Solar Panel Installation
The installation of a solar panel system is a somewhat gargantuan task. A multistep process that’s best left to a professional. Therefore it should come as no surprise that solar panel companies offer a solar panel installation service alongside their solar panel systems. That being said this is what your installation process will look like:
An Engineer Visits Your Home and Makes an Assessment
Your solar panel company will need to make sure house meets the requirements for the solar system you’ve bought, so they’ll send an engineer to your house who’ll then do an evaluation. The engineer will need to check your roof to determine if it’s structurally sound: Your roof will need to meet certain standards if you are to qualify for incentives such as tax credits and rebates. Next, he’ll use a tool called a solar pathfinder, which will determine how much sunlight your panels will be able to capture. Your solar panels will require a certain amount of amps of current to operate optimally. If your current electrical panel has an ampere capacity that’s lower than what’s necessary for your solar panel system then you’ll need to have your electrical panel upgraded. So the engineer willHe’ll also need to take a look at your electrical panel.
Your Solar Company Does the Necessary Paperwork
The installation process involves paperwork and a lot of it. The good thing is you won’t be bogged down by an endless sea of stress inducing paperwork because your solar company will take care of most of it. The government offers incentives such as the federal ITC, local solar programs, clean energy financing initiatives like PACE, government rebates and solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs) to homeowners with solar panel systems that your solar company will apply for on your behalf. You’ll also need to acquire the proper permits before installation. Your employer will know what permits you’ll need and will likely apply for them for you.
Installing Your Inverter
Once the paperwork has been approved it’s time to install your inverter. But first, your installer will mount electrical wiring that will connect your solar panels to your electrical panel. After that’s done your installer is free to install your inverter. An inverter is necessary because your solar panels produce DC power and your house or rather gadgets and appliances operate on AC power. See the problem here? It’s easily rectified with a little power conversion, and that’s precisely what the inverter does: It converts DC power to AC. Inverters are typically installed on your garage wall or on your home wall, but you’ll need to have it replaced every ten years or so.
It’s Finally Time to Install Your Solar Panels
The foundation has been laid and now it’s time to lay down the centerpiece. The next step your installer will take will be mounting the racks that support the solar panel, and once he’s certain that they’re level he’ll place the solar panels on them. This process will take a bit longer if you have a flat roof because your installer will need to mount the solar panels at an angle. Some states will also require that you have at least three feet of empty space around the solar panels once they are installed, while others will allow you to install solar panels without this leeway.
Final Approval
Your solar panels have finally been installed, but that’s not the end. Before your solar system can be connected to the grid a representative from your town government must first inspect the components to ensure that everything is up to standard. Once this representative gives the thumbs up, your electric company will then come to your home and do their own assessment, and if everything checks out they’ll connect you to the grid.
The installation process is not quite what you were expecting, is it? Yeah, it’s a bit tedious, but eventually, your investment will begin paying for itself in a few years. And you won’t even have to lift a power tool during the installation process.