Can You Do Solar Panels Yourself

What Do You Think

I hope you enjoyed reading this guide on how to install solar panels in your home. Together, we discussed all the wiring necessary to get this whole things up and running. If you got any questions about what I wrote here, just leave a comment below. Ill reply with further detail. See you in the next post!

Pros And Cons Of Solar Panels For Your Home

Like most things, solar power has its benefits and drawbacks. At the same time, some economic costs may be defrayed by the social benefits to the environment and lowering your carbon footprint, which exceeds pure monetary evaluation.

• Green energy that lowers your carbon footprint

• Net metering allows you to sell back excess energy produced

• You may be eligible for certain tax breaks

• Installation and maintenance costs still high

• Solar only works when the sun is out

• Parts of the system need to be replaced every few years

• Some tax breaks may have expired or will be expiring

Installing Your Own Solar Panels Isnt Worth The Risk Or Your Time

All in all, youre risking a lot when youre taking a solar installation into your own hands: your safety, the safety of your building, and the risk of losing the warranties on your solar equipment.

Youre also going to be spending a lot of time on paperwork, permitting, and approvals.

Solar energy requires a complex system that should be installed by experienced, certified solar professionals with proper safety equipment. Not only will this keep you safe, but youll save time and have an investment backed by strong warranties for decades, keeping your investment safe as well.

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Consider The Condition Of Your Roof First

If you have a roof that is over 20 years old, you are going to want to have it inspected by a professional before attempting to install solar panels on it. There could be any number of structural issues that could lead to leaking, sagging and ultimately collapse which would likely destroy your panels in the process an expensive problem to repair.

Are You Skilled Enough To Build Your Own Solar Panels

Solar panels are relatively simple enough to build, but for them to remain functional for a long period of time, they need to be built with extreme precision. Solar panels need to be able to maintain their integrity in harsh weather conditions and from consistent exposure to heat and sunlight.

Safety is the biggest concern with homemade solar panels. Moisture can get inside and ruin them and there is the potential for improperly built panels to catch fire from the suns heat. Mastering the soldering and electrical wiring is a challenge that generally takes the knowledge of a skilled electrician or engineer.

Building a system requires a willingness to research, make mistakes, and gain experience in electrical wiring skills and soldering techniques. So if you are an experienced engineer or electrician, this can be a bit easier to master but it is definitely not a quick weekends worth of DIY-ing.

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Set Up Your Solar Panels Today

Now that you have your complete DIY solar panel installation guide at your fingertips, what do you think? Can you answer the question Can I install solar panels myself? confidently?

If you decide you are ready to move forward with a DIY solar panel setup, follow the tips outlined above to ensure you do so safely. If you need more guidance, be sure to check out the other solar panel articles on our site as well.

Can You Install Solar Panels Yourself

Yes, you can install solar panels yourself! It could be a daunting project though. You need to make sure that your design and installation meets all of the criteria that your local jurisdiction stipulates. These requirements, of course, can vary wildly depending on where you live. If your jurisdiction requires a certified professional for solar, then you may have to work harder to find a someone with a license to help you with your project, or you can get yourself licensed. There are courses you can take for this, for example.

For myself, I didnt need to be professionally licensed for my solar installation to get approved by the code office or the utility but I did need to meet the electrical and safety requirements.

Heres a snapshot of my story.

In 2018 I designed and installed a 15,600 Watt solar panel system for my house. This was a dream of mine to be able to do this! It was designed to produce 100% of our electricity needs year-round . With more than one year of operation this system has generated more KHW than our family has needed. Incredible!

The journey to do this whole thing myself was long, fun, daunting, scary, exhilarating, rewarding, and on and on. When I was able to flip the switch the first time and see the power getting produced, and know that I didnt burn the house down, it was tremendously satisfying.

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Do You Want To Earn Money From The Fit

The crucial thing to bear in mind, however, is that DIY installs are not immediately eligible for Feed-in Tariff payments, which for many people are the principal attraction of PV systems. In order to be eligible for FiT payments , every installation must secure government-approved Microgeneration Certification Scheme certification.

