When it comes to residential solar installations, mounting panels on a home’s roof or on your property’s grounds offers distinct benefits. For some homeowners, those aren’t the only options.
If you have some rural acres or own a larger property, chances are you own a pole barn. If so, installing your solar system on it can deliver some unique advantages.
With their angled roofs and broad surface area, installing panels on a pole barn is similar to mounting them on a large detached garage. They’re a surprisingly effective, often-overlooked alternative mounting solution for a variety of reasons that set them apart.
Why Install Solar Panels on a Pole Barn? 3 Key Benefits
Comparatively speaking, installing solar panels on a pole barn or a home’s roof both achieve the same benefits, positioning solar panels as a money- and energy-saving opportunity. However, pole barns offer three unique advantages that make a good thing even better.
The three main benefits of installing your solar system on a pole barn include:
- Better positioning for better savings
- More aesthetically pleasing for your home
- More space to expand your system
1. Better Positioning = Better Savings + ROI
Similar to ground-mounted solar panels, installing panels on a pole barn gives homeowners greater freedom and control over their positioning and tilt angle. This is because pole barns often have more roof space than most homes, and they’re usually positioned at steeper angles that help panels collect more sunlight for longer periods of time throughout the day.
More freedom to control pitch and orientation can also mean fewer pole barn-mounted panels are needed to achieve the same solar production as a system mounted on the roof of your home.
2. More Aesthetically Pleasing for Your Home
While many of us love the sleek, modern, uniform look of solar panels mounted on a home’s roof, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Understandably, some homeowners just want to see their roof without it being obscured by their solar system. A pole barn makes a great alternative mounting solution by simply providing your panel system and its associated mounting hardware with a place to go, preserving the aesthetics of your home.
3. More Space to Expand Your System
Space is a major limiting factor for the vast majority of residential solar installations; instead of a homeowner’s system being as large as needed to be entirely energy independent, it can only be as large as their limited roof space allows.
This is where pole barns present a unique opportunity. Most pole barns feature broad, uninterrupted roof space that spans the length of the structure, and all that space is perfect for a large panel array.
Realistically, most homeowners with average-sized properties have enough roof space for a system sized appropriately to meet their energy needs. However, if you’re an owner of a large residential property with a pole barn, the potential to either expand your solar system or install a large one right off the bat is a major advantage.
What to Consider Before Installation?
Installing a solar panel system on the roof of a pole barn is a bit more complicated than it is with your home’s roof. In addition to the usual considerations that come with finding the best mounting position, like tilt angle and ensuring the panels face south, it’s also important to assess the structural integrity of your barn’s roof.
Why?
Pole barns are commonly used for agricultural purposes and storage. Therefore, they’re not subject to the same stringent building regulations that houses are. Looser requirements mean you’ll need to make sure your barn’s roof can safely support a solar panel system.
Your pole barn’s roof is the next important consideration. Unlike most homes, pole barns often have metal roofs, which require a unique mounting system. The solution is a penetration-free mounting structure that clamps the panel array to the ribbed texture of most metal roofing sheets, keeping them firmly in place without damaging the pole barn’s roof.
As with any solar installation, hiring a licensed solar installer ensures your panels are positioned effectively, mounted safely, and comply with local building codes.
Further Reading: What to Consider Before Installing Residential Solar Panels?
Is a Pole Barn Solar Installation Right for You?
Taking all the benefits of installing solar panels on the roof of your pole barn instead of your home into account, the best fit for this kind of installation is a homeowner who:
- Owns a large property, especially a rural home or farm that demands greater energy production.
- Would prefer to keep solar panels off their home’s roof for aesthetic reasons.
- May have a roof on their home that isn’t ideal for solar panels.
- Has a pole barn with adequate roof space and is well-positioned for sun exposure.
Solar by CIR: Committed to Helping You Save Money with Solar
Whether you need solar panels installed on the roof of your home, mounted on the ground, or on an adjacent pole barn, Solar by CIR has the expertise and high-quality equipment to ensure a seamless installation that lasts.
Our experts don’t just recommend the right equipment for your needs and install it correctly; we also closely examine your property to determine the best possible placement, helping you achieve the best possible savings and efficiency from your solar system. Contact us today to see if solar is right for you.