It’s crucial to assess your energy requirements, determine whether your home is suited for solar, look into local incentives, and compare bids from certified contractors before you sign a contract for the installation. There are five essential phases in building a solar panel system. An engineering site visit, permits and paperwork, buying the equipment, the solar panel installation, and approval and interconnection.
You could decide whether to finance your system with a lease, loan, or cash purchase but your installation will go according to these five basic phases. Before you go through the installation process, it is essential to understand your energy needs and figure out if your home is a good fit for a solar system. The main reason you would want to go solar is because of your high energy costs.
Installing solar panels will drastically lower your monthly power bills, especially if you are unable to limit the quantity of energy you use. Solar panels will reduce (or perhaps completely eliminate) your electricity bill in addition to offering environmental benefits; the higher your bill the more you could benefit from going solar.
An energy audit will reveal problems that reduce your home’s efficiency. You may lower energy needs and increase its efficiency by fixing those issues beforehand. Now you can determine whether your property can accommodate panels and whether solar energy will work. A few crucial factors to take into account are the shade, orientation, age and angle of your roof and any restrictions imposed by your homeowner’s organization.
The next step may be to discover the incentives that are offered in your region. Through tax benefits, the federal and state governments have recently made it simple to install solar systems and make investments in renewable energy. These could reduce your upfront costs.
Once you have assessed your needs and the potential of your property, and the incentives available in your area, you should look for a certified solar professional for the installation process. Research and find the best installer regarding your specific needs.
1. Conduct a site visit with an engineer.
The engineer should assess your existing electrical setup to make sure that everything is suitable for the design of your planned solar panel installation. Your roof will also need to be inspected to ensure it has a structural foundation and can withstand the weight of the solar panels. The engineer should also be able to inform you if you want a unique mounting solution, for example for a flat roof.
Additionally, they will examine your electrical panel to see if you’ll need to upgrade it. This means that your electrical box’s ampere capacity will need to be increased because your new solar panels will demand more amps of current; or just that your electrical panel may just be too old.
This could be an engineer that works for/is recommended by the solar company or a freelancer. In cases where an installer is needed, they may need to work directly with the engineer. The installer can take pictures and videos of the property and measure the roof on their own to make your system design based on your roof set, its angle, etc.
2. Secure the paperwork required.
Installing solar panels requires a lot of paperwork if you want to ensure that it’s legal. Among the key things you will be applying for is the State and federal solar incentives like the federal ITC and municipal solar programs. Also, the government rebates and solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs) to balance the installation costs.
You will also need to acquire a building permit, specific to your location and an agreement from your local utility for the installation. In most cases, your installer handles the paperwork and all you have to do is sign occasionally. They will assist in figuring out which permits you require. It is important however to have some knowledge on what to expect.
The duration of this stage largely depends on how long it takes your installer to complete and submit everything. Be sure to follow up with your installer to see how the paperwork is coming along.
3. Choosing and ordering the equipment.
Once the paperwork is done, you will be ready to order the right equipment with the help of your installer. You will have already chosen the best solar batteries and inverters for your home by this time, as well as the sorts of solar panels you require. These choices are outlined in a solar proposal that is delivered to you before you sign your contract.
Naturally, you’ll want to make sure you study how solar panels function and the possibilities. Spend some time investigating the various types of inverters and the top solar panels on the market to be sure you have selected the best for your system. This way you will feel more prepared for the ordering phase and for the installation procedure.
Your installer may also give a few suggestions about a specific brand and provide a few choices. Other than price, the main criteria used to compare manufacturers are durability, efficiency, aesthetics, and warranty.
4. Solar installation.
Depending entirely on the size of your system and the complexity of your roof, the installation process could take one to three days. The size of your house and the extent of the solar panel installation are also strong factors.
Your roof will first be prepared by the installer who will also check that the shingles or tiles are securely fastened. The electrical wiring that will link your electrical panel and general power system is then installed.
The only piece that will actually be mounted to your roof is the racking that will support your panels, which will be installed when the electrical wiring is finished. The panels are fastened securely to the racking once it has been leveled.
In order to transform direct current (DC) energy into the alternating current (AC) energy used in residences and on the electric grid, your inverters are finally connected to the panels.
This stage of the procedure ought to be the easiest if your system is well thought out and developed.
5. System approval.
After the installation, the next step will be to turn it on to officially generate solar energy in your home. A local inspection will be carried out by your utility company to interconnect the system, which entails connecting it to the power grid. This will also enable you to continue using electricity as needed and to safely feed any excess energy back into the grid, which may lead to credits from the utility company through net metering schemes.
Your solar system will probably need to be evaluated and approved by a municipal government official, who will then grant you permission to operate (PTO). In essence, this is only a safety measure to make sure the wiring and electrical work is thorough. Basically, to ensure the mounting was securely fastened and the installation as a whole complies with electrical and roof setback regulations.
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