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Investing in a Solar Shed

Ashleigh AngellOctober 9, 2018 1158 0

Investing in a Solar Shed

Sheds are used for a variety of reasons for homeowners. From a work office to traditional storage, it’s great supplemental space for the home. But first, let’s look and see if your home has the ideal qualifications for going solar, and then extending that onto a shed.

Solar Qualifications

Roofing. Solar panels are surprisingly similar in weight to adding an additional layer of shingles on a standard asphalt roof. Solar installers will evaluate your roof to determine if your roof has the structural integrity to hold up on panels. They’ll then need to evaluate the roof of your shed for the same thing.

Space and Sunlight. The standard residential solar panels are approximately 15 square feet. You’d like to ensure that your shed has the appropriate roof space for panels and is clear of shade most of the time. A southern facing roof directly hitting the sun is optimal for solar electricity production.

Electricity. Ideally, a majority of homeowners would like about 100% of their home covered by electricity usage by solar panels. If your shed is about 15 square feet or more, this could be the ideal scenario to cover the bill for your shed. Panels used solely for your shed will decrease the upfront cost than a traditional residential installation since fewer panels are needed.

Other Options for a Solar Shed

Shed Solar Kit: This is an additional avenue to get solar panels for your shed to install it yourself. If you’re only installing a few panels and are comfortable with electrical work, then a DIY is the preferred way. These kits are great for a small solar panel system.  

Professional Installer: There are great perks for using a professional to install your panels. You can save a significant amount of time and installers assist with filing paperwork, which can be a headache for the first time DIY installers who aren’t familiar with handling the paperwork for permits.

DIY Your Shed: You’ll be able to customize the construction and location of your shed to make it compatible for solar if you simply do it yourself. In this case, consulting with a builder to make sure there’s enough available roof space to fit the amount of panels needed is recommended. A builder will advise the position of the shed on your grounds to maximize electricity production.

A shed that already has the panels on it: If your main roof isn’t a good fit for solar panels and want solar options, then a solar shed may be a good solution for your property. Fortunately, home improvement stores sell sheds with solar collectors included. Most retail sheds have passive solar thermal collectors, rather than solar electricity panels. Passive solar thermal collectors don’t save as much as the electricity type of panels, but its a plus if your also using your shed as a greenhouse.

So, should you get a solar shed?

Installing solar to your shed is a great way to start going solar if you aren’t quite ready to invest all the way yet. You’ll be in the starting stages of bringing solar into your life and start saving on bills. If you’re planning on bringing solar to your whole house, then of course you should add solar to your shed, as well. After all, a shed is just an extension of your living space.

Want to learn more about bringing solar energy into your lifestyle? Check out the HahaSmart blog for the latest tips and tricks!

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