Is Your Roof Suitable for Solar Panels? The Best Roofing Materials

The cost of installing and using solar power has dropped by 89% since 2010. There is no doubt that most homeowners are rushing to install solar panels on their roofs.

An installed solar system can power your house for a couple of decades. However, that will only happen if you use the right materials to build your roof.

So, what materials will maximize your solar energy production? Read on to find out.

Metals

Metal roofs top the list of recommended materials for solar panel installation. This is because they’re strong and durable. Moreover, your roof won’t need holes for the solar photovoltaic panels. Instead, you can just clamp and secure the solar panels to the metal seams.

Metal roofs are compatible with many water sealants. As a result, you won’t need to worry about moisture entering your house through the roof.

Metal roofs can last up to half a century. In addition, they are eco-friendly because you can easily recycle them.

Asphalt Shingles

Asphalt shingle roofs are the most popular type of roof in the United States. They’re also one of the best materials for solar roofs because they support a simple solar installation process.

Asphalt shingles can also allow the placement of metal flashing around the stud holes. This saves money that you can use to offset the solar panel cost.

However, asphalt shingles have a relatively shorter lifespan of fewer than two decades. On the other hand, most portable solar panels have a lifespan of more than 30 years.

As a result, you may have to replace your roof while the solar panels are still in use. The roof replacement process can damage your solar panels and lead to additional costs.

Gravel and Tar Roofs

Flat roofs typically work well with gravel and tar roofs. The roofs consist of roofing felt, hot tar, and layers of sheets.

Gravel and tar roofs can support solar panels if you bolster the panels with extra brackets. You may also have to tilt the panels slightly to cater to design constraints.

However, a racking solution from a solar company can support the panels if the gravel roof can’t withstand extra weight.

If you decide to use a gravel roof, you may need to install concrete blocks on your roof. Failure to do this may expose your roof to weather damage.

Alternatively, you can mechanically attach a racking system during the solar panel installation.

Solar Roof Shingles

You can embed solar panels for home in all the roof tiles. The resulting structure will serve as a roof and as a solar power generator.

Generally, solar roof shingles have the best aesthetic quality among all solar roofing materials. Since there is no standard embedding method, every homeowner can choose to do it their own way. This has created many approaches to combining tiles and solar panels.

One of the most popular combination methods is the 3 in 1 roof from Tesla. This method attempts to offer extra insulation and protect your roof from strong winds.

Support Your Solar Panels With the Right Materials

Green energy is the way to go. As you prepare to install solar panels, you need to know the right type of roofing materials.

You will avoid regular repairs if you use the right roofing materials. In addition, you will reduce your solar power installation cost.

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