C.6. Property Requirements

A satellite view of our church's property:

Requirement # 1:  South-Facing Rooftop

How important is it for a rooftop to face directly south?

Even where a roof is not oriented to the sun, there may still be opportunities to mount panels on poles, racks or other equipment.

Every degree that a panel is not oriented to maximize exposure, will translate to losses in the productivity of a system.


However, a roof orientation from south-east to south-west will not see a significant decline in solar electricity production (approx. 5%).

There will be more of a reduction in power generation for east and west orientations (approx. 25%).

Our Property:  The section of roof we are considering faces almost due south.

Conclusion:  Our property meets this requirement.


Requirement # 2:  An All-Daylight Unobstructed View of the Sun

To maximize exposure and productivity, a rooftop mounted solar energy system must have a visible and clear view of the sun during all daylight hours.

Our Property:  The section of roof we are considering has a clear and unobstructed view of the sun all day long.

Conclusion:  Our property meets this requirement.


Requirement # 3:  An existing roof that will last at least 20 years.

What if my roof or shingles needs repairing?

You should do the repairs first.

It is possible to take off the panels and remount them, but at a measurable cost.




Why 20 years:

1. the estimated serviceable life of the rooftop solar energy system.
2. the guarantee period provided by the Ontario government.

Our Property:  The section of roof we are considering needs to be reshingled very soon.

Conclusion:  Our property will meet this requirement once the proposed shingling bulding fund project has been done.