Buying solar panels can help the environment and help your pocket book because you get cheap electricity and can resell the electricity back to your grid. Also, the initial investment for buying solar panels might not be very high if your local government helps you pay for it.
However, solar panels are not just something you go out and buy. Though almost anybody can have them and save money, there are three things you need to do before you install solar panels.
Make sure your roof is suitable
Whoever installs your solar panels for you will know their way around a roof (many solar panel installers are also roofers) but you should still make sure your roof is in good shape. Consider asking a roofing company to audit your roof, or at the very least if you know that your installers are also roofers, ask them to check it out to make sure it is safe and can handle the extra weight.
Make sure your climate is good for solar panels
You don’t need to live in Arizona or California to buy solar panels. In fact, Germany is roughly as cloudy as Seattle, but they are successfully utilizing solar. Last year alone, they installed 7,400 MW of new solar PV. Right now, it accounts for around 2% of their electricity. However, though someone living in Seattle can probably put solar panels on their roof, it’s not ideal for people living above the Arctic Circle where the Sun does not rise for months. If you are still unsure, you can get a light survey meter and see if your area is suitable for solar power.
Check your credit score so that you can get a good deal
Go online to get a free credit check so that you can see your credit report. A credit report shows your credit score, which lenders will consider if you take out a loan to buy solar panels, which you may or may not have to do depending on how big your roof is. This is actually good advice for before any significant loan, such as a car loan.
About the author: Murray Newlands and his company Influence People do blogger outreach for a variety of clients.
Welcome to the site. This is Hopkin Joseph. A 53 year old electrical planner from .