Should You Install Solar Panels Yourself

According to the EnergySage Solar Marketplace, the average cost of going solar for homeowners was $18,840. Of that amount, design and installation labor costs equate to only about ten percent of the total bill.

Essentially, this means that a DIY Solar Panel System will save you roughly $1,884.

As professional solar installers, we at Solar by CIR have an obvious stake in this issue, so were going to refrain from making any recommendations. Our suggestion is clear. Our intentions are to merely bring light to the fact that the bulk of the cost of going solar is the equipment itself.

If youd like to learn more about how much a solar system costs and how quickly it can pay for itself, we encourage you to check out this accompanying article.

Contact Us and We’ll Respond ASAP

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Contact Kc Green Energy For Solar Panel Installation

Can you buy and install your own solar panels? Yes. Should you? No. Ultimately, you may end up paying more money and wasting a lot of time if you try to install solar panels yourself. Instead, leave it up to the experts. If you want to get solar panels for your home in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, contact KC Green Energy for a free consultation. Reach us online or call 855-465-2473.

Incorrectly Installed Solar Panels Can Cause Fires

The biggest risk with DIY solar power is fire. Generally this is caused by using the wrong materials or because the installation was not executed properly. Many DIY tutorials will recommend soldering panels together yourself or even using wood to back them – this is especially dangerous considering the temperature panels can reach. Poor wiring is another big problem as it can actually lead the inverter to blow up and cause a fire in your home.

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Get A Free Quote For Professional Solar Installation

Curious to see how much you’d save by opting for DIY solar panels vs. a professional installation? Fill out the 30-second form below to get a free, no-obligation quote from a top installer near you. By going solar, you could save up to $2,500 per year on utility bills and get a tax rebate all while reducing your carbon footprint.

Gear Required For A Grid

In a grid-tie, sometimes called on-grid, solar setup for rooftop, there are a few basic components needed for proper functioning.

• PV panels
• Mounting hardware
• Pure sine wave inverter suitable to a grid-tie setup
• DC or power optimizer
• Grid disconnect
• DC disconnect
• Combiner box

Note: There are three different types of inverters that could work in a grid-tie system. Whatever your choice, make sure its a pure sine wave type of inverter. .

String inverter

String inverters are the most economical if you have a south-facing home with no shading issues. With this inverter, electric current from strings of several panels each are connected and feed into the inverter. If one panel in the string is affected by shading or it malfunctions, energy output from that entire string is reduced.

String inverter with a DC optimizer technology

A string inverter with DC optimizer technology overcomes this problem. A separate power optimizer is attached to each solar module in your array and functions independently of all the rest. All the DC coming from the optimizers is channeled to the inverter where the DC-AC conversion happens.

With this type of inverter, shading or malfunction would affect only specific panels . It is possible to monitor each panels operation with this type of inverter.

Microinverter

A microinverter is a type of inverter attached at each panel. DC to AC conversion occurs there. Then, the AC is channeled together from your roof and feeds directly to your home AC breaker box.

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How Much Does Professional Solar Installation Cost

In 2018 solar panels cost around £6,000 £7,000 for the average sized residential home, which is over 60% cheaper than 2010. According to data from the EnergySage Solar Marketplace, of the average cost of a solar panel installation just 10% is for design and labour costs. That means all you’re likely to save when buying a DIY solar panel kit is 10%, and you’ll have the added hassle and potential risks involved in installing it yourself.

This table gives the average cost of installing solar panels in the UK:

Find out more in How Much Does it Cost to Install Solar Panels in the UK?

Is Professional Installation Really Required

This has to be one of the most daunting questions when one is considering having a solar panel system installed. Can this be a DIY project?

The quick answer is, Yes.The long answer is, Maybe.

This DIY solar panel installation project, will require quite a bit of effort to do properly. We are going to cover instructions on how you can install solar panels on your roof, wire them together, get your solar power controllers, store your energy, and disperse it into your home. Everything will be laid out in a step-by-step manner. At the END of the guide, Ill mention some things which you should be looking out for.

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Safety Concerns With Diy Solar Panels

Most people install solar panels on rooftops, meaning theres the risk of falling off your roof during a DIY installation. You can invest in a harness to stay safe, but that means another cost added to your project that wouldnt exist if you hired professionals. Also, working on a rooftop can add a lot of unnecessary stress and anxiety to the project. You must know how to navigate the roof safely, which is a complicated task.

