Can I have Solar panels? Snow I can’t!

      Sunshine! It’s what made Southern California so attractive to generations of Americans. And it’s why I love living here too.

     With so much sunshine, you’d think that solar panels would be a great idea. And you’re right - it is a good idea! And if your roof is like mine, sun drenched and almost perfectly flat, you’d think that it would be an easy install, right?

     Unfortunately, there were issues.

     Part of the process of getting solar panels is having the structural engineers come check out your roof, and more importantly the structure underneath your roof that holds it up.

     What did they find under my roof? Not much.

     “Your house wasn’t built for a snow load”. Said the engineer for SolarCity.

     “My snow - what?”

     “Your snow load. In most parts of the country they make the roofs really strong so that they can hold up a couple of feet of snow. But down here they build the roofs really flimsy, because the most that ever happens to them is that they get wet”. Said the engineer.

     “Oh”.

     He went on. “You ever been to Alaska? Lots of snow in Alaska. Up there they build the roofs so strong that in the summertime, people park their snowmobiles up on the roof. Down here in LA, nobody’s got a snowmobile, they’ve all got motorcycles. But did you ever see anybody parking their motorcycle on the roof?”

     This all sounded slightly crazy to me, but I’m a polite person, so I answered him. “Actually, no”.

     He smiled and pointed, “That’ because if you parked a Harley Davidson on a roof like yours, it would come crashing down into your living room”.

     “And that’s because of the roof?”

     “That’s right! No snow load.”

     I wasn’t happy about this. “It sounds like I’m not going to get solar panels”.

     “Probably not, with a roof like yours. Maybe later, if you do a big remodel. You can add a lot of structure underneath that can handle the load”

     “Terrific…a major remodel”. I frowned, but he smiled.

     “People do it all the time, man!” He said enthusiastically, “They add so much structure that they can put in all KINDS of solar panels”.

     “Yeah and while I’m at it I can add a rooftop parking spot for my electric motorcycle. And then while it’s parked I can charge it off of my solar panels.” I smiled broadly. But he frowned.

     “Electric motorcycle?” He wrinkled his nose, “I don’t know man, that sounds kind of crazy.”