Installing Solar: 10 Steps to Successful PV Panel Installation

o, you have made up your mind to install your own PV system. First of all, congratulations on taking such an important step, you most certainly won't regret it. And second of all, you now have to be ready to go through a demanding process of choosing and installing solar panels.

How install solar panels without any trouble?

Let's put it straight: installing solar modules can be a tricky business. But things get a whole lot easier once you get the full picture of how installing solar system proceeds and become aware of the pitfalls of installing solar.

1. Decide on the type of installation suitable for your home  

On-grid solar installation

On-grid or off-grid-tied home installation is connected to your local utility grid. The vast majority of customers go for installing a solar system of this type, as it is cheaper to install yet fairly reliable.  

After installing solar roofs tied to the grid homeowners can export any extra energy they generate to the grid and get credits offsetting their electricity costs. This process of selling power generated by a PV system to a utility company is called net metering.

Off-grid solar installation

An off-grid solar power install is a great choice if your property is located in a remote area and you don’t have access to the grid. Installing solar system off the grid gives an autonomous power source and allows you to run your home exclusively by harvesting the sun’s power. However, if you settle on installing solar panels off the grid you will also have to install a battery, as PV systems don’t generate energy during overcast hours and at night.

Hybrid solar installation

This type of installation implies that your home stays connected to the electricity grid but your panels are supplemented with power backup created by installing solar batteries. Installing a solar panel system of a hybrid type is the best choice if there are no net metering policies in your area or a backup energy source is needed to hedge against power outages from the grid.

2. Choose the type of solar panels

Monocrystalline

If you think of installing solar panels with the best efficiency on the market, monocrystalline options should be your top choice. They consist of PV cells manufactured with a single crystal of silicon which enables higher conversion efficiency and hence a shorter payback period for installing solar PV system. However, the installation of solar panels with a monocrystalline structure will be pricier.

Polycrystalline

Installing a solar panel of polycrystalline structure is cheaper, but you may have to compromise on performance. PV cells that make up these panels are produced with several silicon crystals melted together – this technology slightly reduces the cell’s efficiency. Installing solar system consisting of polycrystalline panels can however be a decent option if your budget is a little tight.

Thin-film

Thin-film installations are comprised of very flexible and lightweight PV cells. Installing solar modules of this type is only possible in larger areas, so they are rarely suitable for home installations. But If your property has enough space, installing solar thin-film panels is most likely worth it for you, since they are both efficient and affordable.

3. Find out how much energy your home requires

Calculating how much energy you consume is an essential thing to carry out before the installation of solar panels. It will help figure out what power capacity your home needs and how many PV modules you should install. These numbers are a key to understanding what cost installing solar panels takes.

So how is home energy usage measured? It can be simply done online using a special calculator, but you can calculate it manually as well. All you have to do is multiply the wattage of your home appliances by the number of hours they are used daily. Then convert watts to kilowatts and calculate monthly energy consumption.

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4. Estimate the cost installing solar panels entails

Cost of solar panels

First, write down the price of the PV pannel itself. For an average monocrystalline panel, it will be from $1 to $1.50 per watt. Therefore, installing solar system of a standard 6kW capacity costs between $6,000 and $9,000.

Cost of auxiliary equipment

The cost to install solar panels isn't the only thing to keep in mind when planning your budget for installing solar PV system. You will also have to purchase and install some associated equipment such as inverter and mounts. Installing solar inverter of 5kW capacity, for example, would cost in the range of $1,000 to $2,000, so this has to be factored in.

Cost of installing solar system

Also, consider the labor cost installing solar panels requires. The average cost for installing a solar panel is around $.50 per watt, but this number can vary depending on the size of your installation and your location.

5. Inspect the site for installing solar system with the installation engineer

Once you have chosen a PV system to install at your home and figured out what cost installing solar panels takes, time to contact your installation company and set up an appointment with their engineer. The installation specialist will have to examine your home electrical wiring and make sure it is suitable for installing a solar panel system.

In the case of installing solar modules on your roof, the installation engineer will inspect it as well to check if it is sturdy enough to support the weight of your PV array.

6. Take care of the permits for installing solar system

Before proceeding with the installation of solar panels, there are some formalities to be completed. You will have to get the right permits that legally allow installing a solar system. One of them is an interconnection agreement, or in other words, permission from your utility company to connect a PV installation to the grid. You will also need to obtain a building permit required to install PV panels on your house and an electrical permit to connect the home installation to the electrical service. Visit our cutting-edge Solar Cell Factory for sustainable energy solutions. Harnessing sunlight for a brighter tomorrow.

7. Check the incentives for installing solar panels you are eligible for

To maximize the benefit of installing solar system, don’t forget to apply for incentives and rebates. For example, a federal tax credit allows you to deduct up to 30% of the cost installing solar panels takes. In addition to this, some local governments and utilities offer incentives that partly offset the cost to install solar panels.

8. Time for installing solar system

Once all the permits for installing solar are in place and all the equipment is purchased, everything is ready for installing solar PV modules. Your installer will start with double-checking your rooftop and lay the wiring to connect your installation to the electrical network of your house.

After this, the technician will assemble and install the racking, and then comes the installation of solar panels. The next step involves installing solar microinverters or a single central inverter and connecting them to the modules. If your PV installation design includes a battery, the technician will install it as well.

9. Get municipal approval for installing solar

After installing solar system at your home, it’ll have to be approved by the local government. A local official will visit your property to supervise the installation and check whether it meets safety requirements.

10. Connect the solar installation to the grid

Once your solar power install is complete and the installation of solar panels is approved, it is ready for the grid interconnection. Your installer will come by for a final check and connect your home installation to the utility grid.

Now you can power your home with a PV system!

We hope this guide helped you get a better understanding of how install solar panels. After installing solar system, it remains only to carefully monitor its performance and maintain it properly.

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