Before any installation can be made a site assessment must be completed. This site assessment will be performed by the solar installer prior to installation, but site assessments are also offered by trained, impartial third parties.

Things to consider prior to contacting installers:

• Does the roof of your house have good southern exposure?
• Western facing roofs typically offer sufficient exposure as well. Estimates show that western facing roofs can produce about 87% of the total energy generated by roofs with full southern exposure.
• Are there any trees, power lines, chimneys, neighbors property that shade your roof?
• Is your roof structurally sound?
• How old is your roof?

Solar Resource
Sunrays are the fuel for all solar technologies, and the term ‘solar resource’ refers to identifying how much of it is available to a given collector area.

There are professional devices, such as the Solar Pathfinder and Solmetric SunEye, that calculate the Total Solar Resource Fraction which accounts for shading, panel tilt, and azimuth.

The tilt of the earth on its axis and our location north of the equator results in a specific sun path that changes throughout the year. The sun is at its highest point at noon on the Summer Solstice or June 21st.

Most photovoltaic and solar hot water systems are stationary, and having unobstructed solar access between the hours of 9 AM and 3 PM is ideal. Tracking systems usually follow the sun path from east to west during the day and are seasonally adjusted for altitude angle.

Potential Installation Considerations
Solar Thermal Flat-panel collectors weigh about 200-250 lbs. Thermosyphon systems add the weight of the water storage tank. Residential scale evacuated tube arrays weigh about 175 lbs.

More serious considerations, from a structural perspective, are wind-induced loads and concentrated loads. Remember that the snow or ice that used to be spread out evenly over your roof will now be concentrated at the mounting feet. Most of us know what high heels do to a wood floor.

For these reasons, a structural analysis is often required by the building officials who review plans and issue permits for solar systems.

It is a good idea to install solar panels over a roof that has 15 or more years of life in it. Some folks do a partial re-roof under the area of the solar array even if they are not prepared to do a complete roof replacement.

Process of Site Assessment

1. A Solar Site Assessment consists of several steps. Energy Use Inspection
   Methods of increasing the home or building energy efficiency are identified.
   Completion of an analysis of the building or home energy load.
2. Solar System Analysis
   Site assessment tools are used to determine available solar resources.
   The potential size of the solar array is determined.
   Locations for placement of the solar system are identified.
3. Cost
   The assessor will provide a cost estimate which is typically based on estimated energy production.
   The assessor will typically provide information on funding opportunities like grants/rebates/tax credits, and return on investment information.