There’s a bit of controversy about installing solar panels on a mobile home. If you ask Google about installing solar panels on a mobile home most of the results say you can add them to a mobile home roof but a few results claim you can’t install solar panels to a mobile home roof. Ironically, both are right.
The confusion about solar energy systems on mobile homes is mostly due to the wording and difference between mobile homes and manufactured homes. Simply put, you should be able to install solar panels on a manufactured home but probably not an older mobile home.
Solar energy is suitable for providing energy for lighting, powering small household appliances, and even air conditioning and even refrigeration. It can be the cure if you’re looking to lower your energy costs or just want a backup energy source.
If you’re considering adding solar panels to a manufactured home, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind.
Understand Your Manufactured Home’s Energy Requirements
Identifying your energy needs is crucial before making a solar panels purchase. You’ll need to calculate a few factors such as the size of your home and family, your heating and cooling system, and your family’s energy usage patterns.
How Do Solar Panels Work?
There’s two main types of solar technologies: photovoltaics (PV) and concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP), simply referred to as thermal. Today’s solar panel technology is possible because of a discovery in 1839.
The photovoltaic effect was first discovered in 1839 by Alexandre Edmond Becquerel. His discovery of the photovoltaic effect explained how electricity could be generated from sunlight.
Once Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic effect it was used to fuel the industrial revolution. Thermal solar energy was used to create steam from heated water that powered machinery.
Solar panels use the same photovoltaic energy principles as thermal energy.
Energy.gov describes the solar energy process best:
“When the sun shines onto a solar panel, energy from the sunlight is absorbed by the PV cells in the panel. This energy creates electrical charges that move in response to an internal electrical field in the cell, causing the panels
Types of Solar Panels
Choosing the right type of solar panels for your home is important. There are three main types of solar panels: monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin-film.
Monocrystalline Solar Panels
Monocrystalline solar panels are the most efficient with an efficiency rate between 22-27%. They work best in areas with lots of sun but they cost more than the others.
Polycrystalline Solar Panels
PV panels are a more practical solution for mobile homes because they take up less space and can be put on the roof or the ground. Polycrystalline solar panels can be the most cost-effective. PV panels use sunlight to generate direct current (DC) power. They are a more practical solution for mobile homes because they take up less space and can be put on the roof or the ground.
Thin-film Solar Panels
Thin-film solar panels can be the best for unorthodox roof styles and could be the solution for older mobile homes because they weight less.
Installing Solar Panels on a Manufactured Home
The size of your roof isn’t a big factor when installing solar panels on a manufactured home, it’s the roof’s strength that is most important.
Most newer manufactured homes have a strong roof base that will easily withstand solar panels. To ensure that your manufactured home is capable of the solar panel installation you’ll want to get the advice of an expert.
If placing the solar panels on the roof is not an option, you could mount them separately.
Installing a new solar system on your manufactured home will cost quite a bit upfront but the long term savings can offset that initial Depending on the size and complexity of the system, the cost of solar panel installation on a mobile home can vary significantly.
Tax Incentives
Special government tax incentives may be available to you for a solar installation. There are federal, state, and even local programs that can offset the initial costs. Find out details about this in your state or city. Of course, a solar panel installer can help you assess your energy needs and design a solar system that meets them.
Your monthly utility costs may drop or disappear if you generate your own electricity, potentially saving you thousands of dollars throughout the system’s lifespan. Plus, you will contribute to environmental protection.
A wonderful approach to decrease your negative impact on the environment is using solar panels. You may lessen the quantity of greenhouse gases discharged into the atmosphere by installing solar panels on your mobile home. This is beneficial to the environment and can assist you in fighting climate change. Choose the right type of solar panels. Photovoltaic (PV) and thermal solar panels are the two varieties available.
In conclusion, mobile home solar panels can be a wise investment that not only reduces your electricity costs but also contributes to environmental protection.
You will take advantage of clean, renewable energy for many years if you make the proper planning, installation, and incentives.
