There’s no denying the clear benefit of solar panels for your home. It protects and extends your roof’s lifespan because it can function as a shade against sunlight, rain, and snow. Plus, it absorbs solar energy that you can use to power your home appliances, including the air-conditioning unit and dehumidifier that cools and reduces humidity in your home.
With these in mind, it’s safe to say that solar panels can act as natural residential roof shades for properties, even if it’s only a secondary function that they have. In addition, any solar panel regardless of solar absorption property can achieve this result.
Unfortunately, solar panel’s efficiency in snow and cold insulation is poorer than its heating insulation, but the power it generates for your property is enough to make your heaters work and reduce your energy consumption enormously.
To learn more how solar panels save power and improve your residential insulation, you can read more from Saving Energy for Life’s post below:
Installing solar panels is an obvious boost to your energy efficiency. Generating electricity directly from the sun that beats down on your roof every day can dramatically reduce your dependence on other types of electricity generation, even possibly eliminating it entirely. And there are even more benefits as well: solar panels have been shown to keep your roof cool by providing shade during daylight as well as warmth at night by helping hold heat in.
According to a study conducted by researchers at UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, solar panels reduced the amount of heat reaching the roof by an incredible 38%, keeping a building’s roof 5 degrees cooler than portions of a roof exposed to sunlight directly. The team led by Jan Kleissl, used thermal imaging of rooftops with and without panels over a three day period in the month of April. The team determined that solar panels act as roof shades which reduce the temperature in the rooms below the roof, reducing the need for air conditioning during summer days and heating during winter nights.
Kleissl stated: “There are more efficient ways to passively cool buildings, such as reflective roof membranes. But, if you are considering installing solar photovoltaic, depending on your roof thermal properties, you can expect a large reduction in the amount of energy you use to cool your residence or business.”
This is great news for homeowners. The Department of Energy states that while heating and cooling no longer make up the majority of all residential electricity consumption, it’s still by far the biggest consumer at 48.5%. The biggest reason for this is the increased use of energy-efficient products, such as more efficient HVAC systems, better building insulation, and more energy-efficient windows. (Continue reading here to learn more)
You can always trust us at Roper Roofing and Solar for your Golden, CO, solar panel installations. Contact us today to learn more about everything we can do for you.