With a blending of old versus new, restored historic homes are so incredibly stunning. Choosing to restore a historic home is no easy feat. In order to preserve the history and charm of the home and its neighborhood, not all updates are allowed. Most of these stringent rules apply to the exterior of the home. This is the true challenge of bringing a historic home into the 21st century. However, despite these challenges, it is possible to install solar panels on a historic home.
It depends on the historic district.
Every historic neighborhood is different, and so are their rules. For some historic districts, roof mount solar panels can be installed, but only if they aren’t visible from the street. Solar panels can also be added to additional buildings on the property, if available – again, so long as they aren’t visible to the public eye.
Granted, this can cause an issue in the placement of the solar panels. Sometimes the rear side of the house or outbuilding does not get the most sun, which will affect how much energy the solar panels produce.
This may be remedied with a low profile mount. For some districts, it’s okay for the panels to be visible, but they need to follow close to the slope of the roof. This way, they don’t obstruct the overall appearance of the house. Basically, the less obtrusive it is to the view of the historic home, the better.
You’ll probably need to avoid these common no-nos when it comes to installing solar panels on your historic home.
According to the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions, here are some common no-nos when it comes to installing solar panels on a historic home:
- Removing historic roofing materials to install solar panels.
- Alternating the home’s historic roof configurations – removing dormers, etc. – to install solar panels.
- Any other solar panel installation procedure that will cause irreversible changes to the historic home’s features.
This follows along with the same rule as stated previously; the less obtrusive the installation is, the better. As long as your home’s historic integrity remains intact, it shouldn’t be too much of an issue to install solar. The best way to be sure is to check your local guidelines for historic homes.
If you’re ready to go solar, contact Aurora Energy today. One of our solar consultants will configure a solar energy system that meets local guidelines, provides optimal power, and preserves the charm of your historic home.
