If you are thinking about installing solar panels on your house or commercial building roof and want to know if the roof is suitable to support the additional loads, we can help! Our experienced team can inspect the roof support structure and provide you with a report outlining the roof suitability and suggest strengthening recommendations if required.
Why is installing solar panels a good idea?
You will be saving two things at once – your money and the environment!
Solar electricity is a clean, renewable source of energy that utilises sunlight as a source of power rather than burning fossil fuels, which are detrimental to the environment as they create direct greenhouse gas emissions. A 1.5-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system can reduce your carbon footprint incredibly by avoiding 2.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide greenhouse emissions per year. The energy that is harvested from the sun can be utilised to generate electricity to power a building, and with a hot water solar panel, the energy can also be used to heat water.
Over the last decade, solar panels have technologically advanced immensely making them more affordable by more than 75% in the last five years, whereas energy prices are forecast to increase. Solar panels also tend to increase the value of a property as it is considered a valuable asset, so not only does it help you save money, but it can also be an investment in your home’s value. Regardless, solar panels can be a costly long-term investment that can take time to receive a return on investment – Therefore, a roof inspection would be ideal to find out whether this is the right investment for you.
Is my roof compatible with solar panels?
Unfortunately, not every roof has the capability to support the additional load of solar panels, so it is imperative to ensure that your roof is compatible before committing to installing them. We can analyse whether your roof can support the weight of solar panels by investigating the current condition, material, and positioning of your roof.
Our qualified and experienced team will conduct an assessment on your roof to capture the current condition of your building and the roof’s structure. We will look out for any defects that may affect the installation of solar panels such as cracks, gaps, subsidence in supplementary to any external conditions around the property that may affect the installation or efficiency of a solar panel. We will also conduct a structural review on your roof members to ensure that that roof is not only capable of preventing rafters from spreading but is also able to support the extra weight of the solar panels. From these assessments, we will then provide you with a detailed report that will confirm whether your building and roof is safe and compatible to support solar panels and suggest strengthening recommendations if required.
