How The Installation Process Works
The solar installation process is quite simple. The process might be different for other solar installers but for us there are four basic steps involved:
1. Free Appraisal after a quick phone call and some number crunching, you will be provided a very high-level ballpark estimate remotely, based off satellite imagery in the area.
We ask that you provide your address, and kWh consumption as well as some general information on your goals and what you hope to achieve and when you hope to achieve it.
Those last two points are extremely important to us everyone has different goals and we want to really make sure we are taking care of your exact needs.
Although estimates can be given remotely,visiting the site is prudent prior to installation. During a site appraisal, your existing electrical infrastructure will be inspected noting any upgrades that may be required. Similarly, your trusses and/or shingles may be inspected to ensure that a solar power system is viable on your home.
If your trusses, membranes or general structure are not in perfect condition, a Professional Engineer will be called to verify the structural integrity of the building.
2. Proposal we will then draw up a detailed proposal for you.
3. Construction Most solar panel installations can be completed in just one to two days.
Set Up The Home Connections
Once everything is complete outside, go back inside the building to make finish the wiring. Run the cables from the array to the inverter panel disconnect. Again:
- the red wire is connected to the positive terminal
- the green grounding wire is connected to the grounding terminal
- and the black wire is connected to the negative terminal.
It is up to you where to install the battery bank for the solar panel setup, but it is recommended to put it near the control panels. Once you have a location run the conduit through the ceiling into the inverter panel. Next, feed two heavy-duty battery cables into the panel disconnect. The other ends of the cables will be connected to the battery pack.The battery system must be installed in a series alternating positive and negatives and secured into place. Afterward, make sure to cover the panels and everything else then run some tests to see if it works.
What To Expect From Your Solar Power System
Financially
One common misconception is that the solar panels will pay for themselves in three to five years and will make you rich. Another equally unfortunate misconception is that solar panels will never pay for themselves and are a poor investment.
Both are incorrect. The truth lies somewhere in the middle.
Solar power systems will typically pay for themselves in 7 to 15 years depending on the size of your system and the grants that are available to you. In select cases, under favourable conditions, a solar power system may pay for itself in less than 10 years, but we like to err on the side of caution and not over promise on your investment.
Warranty
Your solar panels are performance warrantied for 25 years and are expected to last for 30+ years. Solar panels also come with a 10-year material warranty as well.
Inverters generally come with a 10 or 12-year warranty which you can extend to 25 years as well.
Performance
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How Long Does It Take To Charge A Battery With A Solar Panel
Use our solar battery charge time calculator to find out. The answer depends on a lot of factors.
As an example, here are the specs for the setup I used:
- 12V, 33Ah lead acid battery
- PWM charge controller
According to our calculator, with this setup itll take about 7 hours of direct sunlight to charge the battery from 50% to fully charged.
But change any part of the setup e.g. swap in a 50 watt solar panel, a lithium battery, or an MPPT charge controller and the charge time will be different.
So yeah, definitely recommend the calculator for that question.
Give it a go:
How To Install A Generator With Existing Solar Panels
This article is intended for our colleagues who install whole-home generators in Southwest Florida. Licensed electricians often dont realize they are creating a hazardous situation that could severely damage equipment. Warranties for generators or solar inverters can be voided by failing to take into account important factors. We have seen this time and time again, so we wanted to point out a correct way to integrate a grid-interactive solar energy system with a new whole-home generator.
Whether you are installing a new whole-home backup generator with solar panels, or whether you are adding solar panels to a home with a backup generator, this article may apply. There are too many scenarios to explain every one, but this is the most common question we come across.
The bottom line is you cannot allow solar panels and a generator to work in parallel. They must be electrically isolated at all times. If solar inverters see voltage from a generator, they will attempt to sync with the generator and backfeed power to it. Any time solar production exceeds loads in the building, solar inverters attempt to send power to the utility grid. As a huge battery of sorts, the grid can handle this small amount of backfeed. Typical residential standby generators cannot.
Please watch this video for more information:
Contact us today to discuss how we can help.
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Connecting Solar Panels Together In Parallel
The next method we will look at of connecting solar panels together is whats known as Parallel Wiring. Connecting solar panels together in parallel is used to boost the total system current and is the reverse of the series connection. For parallel connected solar panels you connect all the positive terminals together and all of the negative terminals together until you are left with a single positive and negative connection to attach to your regulator and batteries.
When you connect solar panels together in parallel, the total voltage output remains the same as it would for a single panel, but the output current becomes the sum of the output of each panel as shown.
