Will Your Home Look Great With Aesthetic Solar Panels?

In recent times, after the rise in energy costs and growing concerns about climate change, solar panels have gained huge popularity as a cost-effective and eco-friendly energy solution for households. However, when transitioning to solar, most property owners worry about their home appearance after installing solar panels on the roof.

The good news is that there are several options for solar panel mounting which enhances a home's aesthetic appeal and gives access to clean, green, and sustainable energy. In this article, we will discuss a few key principles of engineering design and installation techniques to ensure your home maintains its visual appeal forever.

Choosing The Right Type of Solar Panel System Design

To preserve your property’s appearance, it is crucial to select the right type and size of solar panels. Different designs of solar panels exist, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Conventional polycrystalline silicon panels are the most sought-after, as they are cheap and durable with good conversion efficiency. These panels have dominated the market by accounting for up to 90% of sales in recent years. But on the downside, polycrystalline panels are blue with silver-colored aluminum frames, which makes them less visually attractive for use on residential rooftops

For large solar parks, where the primary concern is the cost of electricity generation, polycrystalline panels are a suitable choice. However, the monocrystalline silicon ones that are black in color with black framing are the best-looking rooftop solar panels. They instantly improve the overall aesthetics of the residential property.

Monocrystalline is renowned for its high efficiency and sturdiness, sleek and contemporary style. They do not compromise in terms of function and look when paired with most roof types. Although they cost more than the polycrystalline panels, they produce more electricity which helps compensate for the higher initial cost of the system.

Other solar panel types are the thin-film panels — Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) and Copper Indium Gallium De-Selenide (CIGS). Frameless panels offer 3600 flexibility and they sit low on the roof. In terms of panel efficiency, CdTe panels’ efficiency is relatively low, while CIGS panels can be compared to the monocrystalline ones.

In the current market scenario, Mono PERC, TopCon, and Heterojunction solar panels with black frames are the other best choices for homeowners with regard to aesthetics and energy generation. According to a recent IEA report, the market share of Mono PERC panels is 75%, while that of TopCon and Heterojunction combined is close to 20%.

Therefore, it is critical to consider your energy requirements, roof size, and budget when choosing the right type of solar panel for the home. You can also conduct thorough research about the availability of the solar panel types, their quality and longevity, and seek professional advice from a qualified solar panel installer for the same.

Matching Solar Panels Design for Home to The Roof

After choosing a solar panel for your house, the next step is to ensure its suitability for the roof. If not installed properly, solar panels could affect your property's aesthetics. You can avoid this by installing solar panels flush with the roof for a seamless appearance. You should also choose the solar panel color to complement the roof.

To minimize street visibility, some homeowners prefer to install panels on the rear side of their houses. A professional solar panel installer can suggest the right place for the solar panel system so that it not only looks good but also performs efficiently.

Best Solar Panel Roof Design Minimizes Visible Wiring

Solar panels must be connected in a series and parallelly to produce the required energy output. Wiring connects the solar panels to the inverter of the house and the electrical grid. While it is crucial to harness energy, exposed wiring can ruin your home’s aesthetic appeal.

This is why you should attempt to minimize the incidence of visible wiring on the roof for aesthetics. Some homeowners opt for micro-inverters on each panel to avoid using a central inverter and reduce the wiring’s visibility, or they choose to place them along the underside of the roof. Experienced installers, like Solarblocks, are well-versed in smart techniques to discreetly conceal the wirings.

Choosing a Good Place for Solar Panel Mounting Structure Design

Choosing a good place to fix solar panels is critical to maintaining the look of a house. The ideal placement largely depends on the house’s orientation. Solar panels generate the most electricity when facing south. Therefore, you should work to strike a balance between the panel placement, like facing it southward, on a discrete part of the roof, away from the street, to maximize energy production.

The Frame of Roof Solar Panel Design

Crystalline solar panels are composed of layers that include glass, EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate), solar cells, and a back sheet, all of which are encapsulated within a sturdy aluminum end-frame. Frames are available in two colors — silver and black. The aesthetic solar panels are typically monocrystalline panels with black frames. Although slightly more expensive, the black frames pair well with dark-colored roofs, which in turn renders a classy look to the house.

Rail-less Mounting System: Best Solar Panels Roof Structure Design

Solar panel mounting systems come in various types, shapes, and sizes. Choosing a mounting or a racking system needs careful consideration of certain factors like the roofing material, roof tilt, roof structure, wind pressure, and snow load. However, maintaining the aesthetics of the property should also be taken into account.

Broadly speaking, mounting systems for solar panels fall into two categories — with rails and without rails (rail-less). Rails are long channels placed on the roof, perpendicular to the rafters of the structure to secure the panels. This is the most conventional approach that the installers prefer to work with. However, the rail-less racking systems, like the RT-APEX, which Solarblocks often recommends, have many advantages, one being that the rail-less mounts keep the solar panels close to the roof and enhance the home’s overall aesthetic appeal.

Conclusion

Any property can benefit from solar panels, but it is crucial to see if they are value-adding. To ensure your home looks visually appealing with solar panel installation, it's essential to choose the right type with the right color and frame to match the roof. One consideration is to keep the wiring’s visibility to a minimum for aesthetics as well as safety reasons. By taking these steps, you can enhance your home's appearance while reaping the benefits of renewable energy, both now and in the future.

A qualified and experienced engineering design and installation company like Solarblocks can make every decision seem like a cakewalk for you.

Are you considering switching to solar?

Visit us for the best roof design for solar panels and type. Drop us an email at info@solarblocks.us for a quote