Shaded Roof Solutions
Solar Options When Your Roof Is Too Shady
Trees make your home beautiful. They also make rooftop solar difficult. Here's how to go solar without sacrificing your shade.
The Shade Problem
You want solar. The math works. Then the installer looks at your roof and says: "Sorry, too much shade."
You're not alone. Texas homes often have mature live oaks, pecans, and other trees that make rooftop solar impractical. But shade on your roof doesn't mean solar won't work—it means you need a different approach.
How Shade Actually Affects Solar Panels
It's Worse Than You'd Think
Shade doesn't just reduce output proportionally. With traditional string inverters, one shaded panel can drag down an entire string. Think of it like a kink in a garden hose—the restriction affects flow through the whole line. Even 10% physical shade can cause 25%+ production loss.
Moving Shadows Are the Worst
Static shade (a chimney shadow that's always there) can be designed around. But tree shadows move throughout the day and change seasonally. A shadow that crosses your roof from 10am to 2pm—the peak production hours—can devastate annual output even if morning and evening are clear.
Hot Spots and Equipment Damage
Partially shaded panels can develop "hot spots" where shaded cells become resistors instead of generators. This reduces lifespan and can damage panels. Bypass diodes help but add loss. Heavy shade isn't just inefficient—it's hard on equipment.
| Shade Level | Production Loss | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| 0-10% | 5-10% | Rooftop viable |
| 10-20% | 15-25% | Marginal |
| 20-40% | 30-50% | Ground mount preferred |
| 40%+ | 50%+ | Ground mount only |
Can Microinverters Solve Shade Problems?
The Short Answer: They Help, But Have Limits
Microinverters (one per panel) let each panel operate independently. A shaded panel doesn't drag down its neighbors. This can recover 10-25% of losses compared to string inverters in shaded conditions.
But microinverters can't create sunlight. If your panel gets 4 hours of sun instead of 6, you get 4 hours of production—no technology changes that physics.
When Microinverters Make Sense
- • Light shade (10-20%): Marginal rooftops become viable
- • Scattered shade: Random shadows from small obstructions
- • Complex roof angles: Multiple orientations benefit
- • Panel-level monitoring: Track each panel's output
When Microinverters Aren't Enough
- • Heavy shade (30%+): Can't recover enough production
- • Peak-hour shade: Midday shadows still kill output
- • Growing trees: Problem gets worse over time
- • Cost vs benefit: Premium may not justify marginal gains
The Real Question
If your roof is shaded enough to need microinverters, ask: Would ground mount in full sun produce more energy for similar cost? Often the answer is yes. The $1,500-3,000 microinverter premium could instead go toward the ground mount foundation—and you'd get more kWh.
The Tree Trimming Question
Some solar companies suggest trimming or removing trees. Before you call an arborist, run the numbers.
Tree Removal Costs
Large mature trees: $2,000-10,000+ each. Multiple trees shading your roof could cost $10,000-30,000 to remove.
Often more than ground mount premium
Trimming: Temporary Fix
Professional trimming: $300-1,500 per tree. But trees grow back. You'll need trimming every 2-3 years indefinitely.
Ongoing cost, declining effectiveness
Ground Mount Premium
Ground mount costs 10-15% more than rooftop. For an 8kW system, that's roughly $3,000-5,000 extra. One-time cost.
Often cheaper than tree work
What You Lose When Trees Go
Cooling Value
A mature shade tree can reduce cooling costs by 15-35%. Remove it, and your solar savings may be partially offset by higher AC bills. In Texas, that's significant.
Property Value
Mature trees add 3-15% to property values. A bare lot with rooftop solar may not appraise as well as a tree-filled lot with ground mount solar.
The Ground Mount Solution
Your roof is shaded. But is your whole property? Most homeowners with shaded roofs have sunny areas in their yard, side lot, or back acreage.
Ground mount puts panels where the sun is—which may not be your roof. You can position the array in the sunniest spot, at perfect tilt angle, facing true south.
The result: more production than a compromised rooftop system, without touching your trees.
Find the Sun
Put solar where the sunlight is—even if that's not your roof.
The Math: Shaded Rooftop vs. Ground Mount
Consider an 8kW system on a 35% shaded roof vs. ground mount in full sun:
Shaded Rooftop
- • Annual production: ~7,800 kWh
- • System cost: ~$24,000
- • Microinverter upgrade: +$2,500
- • Tree trimming (3x over 25 years): ~$3,000
- Total investment: ~$29,500
- Cost per kWh produced: $0.15
Ground Mount (Full Sun)
- • Annual production: ~12,500 kWh
- • System cost: ~$28,000
- • No microinverters needed: string works fine
- • No tree work needed
- Total investment: ~$28,000
- Cost per kWh produced: $0.09
Ground mount produces 60% more energy at lower total cost than the shaded rooftop with all its workarounds. Over 25 years, that's tens of thousands in additional savings.
How We Evaluate Your Property
Our site assessment determines whether rooftop, ground mount, or a combination makes sense for your situation.
Satellite Analysis
Initial shade assessment using aerial imagery and LiDAR data
Sun Path Modeling
Track shadows throughout the day and across seasons
Site Options
Identify best ground mount locations on your property
Production Comparison
Real numbers comparing rooftop vs ground mount for your site
Shaded Roof Solar FAQ
How do I know if my roof is too shaded for solar?
A solar assessor uses shade analysis tools (like a Solar Pathfinder or satellite imagery) to calculate your roof's "solar access" percentage. Below 70% solar access (meaning 30%+ shade), rooftop economics decline sharply. Below 60% solar access, ground mount is almost always the better investment.
Can microinverters solve my shade problem?
Microinverters help with partial shade by allowing each panel to operate independently. If one panel is shaded, others keep producing. But they can't create sunlight—they just minimize losses from what shade exists. For heavy shade (30%+), microinverters improve output by maybe 10-15%, which often isn't enough to make rooftop viable.
Should I trim or remove trees for rooftop solar?
Do the math first. Tree removal costs $2,000-10,000+ per tree. Trimming provides temporary relief (trees grow back). Meanwhile, the ground mount premium over rooftop is typically $3,000-6,000 for a residential system. Ground mount often costs less than tree removal and you keep your trees.
What if only part of my roof is shaded?
Rooftop can work if you have enough unshaded roof area for your needs. A smaller rooftop system on the sunny portion may be viable. But if the unshaded area only fits a 4kW system and you need 8kW, ground mount lets you build the right size system in full sun.
Do trees shade ground mount systems too?
They can, but you choose the location. We position ground mount arrays in the sunniest spot on your property—often a cleared area, pasture, or part of the yard away from trees. You pick where it goes; we optimize angle and placement for maximum production.
Not sure if you have enough land?
Answer a few quick questions to find out if ground mount could work for your property.
Check Your PropertyDon't Let Shade Stop You From Going Solar
Get a free property assessment. We'll find the sun on your property—even if it's not on your roof.
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