Connecticut has thousands of beautiful older homes, and many of them have slate roofs. If yours is one of them, you may have already discovered something frustrating when shopping for solar:
Some solar companies simply don’t want to install panels on slate.
That doesn’t mean your home can’t have solar. Solar panels can be installed on slate roofs in Connecticut without removing a sound slate roof. The important part is using an installation method specifically designed for slate.
Why Solar Installers Are Cautious About Slate Roofs
Slate is an exceptional roofing material. A properly maintained slate roof can last 75 to 100 years or longer.
But there’s an important distinction between durability and brittleness.
Slate withstands decades of rain, snow and New England weather remarkably well. Individual tiles, however, can crack when improperly drilled, walked on or subjected to concentrated pressure.
That’s why installation methods commonly used on asphalt-shingle roofs aren’t necessarily appropriate for slate.
For a Connecticut homeowner, the question shouldn’t simply be, “Can you install my solar panels?”
It should be, “How will you install them without damaging my slate?”
You May Not Need to Replace Your Slate Roof
Homeowners are sometimes told that the simplest solution is to remove the slate or replace portions of the roof with asphalt shingles before installing solar.
If your slate roof is failing, repairs or replacement may indeed be necessary.
But if you have a sound slate roof, replacing it merely to accommodate solar can mean removing one of the longest-lasting and most valuable components of your home.
A better first step is to have the slate and underlying roof structure evaluated by someone experienced with slate-roof solar installations.
How SlatePlate Protects a Slate Roof
Solar Slate Solutions developed the patented SlatePlate™ specifically to solve the problems associated with mounting solar panels on slate roofs.
SlatePlate installs between the existing slate courses. The system is designed so the weight of the solar array is transferred into the roof structure rather than being carried by the slate tiles themselves.
Most importantly, slate does not need to be removed to install each mount.
Each attachment is anchored to a structural rafter. The slate remains the roof covering rather than becoming part of the load-bearing solar mounting system.
For homeowners, that’s an important difference because the objective is not simply to install solar panels. It’s to add solar while preserving the roof underneath them.
Is Your Connecticut Slate Roof Suitable for Solar?
Not every slate roof is automatically a good solar candidate.
Before installation, several factors should be evaluated:
- Condition of the existing slate
- Roof structure and underlayment
- Damaged or missing slate tiles
- Roof pitch and orientation
- Shading from trees and nearby structures
- Available space for an appropriately sized solar array
The age of the roof alone doesn’t determine whether solar can be installed. A well-maintained older slate roof may still have decades of useful life remaining.
Any compromised slate in the planned array area should be identified and repaired before the panels go on.
What Connecticut Homeowners Should Ask Their Solar Company
If you’re gathering solar estimates, ask each installer whether they have actual experience working on natural slate.
Ask how the mounting system works, whether slate will be removed, how the array’s weight will be transferred to the structure and what precautions will be taken while crews are working on the roof.
Don’t assume that a company with hundreds of successful asphalt-roof installations has the same expertise with slate.
Solar Slate Solutions specializes in the slate portion of these projects. The company can install the SlatePlate mounting while working alongside your solar installer, who handles the panels, electrical work and permitting.
Have a Slate Roof in Connecticut? Solar Is Still an Option
Owning a slate-roof home shouldn’t automatically exclude you from solar energy.
The key is preserving what you already have.
If your Connecticut slate roof is in good condition, a slate-specific mounting approach may allow you to add solar panels without tearing off or sacrificing the roof that has protected your home for generations.
Solar Slate Solutions serves slate-roof solar projects throughout New England. If you’ve been told your slate roof makes solar impossible, contact us for an assessment before giving up on the idea.