Your roof material can make or break your solar panel experience. Some roofing doesn’t just provide durable support to your solar panels but also improves their insulation. On the other hand, some roofing materials can damage your solar panels instantly.
One of the most popular roofing materials among the solar panel community is metal. However, the question remains–is metal roofing the best for solar panel use? If yes, how can you ensure that your metal roof is compatible with solar panels?
If you’re one of the people asking these questions, this blog is for you.
Is metal roofing the best for solar panel use?
Metal is not the best roofing material for solar panel use. The number one spot is for asphalt shingles.
Asphalt shingles are durable yet flexible. These characteristics allow optimal modification to accommodate metal frames and other installation materials for your solar panels.
But metal roofing is the next top choice.
Why is metal roofing good for solar panel use?
The standing seams on most metal roofs give a good foundation for the metal frames of your solar panel. You won’t need to create additional racks to install your solar panels. Thus, reducing the cost of installation.
Aside from this, metal roofs can accommodate laminated solar panels. These are cheap, film-like solar panels that are placed on the roof through adhesives. They stick perfectly on metal roofs. However, since they are just thin films, they produce less electricity than traditional solar panels.
Lastly, steel and metal are good conductors of heat. As we all know, solar energy relies on the heat from the sun, not from the sunlight itself. This means that if metals can conduct or transfer heat to the solar panels, there is a high chance that they’ll produce more energy.