Steel Buildings and Solar Panels: A Match Made in Heaven

Steel buildings are a naturally sustainable and ecologically friendly choice for a number of reasons, but you can make them even more so by building in sustainable energy generation and delivery systems. Solar panels and steel buildings work together very well to make your metal building even more green. Here are some key considerations to think about if you want to add a solar energy system to your steel building.

About Solar Panels

Solar panels work by converting light from the sun into usable energy. The amount of energy they can deliver is directly dependent on the amount of direct sunlight that falls on the panels. Installers maximize the amount of energy by positioning solar panels so that they face in the right direction at an optimal angle to collect the most sunlight. The angle and direction varies, depending on the precise geographic location of the building and on any obstructions that cast shadow on the panels. Steel buildings, which are individually engineered to meet specific tolerances in the building’s construction zone, are also ideally suited for solar panels because they can be constructed specifically to provide the optimal conditions to deliver the most energy.

Positioning Your Building

You’ll get the most output from a solar energy system when it’s positioned on a roof that faces the sun most of the day. The manufacturer of your steel building can design it with a roof that faces in the appropriate direction, or you can ensure that the roof faces in the right direction based on the way you position it on your property.

Angling the Roof

It’s almost always least expensive if you can fit solar panels flat to a roof rather than lifted at an angle on some sort of frame. If your metal building designer is aware that you’re planning to install a solar panel system, he can engineer it with a roof facing in the right direction at the best angle. The best roof slope is between 30 and 45 degrees, and depends on your geographic location. Keep in mind that your roof slope will also have to meet any local zoning standards, especially in areas that get a lot of snow. When the building engineers know the requirements your building’s roof must meet, they can design a steel building that best optimizes the sun’s energy while still meeting the necessary standards for safety.

Structural Strength and Space

Solar panels don’t take up much room. The average residential solar installation only takes up about the size of an average parking space. You can easily fit a solar energy system to power your home on the roof of an adjacent building – an ideal “extra” for steel garages and barns. It’s important that the structural engineers know your plans, however, because they’ll have to take the weight of the solar panel assembly into account when calculating tolerances and ensuring that your steel building meets all applicable codes in your area.

Finally, you’ll also need to set aside space inside the building to install a solar inverter to convert the current from the panels to AC current that your appliances and electrical devices can use.

Steel buildings are naturally sustainable, but solar panels make them even friendlier to the earth. Talk to your metal building supplier about the possibilities for adding solar panels to the roof of your new structure.