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How Does Shade Affect Solar Panel System Performance in Illinois?

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Solar energy has increasingly become a popular source of energy for many homeowners and commercial property owners. Solar energy provides a cost-effective renewable source of energy that is practically inexhaustible. One of the problems that can hamper the effectiveness of your solar energy system is setting-up the solar panels near a shade. If you are thinking of setting up a solar energy system in Illinois, here is how shade can affect your solar panel system performance.

Consider Shade During Installation

If you are working with a professional solar energy contractor, one of the first things they access before they set up your system is shade. Typically, a lot of the shade comes from trees that may be growing near the roof where the solar panels will be installed. If your Illinois solar energy contractor feels that the tree is resulting in too much shade, they will discuss with you various options that are open. They may engage a company to trim the tree in such a way that it opens up the roof to sunlight. In most cases, such a contractor will have existing partnerships with tree-work companies so you are likely to get preferential terms for such work.

Solar energy contractors often use a device known as “Suneye” to calculate the shading impact on solar panels. This device uses a fish-eye view to assess the shading impact of trees and other objects and give the results as a percentage.

Setting Up Panels on The Ground

If one is unable to completely eliminate the effect of shading on the solar panels, one might consider setting up the panels on the ground. This gives greater flexibility as it is easier to find an exposed area in the ground than on the limited surface of the roof.

If you are looking for a reputable solar energy contractor in Illinois, talk to us at GenRenew. We have years of experience in installing durable solar energy systems and we will help you tackle issues like shading on your solar panels very effectively.