How to Install a Home Solar Energy System
Installing solar panels used to be a labor-intensive and expensive project – but not any more. This Buildipedia video shows how you can go solar, all the way from incentives to installation:
An important question is whether your home is right for solar. Most people think that their home has to be face due south; however, the panels can be oriented on the low slope westward and still generate 90% of the power of a perfectly oriented system.
Roof installations are the most common. You may also want to consider solar shingles, solar tiles or flexible solar sheets. You can also mount solar panels in a rack on the ground. Shading can be an issue, so you will preferably want to install panels up high and trim any overhanging trees.
Solar incentives can help pay for a good portion of the installation cost. DSIREUSA.org is the website for the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency and provides information on federal, state and local tax credits, grants and rebates and utility company offers. You can get estimates of savings as well as the availability of low-cost loans for your project.
The installer will give you an estimate and design plan for your solar energy system and will also help you take advantage of incentives. Typical installations take 1-2 days. The installation steps are as follows:
- Metal posts call standoffs are bolted to the roof and then flashed and sealed.
- Rails that hold the panels are installed
- Panels are put into place, clamped to the rails, with each panel connected to the next
- Panels are connected to an inverter (located in garage or other sheltered area), which change the power from DC to AC. The inverter is sized to fit the output of your panels. The wires that connect the panels to the inverter run down a conduit which may be inside or outside the home. The AC power is fed back into the house through the main breaker panel.
Most solar energy systems are grid-tied. Tying the panels to the grid eliminates the needs for a battery. The solar panels provide power during the day; at night you draw power from the grid. When you make more power than you use, you sell the excess power back to the grid. Your utility company will provide a replacement meter that will show the power you buy and the power you sell. Your installer will also provide a grid disconnnect which ensures that no power from your house flows into the grid during a power outage. Your system will include a monitor to show how much energy you are generating.
Typical solar energy systems last 25-30 years and require little maintenance. Like any other improvement, you will want add the system to your homeowner’s insurance to protect it. Even if you cannot afford to buy a system outright, check with an installer anyway as you may be able to lease a system.
