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Recent Study Shows That Solar Energy Panels Shade Your Roof!

Solar Energy PanelsAs it turns out, the solar energy panels on top of your roof are not just providing clean renewable power, they’re also cooling your home, according to a gang of engineering analysts at the UC San Diego Jacobs College of Engineering. Using thermal imaging, analysts determined that during the daytime, a building’s ceiling was five degrees Fahrenheit cooler under solar energy panels than under an exposed roof.

As solar energy panels sprout on a rising number of home and commercial roofs, it becomes more crucial to consider their result on a buildings ‘ total energy costs. Analysts determined the total saved on cooling the building amounted to getting a five % discount on the solar energy panels price, over the panel’s lifetime.

Or to put it in a different way, savings in cooling costs amounted to selling five % more solar electricity to the grid than the solar energy panels were directly generating for the building that was used in the study.

A thermal infrared camera was used to gather the info for the study over a few days in Apr 2011 on the rooftop of the Powell Structural Systems Lab at the Jacobs College of Engineering. Naturally there were portions of the roof that were not covered by the solar energy panels.

Essentially what this means is that the solar energy panels shade the roof. Instead of the sun thrashing down onto the roof, causing heat to be penetrate the roof and ceiling of the building, the solar energy panels take the solar thrashing. The result is that a significant amount of the heat is removed by wind blowing between the solar energy panels and the rooftop.

The advantages are more significant if there’s an opening between the building’s rooftop and the solar energy panels, so elevated or tilted solar panels provide a greater amount of cooling. Though the measurements happened over a short period of time, it is presumed that the evidence thus far makes it possible to forecast cooling effects throughout the year. With this in mind, it is worth noting that if you’re considering installing solar photovoltaic, you may expect a significant decrease in the quantity of energy you use to chill your residence. For more information on how you can save money and do something positive for the environment by switching to solar with a Fixed Rate Solar Lease, please set up your Free In Home Solar Analysis today!

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  • http://www.dreamstyledesign.com Nancy Landa

    Very interesting article about the savings on cooling with the solar panels on the roof. Just wondering if it would have a similar effect for heating as well? Though I’m not in CA, I have been considering solar panels for my home; not only for cooling in the summer, but also to help defray the high cost of heating in the winter months.

    Thanks for such an informative article! I enjoyed reading it very much.

    • http://fixedratesolarlease.com Mark Long

      Hi Nancy, thank you for commenting on our blog. We are currently unaware of any studies that provide evidence for additional heat retention resulting from the installation of residential solar photovoltaic. However, there can be no doubt that going solar will help you lockdown a significant portion of your utility bill (up to 100%) and save you thousands of dollars. Perhaps the savings can be used to make some additional contributions to your 401K, IRA – or maybe you can use it to pay for your children’s college education. In any case we are sure that going solar will help you save money for your family while doing something positive for the environment and for the country. Good Luck and stay in touch!

    • http://fixedratesolarlease.com Mark Long

      Hi Nancy, thank you for commenting on our blog. We are currently unaware of any studies that provide evidence for additional heat retention resulting from the installation of residential solar photovoltaic. However, there can be no doubt that going solar will help you lockdown a significant portion of your utility bill (up to 100%) and save you thousands of dollars. Perhaps the savings can be used to make some additional contributions to your 401K, IRA – or maybe you can use it to pay for your children’s college education. In any case we are sure that going solar will help you save money for your family while doing something positive for the environment and for the country. Good Luck and stay in touch!

  • admin

    Hi Nancy, thank you for commenting on our blog. We are currently unaware of any studies that provide evidence for additional heat retention resulting from the installation of residential solar photovoltaic. However, there can be no doubt that going solar will help you lockdown a significant portion of your utility bill (up to 100%) and save you thousands of dollars. Perhaps the savings can be used to make some additional contributions to your 401K, IRA – or maybe you can use it to pay for your children’s college education. In any case we are sure that going solar will help you save money for your family while doing something positive for the environment and for the country. Good Luck and stay in touch!

  • http://twitter.com/StLHandyMan Scotts Contracting

    They not only shade your Roof but they also will add protection from the Elements which in turn will make your Roof last longer. Additional Reasons Solar Panels are a Good Investment for your Building http://stlouisrenewableenergy.blogspot.com/2011/09/additional-reasons-solar-panels-are.html