When you install panels, you also need to deal with electrical connections which can be dangerous. Do you know how to safely handle all the wiring when connecting the solar system to the grid? Improper installation could damage your roof or solar panels, meaning more costs for you, not to mention the physical risk of an electric shock injury. Combine the rooftop danger and the electrical component, and you can see that DIY solar panels include high risks.

You can easily avoid these risks by hiring POWERHOME SOLAR to install your panels and allow our team to handle these risks for you. We normally have a crew of 4-5 trained professionals that complete our customers solar panel installation projects. We finish most projects within two days. Assuming each project takes about 16 hours, thats the equivalent of 60-80 hours of work for one person, which is quite an undertaking for a DIY project.

Connect Cables At The Fuse Combiner Box

Connect the Cables to the Control Panels

Run the electrical cable from the solar array into the house through the underground conduit. Connect the cables to nylon rope for easy threading, then pull through the conduit to inverter panels.

Connect the cables at the fuse combiner box located at the base of the solar array. The green cables are first connected to the grounding strip. The red cables are connected to the PV out positive terminal block and the black cables are connected to the PV out negative terminal block.

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How Safe Is Diy Solar Panel Installation

The price of solar is dropping dramatically across the nation as homeowners are waking up to the benefits of solar energy. There are home solar kits sold at hardware stores, and although you may think youre getting a bargain in that very moment, youll be missing out on the quality, incentives and rebates that only come with professional solar panel installation.

Whole home solar installation is a serious project. You may be able to effectively install a solar panel to the side of an RV or shed, but the roof of your home or business is a much bigger mountain to climb, literally and figuratively. Here are some factors to consider before attempting to install solar paneling yourself.

How To Build Your Own Diy Solar System

Designing and installing a solar array for personal use can be a daunting but rewarding challenge if you know what youre doing. Find out all the pros and cons as well as the ins and outs of solar DIYing here.

Green Coast is supported by its readers. We may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you if you buy through a link on this page. Learn more.

Fully powering your home, vehicle, cabin, or boat by the sun in 2020 has never been easier. For starters, the International Energy Agency recently stated in its 2020 Outlook report that solar energy the new king of electricity is the cheapest form of electricity ever created. So, significantly reducing or even eliminating your utility bills with DIY Solar is a near certainty now.

Better yet, the cost of materials needed for home solar has plummeted in the last decade . The biggest reason for the price drop lies in the photovoltaic panels themselves: 90% reduction in price from $2/watt to a measly $0.20/watt!

On average, in the United States between 2010 and 2020, the cost of installing a residential solar system fell from $7.50/watt to $2.50/watt.

This means your upfront costs are lowered, and your payback period is shortened. In as little as 5 to 10 years if youve done everything right its reasonable to believe that your DIY solar system will begin making money for you. This is great for both you and the planet.

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Key Advantages Of Installing And Using Solar Panels

Did you know the United States currently can power 18 million homes using solar panels? Solar energy is no longer of the future, its now more accessible than ever. And with a bit of an investment, you can reap the benefits.

But is the investment worth it? What are the main benefits, and how do you go about installing solar panels for yourself?

Using solar energy puts money in your pocket and eradicates harmful energy sources from the environment. But those pros are only the beginning. Keep reading for our top 4 benefits of using solar panels!

Main Types Of Solar Power Systems

You have three choices for solar energy systems to power your homes and property:

During the research and planning phase of your DIY solar project, youll have to ask yourself:

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Dont Step On Your Array

This may sound like common sense, but there are still many people who will step on their panels. This includes using your boot or any other blunt devices to press down on the panels to put them in place. This is going to cause small cracks that are going to cause power loss and reduce the lifespan of your panels.

Stage 5 Mounting The Panel

Now, the final job is to mount the panel in place, whether in a permanent location, such as on the top of a pole, on a roof, a cart, or a solar generator box.

Wherever you place it, you want the maximum amount of daily sunlight across all seasons of the year, with your completed DIY unit facing the right direction at the optimal angle.

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