Do You Need Wifi For Solar Panels
- Score4.9/5
Although you don’t need the internet for your solar array to produce an electric current, you do need the internet if you want to monitor your panels. … Typically, a modem comes with your internet subscription, but you will also want a wireless router.Read more
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Solar Powered WiFi – Part 1
Watch Youtube video
- How many carbs are in Mento gum?+ 44 related questions
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Connecting Charge Controller To Battery
Once the voltage has been stabilized by the charge controller, it can now be channeled to the battery for storage. You can set the desired voltage on the charge controller depending on the capacity of the battery. If it is the usual 12 Volt battery, set the controller to 13.8volts. You can use one or more batteries if you have them.
In the event you have more than one battery, connect them in parallel. The same voltage of 13.8 from the charge controller can charge all the battery connected in parallel. Same applies to two or more solar panels.
Is A Connection To The Grid Guaranteed
For smaller systems, the installer will generally only need to inform the DNO of your connection within 28 days, providing that your system complies with engineering recommendation G83/1-1 Stage 1. Essentially, this means that if your system’s output is less than 3.68kW then it can be connected to the grid. Larger systems can qualify if the efficiency of the inverter results in a 3.68kW output .
For larger systems , the DNO needs to give permission before you can start supplying energy to the grid. They will investigate whether the grid in your area can handle the extra energy that your system generates, and will identify any improvements that might need to be made in order for it to do so. You will be responsible for the cost of these improvements .
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Choosing A Solar Panel Company
Alberta Solar Installers
There are lots of Alberta solar contractors to choose from and picking the right one might seem like picking a needle out of a haystack.
Obviously we would greatly appreciate your business and are happy to provide a free solar power quote. If you are looking other solar companies to compare quotes, review Solar Albertas guide on how to choose a solar provider.
Here you can view a complete list of Alberta solar companies and their specific qualifications.
What to expect from an Alberta solar company
Your solar company should impress you and want to earn your business. How this is achieved will vary. Different people have different desires and values when it comes to preferred contractors.
One may prefer the lowest cost solar power system while another may value working with a local business with superb service. At Kuby Energy we strive to deliver both.
Typically, a quick phone conversation which will answer many of the general questions such as:
· How do solar panels stand up to hail?
· What is the product warranty?
· Are there any Alberta solar power grants?
These are just a few of the common questions, you may have more specific ones relating to solar panels on your roof. You can find the answers to each of the questions in the link if you want to research the basics
Your solar installer should be able to confidently answer any and all your questions .
An average home solar panel system will cost around $12,000 to $25,000.
What to ask for
Ready To Switch To Ovo
Well make it as simple as possible to switch to us and keep your solar panels benefits, wherever possible! Take a look at our range of energy plans, then go to our Get a quote page and enter your postcode. Well come back with a quote based on the average energy use of households in your area.
Remember, with OVO, you get:
- 100% renewable electricity as standard5
- A tree planted in your name every single year youre with us6
- An award-winning smart meter experience
- A £50 gift card every time you introduce a friend
- A 5-star rating on Trustpilot by over 30,000 of our members
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Can You Plug A Solar Panel Into An Outlet
There is another scenario where a solar panel is used in conjunction with an outlet, which is plugging a solar panel into an outlet in your home.
This is possible if it is done correctly, with the right equipment to complement the solar panel. A solar panel alone cannot be plugged directly into an outlet.
The reasons that people consider this option is usually for two reasons.
AdvertisementsThe first reason is to provide power to an electrical circuit in your home when the grid is out. The second reason is in a grid-tied solution to feed power back into the grid to either reduce your consumption or get compensated for power generation, or both.
This is sometimes called a plug-and-play solar system.
How Do Solar Panels Wired In Series Compare To Solar Panels Wired In Parallel
A charge controller is a determining factor when it comes to solar panel wiring. Maximum Power Point Tracking charge controllers are for wiring solar panels in a series, where Pulse Width Modulation charge controllers are used to wire solar panels in parallel.
To understand how wiring in series works in comparison to how parallel wiring works, lets think for a moment about how Christmas lights used to work.
If a bulb burned out, came loose from its socket or broke, the entire string wouldnt light up. This was because the lights were wired in a series. You would have to locate the problem bulb and replace it or reseat it to get the string of lights to work again.
Today, most Christmas lights feature a form of parallel wiring that allows for strings of lights to stay lit even when there is one troublemaker in the string.
Circuits wired in series work the same way for solar panels.
If there is a problem with the connection of one panel in a series, the entire circuit fails. Meanwhile, one defective panel or loose wire in a parallel circuit will not impact the production of the rest of the solar panels.
