Winter in New York is a beautiful sight, but if you have rooftop solar panels at home, it brings its challenges. Suppose you are among the many people who have installed solar panels to save on electricity bills and be environmentally friendly.
In that case, you may consider protecting your system from large snow storms. However, it leaves you with the question of what to do when the snow starts piling up on your solar panels, and the only answer is to use snow guards.
Snow guards ensure that your solar panels are working efficiently and prevent snow from accumulating to unsafe levels on your rooftop, making your home unsafe.
The article aims to show New York homeowners how paramount it is to consider investing in snow guards to safeguard their systems and property.
What are Snow Guards?
Before describing the importance of snow guards for solar panel performance and efficiency, let’s first understand what snow guards are. Snow guards are small devices placed at the edge of roof solar arrays. Their primary function is to prevent the uncontrolled downward movement of large snow masses, thus preventing mini avalanches.
Snow guards can be compared to a safety net. These work as a blanket for the accumulated snow, melting it gradually. This is substantial when one has solar panels mounted on a slopped roof.
Snow guards come in different forms, such as pad-style and pipe-style, and are made from durable materials that can withstand the harsh winter conditions of New York.
- Fact: The Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy asserts that heavy snow can block solar panel efficiency completely (up to 100%) without taking proper measures. Snow guards prevent piles of snow from blocking your panels.
Why Snow Guards Are Essential for Solar Panels
Solar energy is an eco-friendly solution that allows homeowners to reduce their electricity expenses. However, if safety and protective measures are not taken, heavy snowfall can cause severe damage and potential risks. Snow guards are usually underestimated, but they are instrumental in helping protect the solar panels and the house itself.
They help prevent snow from sliding down and ruining gutters, outdoor furniture, and nearby cars. These coverings also prevent injury by guarding household members or pedestrians from falling large bulks of snow.
Read our blog, Snow Guards for Solar Panels – The Best Way to Make Your Rooftop Solar Panels Winter Ready, to learn more about how snow guards can make your system winter-ready.
The following five essential reasons will convince you why New York homeowners should search for snow guards for their rooftop solar systems.
5 Key Reasons to Get Snow Guards in New York Homes
New York experiences high winter snowfall, which can significantly affect your solar system and other areas of your house. Some of the primary reasons installing snow guards is a prudent choice for defending your solar panels and property, as well as extending the life of your solar system.
Check out these 5 reasons you should get snow guards installed for your solar panels in New York,
- Protects Roof and Gutters
- Prevents Sudden Snow Slides
- Extends Panel Longevity
- Increases Safety Around Property
- Enhances Year-Round Efficiency
1. Protects Roof and Gutters
A significant worry for New Yorkers is the damage to roofs and gutters caused by winter. Without snow guards, the smooth surface of solar panels allows snow to slide off quickly. This is, however, bad for the gutters and roofs because they tend to crack under pressure.
- It prevents roof avalanches that can damage shingles.
- Keeps gutters intact by stopping large snow masses from pulling them down.
- Safeguards the structural integrity of the roof, which regular heavy snow slides can damage
These snow guards keep the snow in place, allowing it to melt slowly instead of putting full pressure on gutters and roof edges at random moments.
2. Prevents Sudden Snow Slides
Since solar panels are made of smooth glass, where there is almost no friction for the snow to hold on to, this can create large slabs of snow that shed from your roof in a surprise avalanche, endangering anyone nearby.
- It avoids sudden snow avalanches that could injure family members or pets.
- Protects vehicles and outdoor furniture from damage due to heavy falling snow.
- Minimizes risks to pedestrians, especially if you have a walkway or driveway beneath your roofline.
Snow guards work like barriers, breaking the snow into smaller, more manageable portions that fall harmlessly or melt away safely.
3. Extends Panel Longevity
While solar panels are built to last for decades, they need some degree of maintenance if you want them running at full capacity for as long as possible. With very soft snow, solar panels can be exposed to shock from sudden heavy slides, and snow guards help lessen that impact.
- Reduces strain on mounting systems by preventing sudden snow load shifts.
- Minimizes the risk of panel cracks from heavy snow shifting abruptly.
- Promotes consistent maintenance, ensuring your panels stay secure and damage-free.
Keeping the snow in place allows it to melt naturally, reducing the wear and tear on the panels and their mounting structures.
4. Increases Safety Around Property
Your property must always be safe, which is even more critical for homeowners during winter. During the harsh winter months in New York, snow guards are pivotal in ensuring safety.
- Prevents accidents from sudden snow slides on driveways, walkways, or entrances.
- Protects your family and neighbors from injury caused by falling snow.
- Reduces liability for potential accidents involving passersby or visitors.
Without snow guards, large amounts of snow sliding off your roof can pose a severe threat to those nearby. Installing snow guards means you can rest easy knowing your home is safer in winter.
5. Enhances Year-Round Efficiency
Solar panels can significantly boost performance using snow guards. Even though snow guards might not seem essential to creating energy, ensuring that solar panels do not break and work in the winter is crucial as that guarantees an uninterrupted supply of energy production.
- Keeps panels clean by preventing snow from accumulating unevenly.
- Allows efficient melting, ensuring snow doesn’t block the panels for extended periods.
- Improves energy output reliability, even in snowy conditions.
By maintaining the stability of your solar panels and allowing snow to melt naturally, snow guards help maximize your solar energy production throughout the winter season.
Snow Guard Installation Tips for New York Homes
When installing snow guards, a few things to consider: ensuring they will properly work and consulting a solar maintenance expert like Solar Medix first to determine what kind of snow guard is most suitable for your roof and solar panels. Not all snow guards are compatible with every type of roof, and the incorrect kind will prove ineffective.
If snow guards are going to be installed, make sure they are correctly placed. Proper placement is crucial for effectively holding back snow. They need to be installed near the edges of your panels without interfering with other maintenance tasks.
Solar Medix technicians know how to install snow guards and provide your panels with the best protection without sacrificing performance.
Regular maintenance is also essential. Inspecting snow guards annually to ensure they are secure and doing their job would be best. On the bright side, once snow guards are installed, they require minimal maintenance and perform effectively for years with minimal attention.
- Fact: A Rocky Mountain Institute study found that unmanaged snow slides can cause structural damage. Homeowners in snow-prone regions often see their average winter storm damage insurance bills over $3,500.
Contact Solar Medix for Snow Guard Installation Today
Are you prepared to winter-proof your home? Solar Medix is here to help as top-rated solar maintenance experts in New York, New Jersey, Texas, and Massachusetts.
We have a wealth of experience serving thousands of satisfied clients in solar panel maintenance and snow guard installation with our experienced team. Your investment in solar energy deserves protection, especially during extreme winter weather.
Our team at Solar Medix is enthusiastic about solar energy and protecting your system. We configure snow guard systems to your specifications and needs using only top-of-the-line materials.
Call now to get a free quote & see how we can help keep your home, family, and solar investment safe—don’t wait until it’s too late.
