If You Have One Of These and You Don’t Go Solar…
I think I’d have to call you a moron.
But, don’t take it too personally ;). Maybe you didn’t even realize you have the roof and opportunity. Roof space is the hidden luxury behind a solar system’s viability. Ground mounts are becoming increasingly popular. However, roof mounted is, and will continue to be, the primary option that property owners choose simply due to yard size constraints.
To start, homeowners with simple gable roofs (none of those pesky dormers) are an immediate green flag. Even homes with dormers that have ample roof space on the garage or detached garage are a green flag. And, if your house faces North, the backside of your roof unlikely has dormers making it a great opportunity as well. Hip-n-valley roofs can be good, however space is lost due to the uneven faces of the roof (You severely limit yourself by buying or building a house with unnecessary hips and valleys in the roof design. Newer homes with this style of roof should'n’t even be allowed in 2024, but that’s just my opinion.)
Great roof space on the house and garage.
What I’m really here to discuss is the incredible opportunity business owners have for solar. Take a moment and think about any roof of a local business. Most sit in large, upright buildings with metal or TPO roofs. These roofs are flat, simple, and provide an excellent space for a large solar system. Individuals who own pole barns or “shops” have the same opportunity for their home.
A small business in a pole barn has the perfect opportunity.
Messick’s Farm Equipment of Landisville was recently spotlighted for its adoption of solar. Take one view of a satellite image and you’'ll see why:
Large businesses and warehouses (like Messick’s) use a “boat load” of electricity, and I’m not talking about dinghys or johnnies. It is a major, MAJOR expense for business owners. Electricity is also a neccessary expense, a need for a business to operate. These same business owners operate just below a gold mine and can tap into it with out drilling or digging. They created this opportunity for the sun to hit their roof the minute it comes up to the minute it goes down, yet they are not taking advantage of it. With large buildings like Messick’s, there is so much unused real estate on their roof. They were fortunate enough to realize this and are now saving big money on their energy costs.
You can read more about Messick’s here- https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/messick-s-farm-equipment-joins-lancaster-county-ranks-of-large-scale-solar/article_10cb36de-3e1c-11ef-a3a0-03a6fa1612df.html
There are tremendous tax and incentive benefits for commercial solar that can be explained in detail with a free consultation. In a gist, business owners make claim the 30% tax credit, SREC state incentives, and are eligible to write off the system as a business expense using the MACRS depreciation system (5 years).
A building like this— or roof space in general— is such a luxury and a privilege. The people that have this never realize that not everyone has what they do. It’s time to acknowledge the fortuity and protect your bottom line.
-Noah Koppenhaver
(717) 756-8363