The days of solar energy systems being solely on rooftops are over. Solar is popping up everywhere, even in Whole Foods parking lots and on former landfills! So, let’s review a quick guide to the 4 main mounting options for your home or business’s solar panels:

1. Sloped Roof

Most residential solar systems are mounted on sloped rooftops. If your sloped roof has south, east, or west-facing sides that receive good sunlight (i.e., they’re not shaded by trees or taller buildings), it’s usually a great home for solar panels. The Sun Solar install crews are trained to install solar on most types of sloped roof material, including asphalt shingles and metal.

2. Flat Roof

The other most common mounting option for solar panels – especially commercial systems – is a flat roof mount. Solar mounts on flat roofs are usually installed at a slight tilt, of about 10 degrees, so that the panels catch the most sunlight for your business’ electricity needs. The professional installation team at Sun Solar has great experience in handling the tar, TPO and gravel materials that often compose flat roofs.

The same caveats for sloped roofs hold true for flat roofs: this is a great option for buildings with large, unshaded roof areas. Check out the photo below which shows the installed solar at Farmer’s Park in Springfield, MO.

3. Carport

Solar Carports are a 2-for-1 bargain: they protect vehicles from the harsh Midwestern weather, like rain, snow and hail, while also cutting your electric bill.  Solar carports are a great addition for both homes and businesses. You can either have a solar carport installed by itself, or combine it with a rooftop system for even more energy savings, as the Best Western in Bolivar, MO did.

4. Ground Mount

A staple for large industrial enterprises, ground mounts also make a lot of sense for utility-scale solar. In fact, some ground mounted solar systems convert formerly useless landfill areas into producers of clean energy; in this case, one person’s trash really is another person’s treasure! Sun Solar has had the pleasure of installing ground mount solar systems on a variety of businesses and for government projects like  the Army Reserve Center in Kansas City, Missouri!

But ground mount solar energy systems are not just for businesses or industrial enterprises. If you have the land at your home, it’s likely that you can save some serious cash by adding a solar ground mount on your property!

Regardless of which type of solar mounting options best fits your needs, the benefits of going solar and the savings potential are the end goal – and all of the above mounting options can help achieve that goal.  Not to mention, some utility companies offer a solar energy rebate to help save even more money by going solar! Pair that with the 30% Federal Tax Credit that you may qualify for, and the solar savings keeps adding up!