Where to Install Your Solar Panels (And Where You Shouldn't)

Installingsolar panelscan be a great leap toward electricity cost savings andenergy efficiency.

But the road to making it happen can be long and tricky.

One problem you’ll likely encounter: Just where will these panels go?

The first step is to track down asolar companyyou trust.

The good news is it’s never been easier to find a good place for solar panels.

Thanks to a rapidly advancing industry, panels are lighter and more efficient than ever.

Just about anyone has a house that can support solar.

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Here are some of the best places to put your solar panels – and the worst places.

But that doesn’t mean you’ll want to install your panels just anywhere.

There are some basic elements you’ll want to factor into your decision.

Your installer will do a site assessment of your property to determine the ideal placement of your panels.

If you already have a specific place in mind, run it by your installer.

But most importantly, they need to be tilted upward.

This only leaves you with a couple of options for panel placement.

Rooftop

When most people think of solar panels, they probably imagine them on a roof.

Choosing rooftop solar makes sense for a variety of reasons.

Installing panels on the roof also helps avoid trees, which might already be trimmed back from the house.

The existing tilt of a roof helps as well, angling the panels closer toward the sun.

A 15- to 35-degree tilt is optimal for direct sunlight.

However, the direction your panels face is more important than the angle they’re tilted at.

“There are really no bad rooftop candidates anymore,” Barnett said.

The panels can’t be placed somewhere covered by trees.

Installing panels on uneven or rocky terrain can also be challenging.

The option of being able to put panels in these niche locations is thanks to improving tech.

Solar panels are at their most efficient when facing the south.

East and west-facing panels aren’t the best-case scenario, but should still perform fine.

The ideal angle for solar panels depends slightly on geography and time of year.