If you would like to highlight the solar panels or make them a piece of “functional art,” there are several approaches to consider.

• Solar panels can be used as awnings, providing passive solar benefits on the southern wall of the house
• They can be installed as shade structures on rooftop decks, to make that space usable for more of the year
• Or if you want to incorporate “invisible solar” into the home, new products are becoming available that actually integrate solar into the roof or windows of the home. This is known as “Building Integrated Photovoltaics,” or BIPV

This approach usually requires a custom structure to be built to host the solar panels. This can be straightforward or intricate, as you see fit. Generally, our expertise is in designing and installing the solar panels themselves, and we work with other experts to design and build these custom structures in the most cost-effective fashion.

• If not enough sunny roof or awning space is available but land is abundant, a ground-mounted system might be the best application.

A Namasté Solar consultant will provide you with an honest and thorough assessment of the viability of your site and how to design your solar PV system to meet your priorities.

If you plan to invest in a solar PV system, there are a few other items to consider to make the investment worthwhile.

• Think about your landscaping plan. Don’t plant a tree that’s going to shade the array in a few short years – that will render the panels ineffective.
• Plan to have extra space for backfed solar PV breakers in your main distribution panel.
• Generally speaking, it’s best to mount the panels as high on the building as possible, to minimize the possibility of future shading by a neighboring structure or tree.
• Most importantly: it is critical to communicate to the other trades that vents/pipes must not come up under the panel location. Vents must be routed either above the panels or on roof surfaces that face east, west, or north. It might be worth spray painting a reminder on the underside of the roof decking that says “No Vents” to make sure the message makes it all the way to the person installing their products. Nothing is more frustrating than to have to redo work.