Due to the fact metal roofs are light, durable and usually made of eco-friendly recycled materials, home owners are increasingly installing solar panels on metal roofs.
If you are someone that has done this or planning to, then this is good news as metal is one of the best roof materials for solar panels.
Durability, simple installation and environmental benefits are just three of the reasons to consider using your metal roof as a home for your solar panels.
Five Key Things To Consider Before Installing Solar Panels On Metal Roofs
Simple process to mount solar panels on a metal roof
Solar metal roofs can fit thin-film panels and standard PV panels
Metal roofs are durable and will outlive your solar panels
Solar panels may increase the cooling benefits of a metal roof
Metal roofs and solar panels will generate an eco-friendly home
Read on to discover a more in-depth explanation of all of these topics.
1. It Is A Simple Process To Mount Solar Panels On A Metal Roof
Usually, your solar installer will drill holes in your roof so that they can attach the mounting for your solar panels. This is an area of concern for many homeowners, as if the solar panel is mounted improperly, this can cause leaks or other roof issues.
Most qualified solar installers will offer warranties to ensure their customers that there will be no issues with the installation.
However, if you have a metal roof, your solar installer will not likely need to make any holes in your roof at all, which will eliminate any possibility of issues down the road.
There are some alternative mounting options that make installing solar on a metal roof a smoother process.
Firstly for standing seam metal roofs, Quick Mount PV and Ecofasten have products which are designed for metal roofs with standing seams. If you own a standing seam metal roof, the panels can be installed using a mounting system that will clamp onto the seams of the roof without having to make any holes. Using this installation will speed up the process and will also cost less in labor costs as no holes need to be drilled.
Quick Mount PV also manufactures a tile replacement mount for metal tile roofs. This makes installing solar panels far easier as tile replacement mounts are shaped like roof tiles and can be swapped out with the existing tiles on your roof.
Additionally, these products will also ensure your solar installation is completely watertight since tiles are simply being replaced on your roof to mount your panels.
Unlike the previous two, corrugated metal roofs will require some holes to be drilled into the roof. Mounting company SnapNrack offers a solution which involves installing Straddle Blocks that sit on top of ridges on the roof and allow for a screw to be driven through it into the roof itself.
Unfortunately, waterproofing will become harder with these sort of mounting systems as there are now holes in the roof.
2. Solar Metal Roofs Can Fit Thin-film Panels And Standard PV Panels
Most homeowners in the United States are installing standard silicon, photovoltaic (PV) solar panels.
However, homes with metal roofs have another option, which is thin film solar. Thin film solar is only able to be installed on certain types of roofs and standing seam metal roofs are an ideal surface.
Although PV panels offer higher efficiency per square foot, thin film solar panels are easier to install and have a lower profile. Additionally, they require much less energy to manufacture than silicon solar cells, which can make them a lower-emissions renewable energy option from the start.
3. Metal Panels Are Durable And Will Outlive Solar Panels
Solar panels are extremely durable and can potentially last up to 30 years, which is the why they are such a great investment from your home.
Although this is a great feature, this means that the solar panels will often outlive your roof, which will result in an added expense.
If your roof is aging, you will have to replace it before the solar panels, which will not be friendly to your bank account.
However, if you have a metal roof, these are the most durable conventional roofing material available. Having a metal roof means that it it will often last longer than the lifespan of your solar panels. This will reduce expenses and hassle in the long term.
4. Solar Panels May Increase The Cooling Benefits Of A Metal Roof
Contractors will usually tout the benefits of cool metal roofing ( metal roofs coated with reflective paint ) to ensure your home is cool in the summer therefore reducing energy use. Also, metal roofs will reflect more sunlight than tradition asphalt singles.
However, to maximise this sunlight, installing solar panels will take your energy savings to a next level by shading the roofs surface.
5. Metal Roofs And Solar Panels Will Generate An Eco-friendly Home
If you are planning on ensuring your home is truly eco-friendly, the metal roofing and solar panels are the way forward. By installing a cool metal roof, you will earn points through green building certification programs like LEED and ENERGY STAR, both of which encourage the use of solar panels as home renewable energy options. Additionally, metal roofing and solar panels are in fact recyclable at the end of their life span.
Which Metal Roof Is Best Suited To Solar Panels?
Truthfully any sort of metal roofing is great for solar panels because of their strength to density ration. Also they hold non-eroding properties that ensure solar panels have additional support when they are installed to your roof.
However if you were to choose one type of metal, the best option could be the standing seam metal roof. This is because solar panels can be applied quickly and effectively to these roofs and no holes have to be punctured either. Zero holes in the roof allows for no leakage which will protect your home from consistent rain.
Final Thoughts
In a time where energy bills are slowly on the rise, solar panels are definitely becoming more and more common. If you have a metal roof or are considering purchasing a metal roof , then this should answer your question that yes, you can put solar panels on a metal roof.
Not only can you put solar panels on a metal roof, but using metal as your roof material is one of the best practices for applying solar panels to your house.
Therefore if you have neither a metal roof or solar panels, investing in both could end up saving you a lot of money in the future.
