Wall-mounted solar panels are a great addition if you’re thinking you might want a home solar installation or commercial solar installation if you’re looking to make the switch to solar power but don’t want to penetrate your roof or use vacant yard space.
Here’s solar power installers Freedom Solar’s guide to wall-mounted systems to help you determine if they’re the right choice for you.
[Related: Is My House Suitable for Solar Panels? Factors That Affect Your Home’s Sun Number Score]
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How Do You Install Wall-Mounted Solar Panel Systems?
Wall-mounted solar panels are typically installed as modules on a south-facing wall.
It’s not logical to install your solar panels on a wall that isn’t south-facing since wall-mounted systems already have setbacks in their energy generation due to their slope. Because wall-mounted solar panels are vertical or have high slopes even if tilted, their energy absorption is most successful when the sun is lowest in the sky.
You’ll want to place your wall-mounted systems strategically in order to maximize energy absorption. You can arrange your solar panel modules parallel to a wall, tilted away from it, or installed as a canopy that overhangs. Any of these positions will give your solar panel system a natural slope that’s much higher than that of a roof or ground-mounted system.
The naturally steep slopes of wall-mounted solar panels require special hardware to install and secure. They’re more difficult to fasten than ground or roof-mounted solar panels, which lay flat or have a slight slope. Since wall-mounted systems are fighting gravity to stay upright, strong securing is vital to avoid displacement, damage, and life-threatening accidents.
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Are Wall-Mounted Solar Panels Easy to Maintain?
Wall-mounted solar panel systems are easier to maintain than roof or ground-mounted solar panels in terms of cleaning. Build-up of debris, snow, and more are almost never an issue since rain washes any dirt away, and gravity keeps leaves and more from piling up. This leads to an easier cleaning routine.
Additionally, wall-mounted systems are easier to see and don’t require you to scale tall, sloped roofs to assess their condition. Climbing onto a roof is a burdensome task for many solar panel system owners, and often risky, too. Wall-mounted panels provide the benefit of easier visual access to stay up-to-date on any needed cleaning or maintenance work.
However, hired professionals such as technicians usually need to construct scaffolding from the top of a wall-mounted system if a breakdown or malfunction occurs. Replacing or trouble-shooting wall-mounted panels is more difficult than with ground or roof systems.
Freedom Solar has it’s own experienced team that provides solar repair and maintenance service department to any pv system. If you have a question about your system or need maintenance, Request the service!
[Related: Solar Panel Maintenance: What You Need to Know]
Do Wall-Mounted Solar Panel Systems Produce Less Electricity?
Wall-mounted solar panels produce less energy than roof and ground-mounted solar panels depending on where you live. In general, wall-mounted solar panels generate more electricity during the winter months than they do in the summer. This is because the sun is lower in the sky, allowing more direct sunlight to hit wall-mounted panel angles.
Roof and ground-mounted solar panels produce more energy than wall mounts in the summer since the sun is higher in the sky. This causes more direct sunlight to fall on slightly sloped solar panels throughout the day (rather than highly sloped vertical ones).
Additionally, the further you live from the equator, the more benefit you’ll get from wall-mounted systems. The sun remains lower in the sky during the colder, winter months. This increases the further you get from zero degrees latitude.
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Are Wall-Mounted Solar Panels Cheaper?
Wall-mounted solar panel systems require special mounting hardware to install vertically. Staging is often necessary since there are more safety considerations than with roof or ground-mounted solar panels.
It’s reasonable to assume that higher installation costs will follow when special hardware is necessary for a project. Higher installation costs lead to an increase in your overall solar panel system investment.
[Related: Guide to Solar Panels]
Contact Freedom Solar for Wall-Mounted Solar Panel Systems
Contact solar panel company Freedom Solar to make the switch to solar or learn more about wall-mounted solar panel systems. Call +1 (800) 504-2337 or complete our online inquiry form to begin your free consultation.
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