PV Gap

Lonnie Said:

What is the best roof pitch for solar panels?

We Answered:

Tilted at latitude is typical for solar electric, so if you're at (say) 35 degrees south latitude, you'd face your roof to solar north (magnetic north is close enough), and have it pitched up 35 degrees from horizontal.

If consistent power throughout the year is more important than total power, you might tilt at 15 to 20 degrees higher, to catch the short winter sun.

If you're at a very low latitude, you would want some tilt so that the panels don't collect water and dirt.

If you're in a place that gets snow, you'll want a pitch steep enough to shed the snow (possibly with a little encouragement from a long-handled broom).

Julio Said:

Can I install solar panels on roof of the flat above of which I own the freehold?

We Answered:

A lot depends on the lease you gave the tenant in the top flat but in any case you would have to apply for Planning Permission from the Local Authority. Look at the deeds to the property, the lease to the tenant and the local Planning Laws

Ronald Said:

We are going to get solar panels on our roof but there is ice on top of the roof, do the people have to wait?

We Answered:

It would be pretty tricky to install panels on an icy roof. Also there could be some water leakage into the attic as they are drilling holes for the mounts.

BTW, I had most of my panels mounted over the garage, just in case there was a leak. Sure enough I had one. Was very happy to have it over the garage instead of the attic.

Shirley Said:

Will solar roof panels/tiles really help save you money in London- and if so wht quantity?

We Answered:

the best thing you could do is install a natural slate or clay tile roof. saving future owners re-roofing expenses will result in a far greater long term savings. americans don't comprehend things like that but you can see the truth where you live. green is just a bandwagon, more toxic products are being created every day for this "movement".

Frank Said:

Whats the abbsulote best Home (roof) solar panels For power produced to price?

We Answered:

Experience of an answerer is not likely to tell you the "best" solar panels. All they will be able to do is give you their overall satisfaction with there system. Their satisfaction will depend on a lot of things, like the opinion of their contractor, the inverter equipment, the location with respect to angle from the sun and presence of shading influences, and their original expectations.

Probably competitively priced panels are very similar in quality. One measure that may be of value would be the watts per sq ft of panel area.

Do a lot of studying, including searching for solar panels in the upper right corner of this page.

Barbara Said:

How do you install solar panels on a slate roof?

We Answered:

Just like a tile or other stone roof, one or more tiles is generally removed, and a standoff is attached through the sheathing to the rafter below. The standoff is then flashed just like a vent. Racks are then mounted on these standoffs.

You can see examples of mounting systems on http://www.unirac.com/

Solar hot water can be heavy, and you would want to be sure of the strength of the underlying roof, especially if there is a tank on the roof.

Solar electric is light.

It's probably worth it to get a pro to do the install on this kind of roof, as it's not as forgiving as, say, asphalt shingle.

Tim Said:

Do roof solar panels and hail mix?

We Answered:

There is little ... Let me change that .. there is no chance that anything could stand up to a softball size hail ball. However I have 8 solar modules in my back yard and they went through a hail storm that did over $10,000 damage to my home and almost $8,000 to my truck. These modules have a 4 pound hail impact rating. I did have one small cheapie module that that was not hail rated and broke which the Ins. paid me $900.00 for.

This link shows my setup and notice the small module setting on top of the metal barn has a dent in the glass on the left side. It still works and later gave it to a friend and he still uses it. The 8 modules in the array did not even get a scrach. The top two are Shell 85 watt. the next two down are Sunwize 90 watt and the 4 on the bottom are Ever Green 115 watt.

http://www.oynot.com/solar-panels.html

So they are covered and you should get paid for damage depending on if you have home owners insurance or not. I don't know of any that excludes solar.