Is solar energy a good bet for your custom home in Vancouver? Canada is one of the biggest economies championing the course of clean energy in the world, and Vancouver has been courting the mainstream adoption of clean energy for decades. Although this is a good time for Vancouver home owners to join the drive of solar energy, it’s prudent to first of all calculate the costs involved.

Will the power bill savings over time be worth the cost of installing a solar panel? For how long will your solar panel serve you? To what extent is your custom built home compatible with solar panels? In this feature, we examine these considerations and many more to help you make the right decisions concerning solar panels for homes.

Factors that Determine the Suitability of Solar Panels for your Home

Incentives

As one of the countries leading the mainstream adoption of clean energy, Canada offers various solar energy incentives and rebates at the federal, state and local levels. These incentives vary depending on jurisdictions, but they all chip away significantly at the cost of solar panels for homes in Vancouver. 

Local Codes

Regulatory intervention in the solar energy market also comes in the form of installation regulations. These regulations vary across localities and even neighborhoods. If your neighborhood has a homeowner’s association, you should consult with them when inquiring about the necessary permits. You also need to check for city or county installation requirements. 

Your Roof’s Orientation, Age, Size and Shade

Many homeowners did not consider solar panels during the design phase of their home’s roofing. As such, there are customizable solar panel solutions designed to suit any roofing profile. However, there are ideals when it comes to the compatibility of roofing structures with a solar panel. As per orientation, a south-facing roof is the most ideal, although east and west orientations are also suitable. For pitches, the best-suited is 30 degree inclination, although an installer can mount panels on a suitable angle even on a flat roof. And as for age, it’s best to delay the installation of a solar panel if your roofing will be due for replacement within a few years — solar panels for homes are supposed to be kept mounted on your roof for at least a couple of decades. When it comes to size, you need a 100 square feet of space for every kilowatt generated by solar panels. Any shade that obstructs direct sun rays over your roof will significantly minimize the output of the solar panels, so its best to curb shades over your roofing as much as possible during installation.

If for any of these reasons your roof disqualifies your home from a solar panel installation, a ground mount solar installation can be a good alternative.

Your Electricity Rates

The savings you can make off your electricity bills with solar energy is determined primarily by your local electricity rates. The savings is also determined by the percentage of your custom built home’s power consumption that’s covered by solar. And when it comes to this, it’s advisable to source no more than 75% of your power consumption from solar, in order to make preparations for redundancies during cloudy days and winter months.

Is Solar Energy a Good Investment for your Vancouver Home?

From reduced utility bills to enhanced market value of a property, solar energy installation can benefit homeowners in more ways than one. You can reach out to us as Silvercrest Custom Homes and renovations for further inquiries on how best to harness solar energy for your custom home.