Can You Have Both Solar Panels and Shady Trees?
More and more residences are turning to solar power; either for the whole of their home\’s energy or as an experiment that gets them a hefty discount on their energy bill. But because solar panels work best under direct sunlight, some homes get a faster return on investment than others. If you have a house surrounded by shady trees, here\’s how to make solar panels still work out:
- Prune trees near the perimeter of your roof. While not all obstructions can be removed, like if you have a one-story house next to a two-story one, trees are a bit more malleable. Talk to a tree management company about a pruning schedule. One that can safely keep the trees trimmed back so your younger or shorter trees don\’t grow too tall. You should also ensure that all of your tree branches approximately eight feet away from your roof. Not only does that help ensure sunlight, it keeps the branches and any leaves or debris from damaging the panels.
- Consider a roof-mounted system versus a ground-mounted one. While roof-mounted assemblies are the most common for residences, that doesn\’t mean it\’s your only option. If you have a large yard, or you only want to try a few panels at the beginning, consider a ground assembly that you can rotate or even move with the seasons.
- Measure total savings instead of just optimal savings. It can be hard to ignore how much more quickly your solar panels would start to save you money over the long-term if you\’re losing some of the energy to shade. But even partially shaded panels can collect the sun\’s energy. And, depending on how many you have, that can be more than enough for your energy use. Calculate a conservative timeline to see how soon even shady panels pay themselves off and use those numbers when choosing your set-up.
Trees don\’t have to be a barrier to green energy. With the right placement and some preventative pruning, you can have an easy green house. You can follow along on Facebook and Instagram, or you can contact us here if you have any questions.
