We’ve been repairing garage doors in Rancho Cordova for a long time. We know the green energy movement is important to you — you want to do what’s right for the earth, build a more environmentally sustainable future for your children. That’s one reason why installing insulated garage doors are so popular — they significantly reduce your energy bill when it comes to your heating and cooling costs.
Many of our garage door repair customers have asked us about installing solar panels on their garages. We’ll be the first to admit that’s not our speciality — we’re focused on repairing and installing garage doors, though we also repair and install garage door openers. But we’re also happy to help. A garage is a perfect place to install solar panels, especially given the sunshine we get in California. Here’s everything you need to know about installing solar panels on your garage.
DIY or Hire a Professional?
You can either install solar panels on your garage yourself — or you can hire a professional. But unless you’re handy with tools and know how to install electrical equipment, you’re probably best hiring a company. Like garage door repair, this is highly technical work. Simple mistakes can be dangerous.
It takes about 10 hours of work to install solar panels on your garage. Hiring a professional company for the job will cost you about $30,000.
Where to Place Solar Panels
Placement is key to harvesting the optimal amount of energy to reduce your electric bill. (You can even use solar to power your garage door opener!) You don’t want to place the solar panels in the shade. You’ll need an unobstructed view. Your garage roof will obviously have to be structurally sound.
Keep in mind that the shape of your garage roof will be a big factor in how many panels you’ll be able to use. Gable roofs are ideal because they provide substantial space for many solar panels, which will increase your solar capacity.
What’s the Condition of Your Roof?
We’ve seen garage doors in all types of condition. Some need repair, some don’t. We expect garage roofs might be similar. How’s the condition of your garage roof? If you think its roof will need replacement anytime soon, go ahead and replace it before you install solar panels. For any roof work, you’ll need to remove any existing panels. This can cost you between $1,500 to $6,000 to remove and reinstall. You could easily install a new garage door for that much!