Before Installation, take care of any obstructions to sunlight. Remove all unnecessary obstructions and items such as branches that may block sunlight to your solar unit. You should also trace the path of the sun in the sky and make sure there is no object that may cast a shadow over your solar photovoltaic panels. The operating efficiency of your solar energy unit will suffer because of this shadow.
With the help of these mounts, you can install your solar panel onto an RV, on rooftop or against the side of a pole, on your roof. You can even install them as a free-standing unit.
The first step is to calculate the cost involved in setting up the type and size of the system. Remember that Government of Different Countries around the world offer subsidy to encourage Solar Panel Installation and use of Renewable Energy. This subsidy is different in different countries. For e.g. Subsidy offered by USA is different from Subsidy in India or China.
Second step is to make a checklist of the equipment needed for a solar energy system: Solar Panels, Charge Controller, Power Inverter, and Battery.
The next step is to determine the size of the solar system required. You should add up wattage of all the electrical appliances that you plan to use. Calculate how many hours per day the appliances will be used.
If you follow the above steps, you will be able to know the wattage requirement, size of the solar battery needed and the wire size. Remember that correct wire size will prevent overheating of the wires and ensure maximum transfer of power to your batteries.
Solar panels can be used to generate electricity for both commercial and home use. In both cases, the Photovoltaic Panel are installed on Roof Top to get maximum possible sunlight and generate maximum electricity from the system.
Following are the steps involved in the installation process:
The first step is to fix the mounts that will support he Solar Panels. It can be Roof-ground mounts or flush mounts depending on the requirement. This base structure provides support and sturdiness. Care is taken on direction in which the PV panels (monocrystalline or polycrystalline) will be installed. For countries in the Northern Hemisphere, the best direction to face solar panels is south because it gets maximum sunlight. East and West directions will also do. For countries in the Southern Hemisphere, the best direction is North.
Again, the mounting structure must be slightly tilted. Angle of the tilt could be between 18 to 36 Degree. Many companies use a solar tracker to increase the conversion efficiency.
Next step is to fix the solar panels with the mounting structure. This is done by tightening nuts and bolts. Care is taken to secure the whole structure properly so that it is sturdy and lasts long.
Next step is to do the electrical wiring. Universal Connectors like MC4 are used during wiring because these connectors can be connected with all type of solar panels. These panels can be electrically connected with each other in following series:
Series Connection: In this case, the Positive (+) Wire is of one PV module is connected to the Negative (–) Wire of another module. This type of wiring increases the voltage match with the battery bank.
Parallel Connection: In this case, Positive (+) to Positive (+) and Negative (–) to Negative (–) connection is done. This type of wiring voltage of each panel remains same.
Next step is to connect the system to a solar inverter. The Positive wire from the solar panel is connected to the Positive terminal of the inverter and the Negative wire is connected to the Negative terminal of the inverter.
The solar inverter is then connected to the Solar Battery and Grid input to produce electricity.
Next step is to connect the solar inverter and the solar battery. The positive terminal of the battery is connected with the positive terminal of the inverter and negative to negative. Battery is needed in off grid solar system to store electricity backup.
Next step is to connect the inverter to the grid. To make this connection, a normal plug is used to connect to the main power switch board. An output wire is connected with electric board that supplies electricity to the home.
Now when all the electrical wiring and connections are done, it is time to start the inverter switch ON the Main Switch of the Home. Most solar inverters will have digital display to show you stats regarding generation and usage of solar unit.
Solar Panel CompanySolar electricity panels, also known as photovoltaics (PV), capture the sun’s energy and convert it into electricity that you can use in your home.
A solar PV panel consists of many cells made from layers of semi-conducting material, most commonly silicon. When light shines on this material, a flow of electricity is created.
The cells don’t need direct sunlight to work and can even work on cloudy days. However, the stronger the sunshine, the more electricity generated.
Solar PV systems are made up of several panels, with each panel generating around 355W of energy in strong sunlight. Typical systems contain around 10 panels and generate direct current (DC) electricity. Because the electricity used for household appliances is alternating current (AC), an inverter is installed along with the system to convert DC electricity to AC. This electricity can be used throughout your home, or exported to the grid.
Sunlight is free, so once you’ve paid for the initial installation, your electricity costs will be reduced. Find out how much you could save by using the Solar Energy Calculator.
Solar electricity is low carbon, renewable energy. A typical home solar PV system could save around one tonne of carbon per year, depending on where you live in the UK.
With any domestic PV system, there will be times when the electricity you generate is more than you can use or store, so the surplus will be exported to the grid to be used by somebody else. If you want to be paid for exporting, you need to make sure you’re getting an export payment. If you were able to claim the Feed-in Tariff (this closed to new applications at the end of March 2019), then you will be getting export payments as part of that. If not, you need to find an energy company that will pay you for this surplus.
With any domestic PV system, there will be times when the electricity you generate is more than you can use or store, so the surplus will be exported to the grid to be used by somebody else. If you want to be paid for exporting, you need to make sure you’re getting an export payment. If you were able to claim the Feed-in Tariff (this closed to new applications at the end of March 2019), then you will be getting export payments as part of that. If not, you need to find an energy company that will pay you for this surplus.
Following the closure of the Feed-in Tariff scheme to new solar PV system applicants in March 2019, the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) was introduced to provide financial support to small-scale renewable energy generators for the electricity they export to the grid. The savings from solar PV with the SEG are considerably higher than without it.
In Great Britain, the Smart Export Guarantee pays you for the electricity you generate.
In Northern Ireland, you can get paid for any surplus you export – usually estimated based on how much you generate. Several organisations offer this service, so if you’re interested, we recommend researching their offers to find one that works for you.
The amount you will pay is influenced by the size of array and will be affected by any difficulty with access to your roof. Some of the installation costs can be shared if you already have scaffolding up for roof repairs or if you are building a new house. Costs are also affected by whether you choose panels or tiles, and whether you opt for building-integrated panels or choose panels that sit on top of your roof. Panels on top of the roof are the cheapest option, while tiles are the most expensive for the equivalent system.
The cost of ground-mounted systems is more difficult to predict, as there are more variables such as the type of mounting frame, and how far away it is from the house.
Costs can vary between installers and products, so we recommend getting quotes from at least three installers.
Simple payback with vs without the Smart Export Guarantee in London, South East England
Simple payback with vs without the Smart Export Guarantee in Aberystwyth, Wales
Most households will use about 15-25% of the energy you generate, though this can change quite dramatically based on:
