Roof-mounted solar is the default for most residential installs — it uses space you already own, and modern racking systems attach cleanly to shingle or metal roofing without compromising the roof itself.
Ground-mounted arrays trade some site work for a lot of flexibility. You can orient panels to true south at the ideal tilt angle for your latitude regardless of what the roof is doing. Service, cleaning, and future expansion are all easier when the array is at eye level.
Ground mounts also decouple the solar system's lifespan from the roof's lifespan — no need to remove and reinstall panels when the shingles are due for replacement.
The right choice depends on lot size, shading, roof age, and how much production you're trying to hit. On the properties where we install geothermal loop fields, there's often already enough clear ground to make a ground-mounted solar array the better long-term investment.
