Ground Mount Versus Roof Mount

There are pros and cons for both, roof, and ground mounted PV modules.

ROOF MOUNT PROS:

• Depending on the distance to shade creating objects it may be advantageous to mount PV modules (Solar panels) on the roof of a building as you are naturally gaining height for better sun exposure.
• In most cases the roof structure is strong enough to manage the additional weight and snow load.

ROOF MOUNT CONS:

• Mounting PV modules on the roof using string inverters or off grid installations requires a Rapid Shut down. Also, the installation of a rodent guard around the entire perimeter of the array is required. This solution can be quite costly and adds a fair bit of labour.
• If the harvested energy is required in the winter as well, snow removal may represent a challenge.

GROUND MOUNT PROS:

• Easy installation.
• Easy snow removal.
• A ground mounted array can be installed at a distance from the home or cottage.

GROUND MOUNT CONS:

• Ground mounted arrays take up room that may be not available.
• For some people appearance can be an issue.
• In most cases underground cabling is required.
• https://offgridisbetter.com/projects/