Posts Tagged ‘rain’
With home solar power systems
Solar panel roof shingles allow a homeowner to enjoy the free power that these home solar power systems provide without the need to mount a set of solar panels on the roof. Older solar panel shingles were hard to add to a roof because of the way they mounted and connected to the homes electrical system. Modern versions of these solar panel roof shingles are thinner and can be mixed in with standard roof shingles to help them better blend into a roof’s design.
The mounting on these newer solar panel shingles is simpler as well and conforms to the nail patterns of a standard sheet of roof shingles. The wiring for these solar panel shingles is run through the roofing material and the interconnections are done inside of the attic.
Besides the cosmetic advantages that these newer solar power shingles provide, they are also more durable than a standard solar panel installation. The gap between the solar panels and the roof allows rain, ice and debris to flow below the panel and off the roof. The challenge is that this gap also allows wind to flow beneath the solar panel, which creates a lifting action on the panel. Also, areas that receive heavy snowfall present a hazard for conventional solar panels as well. The weight of the accumulating snow can twist and damage a solar panel that is not supported fully.