Are you a homeowner with solar panels on your roof? Some people like solar so much that they add more panels to their existing system.

We’ll share details about adding more solar panels to your existing system and why some people do it.

Why do homeowners add more solar? 

There are usually two reasons why homeowners decide to install additional solar panels. Either your current solar panels are not meeting your needs. Or you plan to increase your usage and avoid buying power from an expensive utility. 

While adding additional solar panels is not difficult in and of itself, there are sometimes challenges in getting quotes from installers if you only want to add a small number of panels. In some cases, installers will have a panel minimum of some sort, usually 8 to 10 solar panels. 

What to consider before you buy more solar?

There are some things to consider before going through with installing additional panels. These will hopefully help you avoid going through this again in the future.

First, think back to when you first installed solar. Remember that you most likely felt a sense of comfort in your electricity usage. Which led to a further increase in the amount of electricity used. So if you have the room for it, perhaps go bigger than you might think. 

As you add more solar panels, you will want to ask the installer you’re working with if you need to increase the capacity of your main service panel. If you didn’t need an upgrade in the past, adding solar panels may cause you to need one now. 

Now, as the ghostbusters might ask, who are you gonna call? Is your previous installer in business still? If they are, you’d want to start by calling them. It will help you keep your warranties in one place. Which may also enable you to add to the existing system rather than build a new side-by-side system. We recommend getting more quotes, but starting with the company you first installed with is always great. 

Next, let’s discuss inverters. The additional solar panels will need their own inverter system. Depending on who does the installation, you might tie into the existing inverter or install a system with micro inverters. If you have microinverters on your current system, sticking to that option for your add-on panels will make sense. You may be able to integrate the new inverters into the existing Enphase monitoring.

What happens if you dial your old installer and they’re out of business? 

If your solar installer orphans you, This is known as an orphaned solar panel system and is unfortunately not uncommon, but luckily won’t stop you from installing more solar panels. Any new system will undoubtedly be installed independently of your existing solar panels. The new installer won’t want to take on the responsibility of another company’s work; it’s worth keeping that in mind.

When you interview new installers to add your solar panels, use the DroneQuote consumer protection guide to give you insight into useful questions you can ask to help you hire the right company for you. You can download it here. 

DroneQuote Consumer Guide (downloadable)

How much does it cost?

One of the first questions we get is, ‘how much does it cost to install additional solar panels?’. 

To be upfront, installing 8 additional panels to an existing system is more expensive than installing an additional 8 panels in the first go-around. That’s why it’s so important to try and be aware of any potential changes in usage that may occur before you install solar in the first place. Also, somewhat related to this is space available. If you have too little space for more than just a few panels, you might not even make a minimum panel count and get an installer to do the work.

It won’t hurt to consider including a battery at the same time if you are considering to add more solar panels. If you do it later without solar, it will only cost you more. Right now, maybe the best time.  

One last thing to remember if you consider adding solar panels to your existing system is how the new panels may change your net energy metering agreement with the utility. This is the agreement that allows you to sell power back to the utility at the retail rate. Sometimes adding solar panels enable the utility to change your agreement with them going forward. And when has the utility gone out of their way to do you favors?

Have more questions? Contact us

We often field questions from homeowners wanting to add additional solar panels. It’s common, especially since this clientele already knows solar is great. Our responsibility is to let homeowners know if adding solar panels is in their best interest. Or if there are other less expensive alternatives to installing more solar panels. That is precisely why being a solar fiduciary sets DroneQuote apart. If you want more information about installing more solar panels on your roof, go to our website, and we’ll give it straight to you. And to those who have installed add-on panels, let us know how it worked out for you in the comments. 

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