for solar panels installed at a later date, all while enjoying the many benefits of your new roof.

Classic Metal Roofing and Solar: A Match Made in the Heavens

Here’s more information on our metal roofing matched with solar panels. Take the time for a look up at your roof and imagine the possibilities of solar power.