1. Age of your roof
Has it been more than 20 years since anyone has tended to your roof? If so, a specialist should take a quick look at your roof. Since solar panels have a long lifespan, make sure you make any home improvements on your roof before the actual installation.

2. Available space
Solar panels typically take about 1 square foot of space for every 10 watts produced. This means that if you want 3,000 watts produced by your panels, you’ll need about 300 square feet of open space on your roof. Make sure you have enough space for the amount of solar power you want to generate. You don’t have to plan to offset all your electricity usage. Even with a smaller system, you can substantially lower your utility bill.

3. Direction of your Roof
The most effective solar panels are on roofs that face south in the Northern Hemisphere, that way the solar panels get maximum exposure to sunlight. Houses that face east or west can still generate solar power and an installer will alert you if your house fits in this category.

4. Type of Roof
Installers have been doing solar for many years and are well educated in the different types of roof that are supportive of solar. The easiest type of roof for installers to work on is a composite shingle roof and the most difficult ones are wood-shake roofs. In general, most roofs can hold solar panels but there may be added fees for more equipment and steep angled roofs.

5. Angle of Roof
The angle of your roof can make a difference in your solar system’s price. For example, the steeper your roof is the harder it is for installers to navigate and install the panels. Installers may add on extra charges if your roof is incredibly steep and hard to work on, but you will still get solar panels. Flat roofs require more equipment because of the reverse tilt that goes on under the brackets to tilt the panels to make sure as much sun hits them as possible.

6. Shading
Making sure there are no objects blocking the sun from hitting the solar panels is very important. If surrounding trees are proving to create shade, you do have some options, so don’t worry.

If your home doesn’t meet the grade for each of these 6 factors, don’t fret. There are often ways to work with less-than-ideal roofs. It’s best to work with a professional to evaluate your home for solar. SunRun home solar offers free solar consultations and quotes so sign up today to learn if solar is right for your home.

Nami Sung is a solar energy professional currently employed at SunRun, a solar financing company. She enjoys writing about clean, renewable energy and is excited to contribute her first post to Solar Power Ninjas. You can read her articles on Renewable Energy World and follow her on Twitter (@sunrun_nami).

The durable and weather-resistant panels collect energy from the sun’s rays even in reduced light and poor weather conditions and they the provide most cooling effect when it’s needed most: during the hottest part of the day.

“This is our first HGTV Green Home in a New England location, which gives us the chance to demonstrate the best building products and practices uniquely suited for the charm and challenges of a northeast climate,” said Jack Thomasson, HGTV House Planner. “As an added bonus, the fantastic amenities of The Pinehills community offer a lifestyle suited for the outdoor and eco-enthusiast. The house and community make this our best HGTV Green Home yet.”

Simply start with the 10´W x 8´D Solar Shed and then increase the depth of the shed (in increments of 4´) by ordering building extenders with either glass or solid roofs.

This kind of unit is great for creating a more sustainable home and garden.

The price drops, which are paired with recently expanded federal incentives, could lessen the amount of time it takes solar panels to pay for themselves to 16 years, from 22 years, in places with high electricity costs, according to Glenn Harris, chief executive of SunCentric, a solar consulting group. That calculation does not include state rebates, which can sometimes improve the economics considerably.

This will provide 100% solar energy for their next album. Currently untitled, John McCrea describes the album’s sound as “very different” from previous Cake records, also indicating that he will be playing piano much more than usual. The album will be released on Upbeat Records.

Using Videos
A benefit of the web is that in addition to creating websites to provide information, you can be more creative with how and where you can share information with the public. In the age of YouTube, more and more people are looking to video sharing sites to get their information because it’s quick, easy, and is a more visual way to learn about a topic. Short, concise videos about different aspects of solar powered energy can serve as a starting off point to link people to other websites for more information. It may have the potential to drive many people to a site, especially since search engines don’t return with only webpage results anymore. They usually include images and video as part of the search results. Fun, creative videos can be used to initially garner interest or describe a topic that can be challenging to understand without the visual and audio components of videos.

Using Blogs
Blogs are just websites with frequent journal style entries and usually provide commentary or news on a particular topic. Many people even use blogs as a personal online journal where they provide insight on different topics. Blogs exist for almost any topic imaginable and a blog dedicated to providing information and news about solar powered energy helps raise awareness about it. Many people enjoy the simple format of blogs and the level of interaction through the commenting systems. Some people turn to blogs as their primary news source, instead of traditional websites. But many websites incorporate blogs as an addition or complement to their main sites. Blogs are very easy to maintain, and are very easy to navigate. In order to keep readers following a blog, entries must be frequent and be interesting to read.

Tax incentives for energy-efficient and renewable-energy home improvements may offer some consolation to homeowners who are feeling the burn of the downturn in the real estate boom.

What’s in it for you? Well here are some ways you can maximize your home’s potential with the help of the government’s dime.

• Get new windows! Energy-efficient windows and insulation are eligible for a tax credit of 30% of qualifying costs up to $1,500.
• Solar, wind, geothermal and other renewable energy systems may qualify for a 30% tax credit.
• Heating stoves that use renewable biomass fuel now qualify for a tax credit.

There’s also a $1,500 energy-efficient credit, which currently lasts only last two years, meaning consumers must find a way to spend during this economic downturn.

“This is a pretty lucrative deal, and I don’t think the government can continue to do it going forward because it’s expensive,” says Steven Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, a not-for-profit based in Washington, D.C.

However, before you go out buying solar panels, be sure you’ve done your homework first. The IRS is expected to issue firm guidelines on specific details of the credits soon. Be sure to consult your accountant or tax professionals before filing the deductions.

Become an environmentalist, add money to your home and also save on energy bills? It’s a win-win situation.