Page 16 - North American Clean Energy July/August 2019 Issue

solar energy
Bright Spots in
the Changing
Rooftop Solar
Industry
by Chris Fisher
In terms of adoption, rooftop solar in the U.S. still has a way to go. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), there are currently 1.9 million solar installations in the U.S. at’s just a small fraction of U.S. housing units (135.4 million according to the most current U.S. Census estimates).
However, America has reached a turning point in its acceptance of rooftop solar as part of the future of energy generation. U.S. consumers have seen the economic and environmental bene ts of rooftop solar in places like Sweden, which aims to completely eliminate fossil fuels from its energy generation by 2040; and in China, where in
2017, contributions from the country accounted for 45 percent of global renewables investment, according to the Australian-based Climate Council.
As the technology improves and becomes cheaper to produce, more U.S. homeowners are getting o the fence about solar. According to SEIA, U.S. rooftop solar installations are expected to double to approximately 4 million by 2023, with “signs of diverse and sustained growth of solar” across the country. State and local governments, home builders and roo ng manufacturers are starting to notice, and have adapted their products and tactics in ways that signal a bright future for rooftop solar. Here are some of those indicators.
Public and Private Support
Changing attitudes toward solar have encouraged some local governments to mandate or push for rooftop solar on all new housing. Places like California, Hawaii and Colorado have been leading the way with local and state-led programs that encourage adoption and remove nancial barriers to solar, but even population centers in the northeast – which receives less sun typically than the west coast – are starting to
get in on the action. Solarize Philly – a recent initiative that negotiates with solar manufacturers and installers to secure lower prices for Philadelphia residents – is just one example. According to Barron’s, homes with solar panels, on average, sell for 4.1 percent more than similar homes without solar panels.
Home- nding services are also doing more to help homeowners understand the value of rooftop solar. By applying a solar metric to homes in their databases, they provide the extra service of giving homeowners and potential buyers an understanding of their home’s rooftop solar and energy-savings potential. Scores are based on the pitch, orientation, and size of the home’s roof plane, as well as the average number of sunny days the location experiences. New lenders and loan products have also emerged to help homeowners and contractors nance a variety of home improvements, such as rooftop solar systems, energy storage, and new roofs, all under the same loan.
The Integration of Roo ng and Solar
For many years, solar installers and roo ng contractors have worked in di erent
silos, but that is starting to change. As solar penetration has increased, the hardware has become less expensive and the software more simpli ed, allowing more roo ng contractors to participate in what will likely be a signi cant future market. At the same time, more solar installers
are adding roo ng to their
skillset as a way to diversify
their product o ering. is
natural alignment has created
the need for cross training and
standardized methods among
roo ng contractors new to
rooftop solar installation, and
solar installers new to roo ng.
Some roo ng manufacturers are starting to o er education
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