When somebody mentions solar panels, almost everyone first thought about is the roof. Solar panels are great energy savers, and many people are considering having them. But sometimes, the big problem can be a place to put them. Many people don’t have a perfect roof for them, since many materials are not suitable for putting a solar panel on them. But, there is no need to worry roof panels are not the only one you can put in your yard. If you have a big yard with a big open space, you should consider ground-mounted solar panels. The purpose is the same, so you don’t need to worry about it. If you want to know more about them, check harnesspower.com, and maybe you will choose your panel immediately. By reading this text until the end, you will find some pros and cons of ground-mounted panels that can help you with your decision.

5 Pros of Ground-mounted Solar Panels

1. Great Sunshine Alignment

When you are putting a solar panel on the roof, you have a little choice when talking about location. That means that some roofs are not suitable for panels at all, since many of them have little sunshine during the day. You can solve this problem by putting the ground-mounted panel on the perfect sunny place in your yard. Once you do that, you don’t need to worry about shade at all.

2. No Need to Worry About Space

Since today’s modern roofs offer a little space, it can be challenging to put the panel on them. But, if you have enough space in your yard, you can put as big solar panels as you want. All you need to worry about is picking the right place and choosing the size that is enough for the amount of energy you need.

3. Cleaning is Easier

When it comes to cleaning time, it is much easier to clean the panel on the ground than the one on the roof. For a roof solar panel, you will need much equipment to do that job, or maybe the safer option is to hire a professional. That can be very expensive since it is not an easy job. If your panels are ground-mounted, you can clean them by yourself. It can be an easy job without some extra charges.

4. Easier to Fix

Since ground-mounted panels are on the ground, it is much easier to fix them when needed, than to climb on the roof. The other important thing is that you don’t need to move them if your roof needs to restore. Putting your solar panels on the ground can prevent many future problems.

5. No Roof Damage

You can do enormous damage to your roof by penetrating it to put a solar panel. That later can cause many problems, and sometimes that can lead to changing the whole roof. Since that can be very expensive, it is a much better solution to put your panels directly on the ground, and avoid any future problems.

5 Cons of Ground-mounted Solar Panels

6. It Costs More

All electricity that your solar panels produce, you can use it right away, or you need to store it in specially designed large batteries. The batteries hold energy during the day, and you can use it at night, which is excellent since you can actually use it the whole day, every day.

That is the benefit, but the cost of storing solar energy is quite high, and in many opinions, the best solution is to use solar during the day, and at night, use the one from the grid.

7. It Occupies a Lot of Space

If you want or need more solar panels, and your rooftop isn’t big enough for the amount of electricity that your house needs, you will need to install panels in your yard. This solution may cost you more because the roof-mounted ones already have an anchor (your roof), but ground-mounted need the anchor of their own. The installation of a secure structure to hold everything together needs to be on the firm, concrete ground, and this can cost a lot, depending on the amount of the panels you need, and the area that it occupies. In addition to this, you will also need city or county permits, as they consider it as a new structure.

8. Pollution

Although solar systems cause much less pollution, there is still some connection with it. With transport and with installing your solar panels, there might be the emission of greenhouse gases. Also, the outcome of producing energy can be some toxic materials that can contaminate the environment as well. But even with everything mentioned, the solar systems are still a much better option for both you and the environment.

9. Weather Dependent

The name says it all, and if it is a sunny day, your solar system will produce energy. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that you will not have the electricity during the cloudy or rainy days, but the amount of it will drop. There is also the fact that you can not collect the energy during the night, and with a few cloudy days, that can impact your overall energy system.

10. Esthetics

The looks of it may not be mattering to everybody, but for those who find that significant, this can be a problem since it takes a lot of space at ground level, and it doesn’t look pretty in a residential area. To work, the panels of the ground-mounted system need to be on a few feet from the ground and set at a certain angle. They take a lot of space, and you can’t hide them with trees since they will block the sun, and getting the sunlight is the whole point.

There are many benefits of the ground-mounted solar system, but there are also some disadvantages, and deciding on what benefits you the most can be challenging. But be sure that if you have a large property, and you can easily place the panels, this system may be the best solution for you, since you will produce much more electricity, and you will surely reduce the overall costs of the energy you need and use.