We are installing a wood stove with a flue through the ceiling and roof ending in a gas cowl above the roof. If we go straight up from the wood stove, the flue will come out almost at the ridge line adjacent to our solar panels, about 500mm away, and higher up the sloping North face of the roof. The alternative is to take the flue out through the rear internal wall on a 45 degree angle bend and through the ceiling and roof, so it comes out on the south side of the roof, which would be maybe three metres away from the PV panels. In either case, the flue must be a minimum of 300mm above the ridge line, though we propose to at least double that height. Either location of the flue will create no overshadowing issues.
Our builder wants to do the easy straight up flue option and says it will make no difference to install the flue on the north side so close to the solar panels, but we are concerned that there will be ash fallout from the flue, which will degrade the efficiency of the panels, so the further away the better. Our prevailing winds are also from the north, so a flue on the south side would blow the ash away. We are quite protected from south winds by the rising terrain. and a shelter belt of large trees.
We would appreciate some opinions on what to do.
