Have you heard the latest policy news? NY State recently passed the All-electric Buildings Act, which means all new residential homes must be 100% electric starting in 2026. There’s never been a better time to incorporate solar into your clients’ new home projects to get ahead of these regulations.

GreenSpark Solar has over 21 years of experience working with builders, architects, and contractors to ensure homeowners and business owners have quality, efficient solar systems. With these new requirements, solar offers a more cost-effective and sustainable way to power new electric homes.

GreenSpark Solar can help builders and industry experts navigate this all-electric landscape to help maximize project revenue and streamline project logistics. Here are some key details to remember as you start designing for your client’s new home projects. 

Orientation to the Sun

We advise that at least one of your roofs, if not the largest one, is south-facing. A south-facing roof captures the highest energy levels from the sun to generate energy. However, low tilt east-west facing roofs will work as well.

Shade Prevention & Obstructions

The roof area supporting the solar panels should be free from tree shading for the array to have a higher performance rate. The roof should also avoid obstructions like vent pipes, skylights, and chimneys. We recommend placing all outside vents together in one area, ideally away from the roof space intended for the solar array, so that the panels can be grouped without obstruction. Keeping solar equipment together will make the module installation and maintenance processes easier to access. 

Roof Loads & Materials

We recommend you acknowledge and understand the roof load of the new build before installing a solar array. A roof load is the weight a home can withstand for a solar installation. A ballasted array will typically add 3-6 lbs/sq ft. The more extensive and connected the solar array, the lower the ballast weight required. For example, an array broken into smaller pieces due to obstructions leads to higher ballasted weight (3-4 lbs/sq ft. vs 6-7 lbs/sq ft.). 

Most major roofing material companies offer guidelines for solar systems that use ballasted and other racking systems. However, solar power for new home projects requires industry-specific knowledge, which GreenSpark Solar can provide! Our team has the proper experience, training, and permits to install solar onto your client’s new homes and streamline the logistics to eliminate risks, issues, and save money in the long run.

Electrical 

One of the most important steps in the solar design process is wiring the electrical. We suggest notifying your electrical contractor once you decide to incorporate solar into your project. GreenSpark Solar is full-service and has an experienced team that can wire the new building for solar with ease. 

Every solar array is unique, but most inverters for the installation will be outdoors. If your client prefers to place the inverters in an electrical room, there should be enough space incorporated into the design to accommodate the PV system. A main breaker is a requirement to service the solar array and exterior utility equipment, like the production meter that connects to the grid to produce local, clean energy. 

GreenSpark Solar is more than happy to partner with you on your next solar project. There are many benefits to including solar into your design:

• Offer a net-zero or energy-efficient home to your clients
• Provide a turnkey solar package to make it easy
• Solar provides an instant upgrade potential for your customers, increasing property values while reducing or eliminating their electric bill
• Establish your company as an electrification expert
• Provide a cost-saving option to your clients
• Achieve economies of scale for clients through neighborhood pricing