I'm hoping a few of the experts here can help me decide which is "better". My electric meter is mounted on my barn, so the solar panels will be near the barn, not the house. My location is Livonia NY 14487. We get a decent amount of snow too. I have two proposals from 2 companies. Cost difference is $500 between the two, so I consider it negligible. Proposal A is for 6.3kw system, using (20) Vikram 315 watt panels, ground mounted facing perfectly south. The contractor claims this system will produce 8,009 kWh/Year. Proposal B is for a 7.6 kw system, using (22) 345 watt Solar World 345W Mono Solar Panels. The contractor claims 8880 kWh/Year. These panels will be mounted on the roof of my pole barn (4/12 pitch). HOWEVER - the ridge of my barn runs almost perfectly north south (I believe 5 degrees to the E) so, the angle toward the sun is not good. The panels would have to be mounted on the east, west, or both sides. SO - I am not sure which system would produce more energy. Can I trust the contractors estimates? Is one system better than the other from a protection standpoint? Does snow cover pose a problem? I could broom off ground mounts but not roof mounts.