Solar offers many important benefits for homeowners. Solar panels can be included with mortgage financing, increase the value of the home from the start, and provide protection to your roof from wear and tear. Solar is also a symbol of status and environmental consciousness. Let's take a look at the advantages of going solar from the start of your new home construction.
Built-in Financing Through A Mortgage
You can include a solar energy system as part of your mortgage when you build your new home. In this case, the additional monthly payments that you make will be offset by the savings on your electricity bill. The beauty of it is that you won't need a separate down payment for both your home and your solar electric system. You only need one down payment.
The Home Will Appreciate in Value
When you build a new house, historically the land will appreciate in value while the house itself will depreciate in value. In this case, adding solar will only add more value to the start of your house than what you would have had without it. We know that solar will add value to your house. In this case, the value will be measured at $3.11 per watt of installed solar. So if you decide to get a 7 kW array, you will be receiving a little more than $21,000 of added equity to your house from the start.
Your Home Could Be Built With Solar In Mind
Another facet that may be overlooked is the ability of the home to be oriented properly during the design phase to have a south-facing direction. If solar is built into the design of a house from the start, shading problems can be avoided altogether. Venting and other roof obstructions can also be avoided if the house is designed to accommodate panels in large, unencumbered swaths on the roof.
Solar panels protect your roof from wear and tear
Homeowners often ask if making penetrations into a roof is a potential danger to the house down the road. There is no danger of any leaks if the installation was done correctly. The panels are not attached to the roof itself. They are attached to mounted rails. Mounting rails will be attached deep into the shingles. An adhesive sealant then creates a bond around the penetration eliminating any types of leaks from occurring.
There are also non-penetrating rooftop mounting systems that can be installed on top of the membrane of the roof and held in place using ballast. The only concern about using a non-penetrating rooftop ballast mounting system is that they are not suitable to be installed in areas with high winds.
Solar panels will shade the area of your roof directly underneath them from ultraviolet sunlight which can be harmful to roofing shingles made of asphalt or tile. Panels will also protect your roof from the elements.
The typical solar panel is around 5' x 3.25' or right around 18 square feet and weighs approximately 40 pounds. This is typically less than 2.5 pounds per square foot and right in line with the weight of asphalt shingles. When you consider the weight of shingles
One of the reasons why matching solar panels with new home construction is a good idea is comparing the installation to an older house. If panels have a warranty of 25 years (and are expected to last much longer) and the roof needs to be replaced in 10-15 years, there will be an additional expense to remove the panels in the event the roof needs repair or replacement. A roof usually has a lifespan of between 20-50 years, about the same time frame as solar panels.
You want a roof that is in good condition before installing panels, a roof that is free of any mold, leaks, or cracking. Installing panels on a brand-new house guarantees the roof is in pristine condition.
New building construction and solar integration should work hand in hand. There are even rules in places like San Francisco to require that new building construction have solar panels installed on the roof. It is a way for communities to meet their city's electricity demands with renewable energy. Eventually, every new building in the country will require solar panels. New home owners who go solar can be one step ahead of the curve.
