When is a roof suitable as a solar roof?

This is a question that quickly comes up when business owners want to install solar panels on their roofs. Novar can help with this. With the expertise we have in-house, we can provide sound advice. In this article you can read what is important with a solar roof.

Roof suitable as a solar roof

Not every roof is immediately suitable as a solar roof, but it can become one. With every request for a rooftop solar project, we do a feasibility study beforehand. There we take into account, among other things, obstacles on the roof. There must be enough space to place solar panels. If there are too many obstacles on the roof, such as vent pipes, air conditioners, chimneys or skylights, there will be a lack of space and shadow. Shadow on one panel can cause several solar panels to perform less well. Solar panels, like Christmas lights, are placed in a string and the weakest panel determines the solar yield for the entire string. It is not only obstacles on the roof that cause shade. Surrounding trees and other buildings can also be the culprit. Our technical designer calculates the net roof area and the most ideal arrangement for the solar roof to determine the solar yield.

Roof construction

We also examine whether the current roof structure can support the solar panel system. Our experience shows that a roof construction that is too weak is the most common cause of a negative recommendation. At Novar, we therefore offer the option of (co)financing the new roof structure. An independent engineering firm tests the strength of the roof structure before and after construction. We examine it for our mutual benefit, but it is also mandatory for the application for the remaining financing and insurance. Schedule a consultation with Novar and together we will see if we can fit your roof with solar panels.

Roofing

When it comes to roofing, there are several solutions. A mounting system is available for most types of roofing. For a pitched roof, solar panels are most easily mounted on a tile or (corrugated) flat roof. On flat roofs, panels are mounted at an angle on an aluminum scaffold that is often held to the roof with gravel tiles. This way there is no need to drill holes in the roof.
The final requirement is the ability to connect to the existing energy grid. A solar farm produces an enormous amount of power. We can't just put a plug in the socket. For this we make arrangements at an early stage with the grid operator who manages the grid stations in the area. Capacity is the biggest issue here. Is it possible to connect the solar roof to the current (or future) energy grid? Read on quickly in the article about the Dutch electricity grid.