Solar Panel Installation

How to Choose the Best Solar Panel Brand and Installation Company

A solar power system offers a guaranteed return on investment, but only if you use high-quality products installed by professionals. Remember that solar panels are electrical devices, and they need adequate wiring and protections like any other system with voltage and current.

LG solar panels on a snowy rooftop of a two story house with a gable roof via LG Solar

Also, consider that solar panels are intended to operate for decades, and they need a reliable racking system that resists high winds and other harsh weather conditions.

Before installing solar panels for a home or business, a very important step is choosing your product brands and installation company. Keep in mind that solar panels are only one part of a functional photovoltaic system, and you need to ensure that all components are safe and durable.

For example, you need a high-quality inverter to convert the output of solar panels into a stable AC voltage supply, and you need a tough racking system to hold the modules in place.

In this guide, we will provide some recommendations when choosing solar panels, inverters, and other system components. We will also discuss what to look for when comparing solar installers, to ensure that all elements of your PV system are properly installed.

The last thing you would want is purchasing a top solar panel brand, only to have your warranty voided by a poor installation procedure.

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What is the Best Roofing Material for Solar Panels and Why?

The best roofing materials for residential solar panels are standing seam metal roofing and PVC membrane. Metal panels are the top choice for home solar panel installations on sloped roofs, while PVC membrane is preferred for low-slope and flat roofs.

A standing seam metal roof with integrated PV solar panels

However, asphalt shingles are, by far, the most common steep-sloped roofing system for home solar panel installations in the US, as approximately 80% of residential roofs are covered with composition shingles.

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For flat and low-slope residential roofs, EPDM rubber is one of the most prevalent roofing systems, while Tar-and-Gravel and BUR roofs are more commonly found on commercial roofs. That said, Tar-and-Gravel and BUR roofs can be a viable option for solar deployments on flat roofs, while the situation with an EPDM rubber membrane is a bit more nuanced.

Note: Although, a quality EPDM rubber roof can be a viable option for installing solar panels on a flat roof, it’s highly likely that a rubber roof will require some repairs or even a complete replacement some 10-15 years down the road, while most high-end PV solar panels are designed to continue generating electricity for 25 years. Therefore, going with an EPDM rubber roof for solar installations can be a risky bet, which is why we recommend a quality PVC membrane, instead, because it can last twice as long as EPDM rubber.

In the next section below, we explore top residential roofing materials and explain their suitability for home solar panel installations.

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How Are Solar Panels Installed? Solar Panel Installation Process

A solar power system is composed of many electrical and mechanical components, beyond the solar panels themselves. A racking system is used to keep the panels firmly anchored to your roof, and they are connected in circuits with special weatherproof wiring.

The strings of solar panels are then connected to an inverter, which converts their electricity output from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). Also, most solar installations now include a monitoring system, which can be used to track productivity and detect performance issues.

There are also optional components such as batteries, which convert your solar panels into a 24/7 power supply. Depending on how your system is designed, a battery may be wired in different ways.

You can use a hybrid inverter designed for both solar panels and batteries, or you could install a separate battery inverter, if the unit connected to your solar panels is not compatible with them.

Here we will review the installation process of solar panels. Note that this blog post is informative and is not intended as a DIY guide.

SolarTech Universal panels on a residential rooftop
via SolarTech Universal

A professional installation is strongly recommended if you want to use traditional solar panels, due to their weight and the risks of working at height with electrical components.

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