In practice, how solar panels are wired today depends on the type of inverter that is being used.
Find out how much solar panels can save you annually
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Solar Panel Costs By State
Energysage suggests that the average cost of solar panels are affected by the average electricity cost of each state.
In Florida where the cost of electricity per watt is cheaper than the national average, installing a 6kW solar system can cost you $9,000. Compare that to New Mexico, where electricity cost is higher than the national average, the same set-up can cost you a minimum of $12,000.
Solar panel costs are charged per watt. The average cost is currently $2.98, which means that if you need 2 – 3kW to power up your home, youre going to spend anywhere from $6,000 to $9,000 to set up a small-scale system.
Do Solar Panels Work In Snow
Snow will only affect solar panel production if the panels are heavily coated with snow, or completely snowed under. A thick layering of snow over a solar panel has the same effect as a cloud blocking sunlight, if not more. Fortunately, snow can be easily rid of on solar panels with the right equipment.
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Solar Panels Are An Effective Way To Reduce Your Electricity Costs
This blog post gives a brief introduction on how to connect solar panels with an easy 6 step guide. Solar power is becoming increasingly popular as a reliable and cleaner energy source for homes. Pool solar panels are particularly popular for those who wish to heat their swimming pools. The initial outlay may be costly. However, you can start with using sun energy in conjunction with your existing electricity service provider. After this, you can gradually build up more solar paneling over time.
Once you know how to install solar panels at your home, you can reduce your electricity costs by connecting your solar paneling to your homes electricity yourself.
Solar panels are put together to increase the solar-generated power. Understanding the basics of connecting solar panels is essential for anyone that wishes to embark on this process.
In This Article We Explain What It Means To Connect To The Grid And The Difference Between An On
One of the fundamental concepts of home solar is grid interconnection – otherwise known as connecting to the grid.
What does this mean? First, letâs define exactly what âgridâ means. When talking about home solar, the grid refers to the power grid, also known as the electric grid. It is the collection of machinery and wires that generates electricity and brings it to your home.
There are two parts to the grid: generation, which consists of a variety of power plants such as coal plants, gas turbines, nuclear power plants, wind turbines, hydroelectric dams, and solar panels.
The other part is transmission, which is the infrastructure needed to carry electrons from power plants to your neighborhood. Transmission consists of substations, transformers, and the wires that connect to your home.
Hereâs an infographic that describes it in detail :
Energy.gov
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How Many Solar Panels Can I Connect To A Charge Controller
A solar charge controller functions as a regulator in your system. It delivers power from the PV array to system loads and the battery bank. When the battery bank nears full, the controller will taper off the charging current. This is to maintain the required voltage so as to fully charge the battery and keep it topped off. In this way, the controller regulates the voltage and protects the battery. It is important to spend time selecting the right charge controller in terms of size and features. Reliability and performance are key.
What Is An Off
The alternative to a grid-connected home is an off-grid home. This is one that doesnât have a connection to the electric utility at all, and is self-sufficient for its electricity use.
Except for rare solar energy euthusiasts, most off-grid homes are cabins and other types of remote vacation homes. In addition to solar panels, off-grid homes may use micro wind turbines, diesel generators, or natural gas generators to supply their electricity.
Off-grid solar homes almost always will use batteries to store their excess electricity. Instead of sending power to the grid when too much solar electricity is being generated, off-grid solar homes send the power into a battery bank. When the sun goes down, the home will use power from the batteries until the sun starts shining again.
If the batteries are exhausted, an off-grid home might fall back to a generator – or simply go dark until the sun starts shining again.
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Understand How To Pay For Solar
There are many options when it comes to financing a rooftop solar panel system purchase the main three are a cash purchase, solar loans, and solar leases or power purchase agreements .
If you can afford it, paying in cash for your rooftop solar panel system is the most surefire way to save money over the lifetime of your system. With full ownership of your panels and no interest to pay on a solar loan, youll usually see the highest return on a solar investment with a cash purchase.
Want to own your system from the get-go, but need assistance with that upfront cost? A solar loan might be right for you. Solar loans lower the up-front cost of your rooftop solar system to $0, so you can buy your system and then pay off your loan in monthly increments. For many solar shoppers, your monthly loan payments will be similar to your electric bill before solar.
Solar leases and PPAs require no money down, but the catch is that you do not own your solar system you are only hosting it for a third party that sells you the electricity it produces for a fixed rate. Importantly, when you enter a solar lease agreement or PPA, you are not entitled to any tax incentives because you dont own the system.
