When you think of solar panels, the first image that may come to mind is of rooftop panels. Sure, these are the most popular residential solar panel choice, but did you know you can have solar panels installed on your land with a ground-mounted solar panel array?
Ground-mounted solar panel arrays are solar panels that still give you the same energy savings and reduced carbon footprint provided by rooftop arrays, they are just installed on the ground! Here are a few reasons why choosing a ground-mounted solar panel array over a rooftop array might be right for you:
Great for More Land
Many of the homes in Northern Virginia, DC, and Maryland are townhouses or apartments, leaving homeowners and tenants with not much land. However, the region has its fair share of rural land, with larger, farm-like lots popular in areas like Loudoun County. Homeowners with bigger lots and more land who are looking to switch to solar energy may consider taking advantage of their larger yard and installing ground-mount solar arrays. This may be especially useful if they have a small or damaged roof that can’t accommodate solar panels.
Potential to Generate More Energy
In addition, homeowners with more land can also potentially generate more energy and save more money. More land means more space to accommodate your solar panels. You can take advantage of any extra, unused land in your yard to build a bigger ground-mounted solar array. Of course, a bigger array means you’ll generate more energy, which leads to more money in your pocket each month. This can be extra valuable if you use your land for farming. Installing solar panels in your yard will still bring power to your home and your equipment, while still having plenty of space on your property for your farming. If you have farmland, you might want to consider farm solar panel installation in Maryland.
Choosing Solar Panel Location
With rooftop solar panels, you have limited room for your solar panels. With ground-mounted systems, however, you have more opportunity to choose your array’s location on your land and may have a larger area to accommodate a bigger system. Of course, you will still want to have your ground-mounted system installed in a sunny spot in your yard, but you have some flexibility with choosing where on your land your solar panel array can go. A ground-mounted solar array can also be ideal if your roof isn’t angled toward the sun; you can install the ground-mounted array so that it receives the most sun possible.
Aesthetics
Many people are hesitant to switch to solar energy because they don’t think that solar panels look very attractive jutting up from their rooftop, even though recent solar panel models are designed with aesthetics in mind. Although whether or not you like the way solar panels look is ultimately up to you to decide, ground-mounted solar arrays are a good alternative to those worried about how their roofs would look with a rooftop system. Again, with more land, you have the freedom to choose where on your property you would like to install the array. If you are concerned about taking away from your property’s beauty, you can place it in a spot on your land where the panels will largely be out of sight while still earning all the benefits.
Prospect Solar: Farm Solar Panel Installation in Maryland, DC, and Northern VA
When it comes down to it, whether you have a rooftop or ground-mounted solar panel array, you’re helping to save the planet and save money at the same time. No matter which type is right for your home, contact Prospect Solar for residential solar installation in Northern Virginia, DC, and Maryland. We are dedicated to educating others and spreading awareness of solar energy, and we are proud to help contribute to solar energy’s growth with solar panel installation.
Do you want to install solar panels for your Northern Virginia home? Contact us today at (703) 444-2447!