Taking advantage of renewable power sources can allow homeowners to reduce their energy expenses and the impact that their home has on the environment. Solar power systems are the most popular type of renewable energy system for homeowners, and this should not be surprising given the compact size and high energy output of these systems.

Will Your Entire Roof Need To Be Covered With Solar Panels?

Homeowners that are not familiar with solar panel systems may assume that these panels will need to cover the entire roof of the building. The number of panels that a home will require will be determined by the amount of energy that the structure is needing. However, most homeowners will find that they will only need to have a portion of their home's roof covered by these panels. This can allow for them to choose the side of the roof that will be the least noticeable so that the impacts on the home's aesthetics is kept minimal. It will be important for the panels to receive strong sunlight, which may require trimming tree branches so that the panels are in the sun as much as possible.  

How Can You Know If The Solar Panels Are Damaged Or Malfunctioning?

Due to these panels being on the roof, it can be very easy to assume that it will be extremely difficult to know whether the solar panels are damaged or operating normally. In practice, these systems will almost always have some type of diagnostic tool that will allow you to monitor the energy output of these panels. A sudden drop in this output will most likely indicate that the panels are malfunctioning or have been damaged. Some of these systems will have more elaborate diagnostic tools that may allow you to scan for problems. The owner's manual for your particular solar panel system should provide instructions for how to analyze the system for potential problems.

How Should You Dispose Of Your Old Solar Panels?

Eventually, you will either need to replace your solar panels due to damage or decide to upgrade to newer or stronger units. This will require disposing of the previous panels. Their large size can give the impression that this will be hard, but there are many recycling services that will accept these panels. In fact, some of these services may even buy these panels for scrap. These can often be the most convenient option for disposing of the old solar panels as they may provide pickup, which can eliminate the need for you to arrange for these large panels to be transported.

Learn more about solar panel installation from a company like Aram Solar today.