Can I Install a Solar Panel on my Ohio Metal Roof?

Metal roofing is becoming the top choice for most home and business owners in the Cincinnati area. It’s also becoming a growing fad to have solar panels installed for home and business energy resources. Many are questioning the use of both. Is it safe to use solar panels on a metal roof? Are solar panels best used on something other than metal? There are many questions that home and business owners want answered before deciding on a metal roof or a solar panel.

Metal Roofs

Metal roofing systems come in an array of materials and provide security for your home against large storms and high winds. The question remains, can metal roofs accommodate solar panels? The answer, yes. There are a few installation tips for adding a solar panel on your metal roof, but it’s definitely possible. Keeping in mind how light and durable metal roofs are, it’s important to note that solar panels should try to fall under that same category.

You wouldn’t want to install an overweight solar panel that might ruin your metal roof. The good news is that metal roofs are the best option for solar panels. Metal roofs make mounting solar panels easy and the combination of the two adds a cooling effect to your home. Metal roofs can hold an array of solar panel designs to make choosing the right solar panel easier.

Adding a Solar Panel

Solar panels mounted to your roof can add energy efficiency to your Ohio home. Adding them to your metal roof can provide better warranties and cooling functions to your home. It’s important to know all the facts before you decide on the best solar panel to attach to your metal roof. Some of the benefits include:

• Better warranties
• Easy mounting for solar panels
• Metal roofs have a longer lifespan than the solar panels
• Cooling benefits
• Eco-friendly homes

Better Warranties

Metal roofs are made to last and typically have a minimum of a 40 year warranty. This warranty is a great asset when installing a solar panel. Solar panels offer a warranty maximum of 25 years. This large difference in warranty time means your roof isn’t likely to give out before your solar panel. If this does happen, metal roofs are easier to replace and repair than other types of roofing and your solar panel is less likely to need removal or incur damage.

Easy Mounting

Because your warranties work so well together, it’s easy to install and maintain your solar panels with peace of mind that you won’t have to replace or repair your metal roof before you need to replace or repair your solar panels. Mounting them is easier than it seems. There are three types of metal roofing instructions for mounting metal roofs.

The first is the standing seam roofs. This system is built with seams that lock together and have sections standing up (standing seams). Solar panels have options to clip onto the seams of this type of roofing. This avoids making holes in the metal, which many home owners appreciate. It’s also useful because this speeds installation time since the installer won’t have to take time drilling holes in the roof.

Metal tile roofs are a combination of metal tiles that link together to create your metal roof. This roof type allows for the replacement of tiles to add the solar panel. Your installer will replace your metal roof tiles with solar panel metal tiles that hold the panels in place. This installation is made easy and completely watertight because it’s a simple matter of replacing tiles as opposed to drilling or clamping extra pieces onto the roof.

A third roofing option is corrugated metal. These roofs are unlike the other two, in that drilling holes is typically required. This system adds pieces called straddle blocks to the ridges of your metal roof that are screwed into the roof itself. The biggest concern with this option is the waterproofing options. Because your Ohio installer is drilling holes into your roof, there could be water problems if they don’t properly seal everything once they’ve finished.

Longer Lifespan

Due to the longer lifespan of the metal roof, it’s a benefit to having a solar panel installed. Because solar panels have a shorter lifespan, it’s more likely you’ll need to replace your solar panel before you’ll need to replace your roof. Having the durability of a metal roof makes adding solar panels that much easier. It provides the security in knowing your roof is safe, despite adding a solar panel to it.

Cooling Benefits

Metal roofs and solar panels have the benefit of cooling your home and making it more efficient during Cincinnati summers. They both reflect the sunlight, keeping your home from heating up and providing a cooling effect. Because of this cooling effect, air conditioning is less likely to be required, which makes your home more energy efficient. This perk tends to draw home owners toward metal roofs to help with their energy costs.

Eco-Friendly

This perk is slightly less attention-grabbing; however, it’s still a great benefit. Metal roofs and solar panels have a great eco-friendly quality because they’re able to be recycled when their lifespan ends. This option provides the best result for many home owners to know their old metal roof and solar panel will be recycled and used for other products.

Conclusion

Metal roofs have a great benefit for solar panels because they work well together to protect the home and provide economic and energy benefits to the homeowner. They are a great combination because solar panels are much easier to install on metal roofs and don’t require drilling holes to mount the solar panel. This protects the roof from possible leak danger later.

With all the benefits of metal roofs, it makes sense to add the benefits of solar panels to the metal roofing. Each option for metal roofing and solar panels are a great combination to help home owners save money and protect their homes.