Much of the solar power that's helping to fuel the expansion of renewable energy in the US comes from big solar farms made of rows and rows of solar panels oriented to capture the most sun possible. Some of it comes from people installing solar technology, usually on their roofs, to generate their own energy and save some money. About 1 gigawatt of residential solar power is installed every three months (or, 2.5 million solar panels).

You may have thought about solar power, only to find your roof is too shaded, facing away from the sun or not suited to solar tech for another reason. Ground-mounted solar panels offer an option that doesn't rely on your roof and can produce more energy, all while letting you take advantage of the federal tax credit, local tax incentives and solar power's long-term savings. Here's what to know. 

Ground-mounted vs. rooftop solar panels

The main difference between ground-mounted and rooftop solar panels is there in the name. While the more familiar rooftop panels go on a rooftop, ground-mounted panels are affixed to the ground.

There's more to it than that, and ground-mounted panels have some advantages over rooftop panels, but come up short elsewhere.

Pros of ground-mounted panels

The true advantage of ground-mounted panels is that they don't have to go on your roof. If your house is in a nice shady spot but you've got a nice sunny backyard, you can put them there.