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TIPS FOR BUYING YOUR SOLAR POWER SYSTEM
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Ask friends, family neighbours or colleagues who have had solar PV systems installed. Often the best buying solar tips com from right in your neighbourhood. They’ll be able to tell you about their experiences and perhaps alert you to any problems they experienced. Problems that you’ll be able to avoid. Learn more about potential issues in our consumers guide to solar power – avoiding tricks and traps.
Length of manufacturer’s warranty
Take note of what guarantees the manufacturer offers. If the manufacturer is reputable and the warranty period on the panels is substantial (at least 25 years) you would naturally expect your solar system to last long for a long time, long enough to pay for itself and make you a profit. However, for a warranty to be honoured, the manufacturer needs to be still operating. So, be cautious of brands without a track record in Australia.
Do Solar Work In Places That Gets Snow https://www.solarafter.com/do-solar-work-in-winter-or-in-places-that-gets-snow
Have realistic price expectations
If you are paying substantially less than many other similar size systems quoted, you may find poor quality equipment and/or poor installation work. Quality equipment and installation isn’t cheap and, like all other purchases, you often get what you pay for.
Compare components and warranty periods and check into the company providing the installation. While large, well established companies can pass on substantial savings due to increased buying power, other companies often reduce costs by cutting important corners.
Solar panel certifications
This applies to all solar panel purchases, but especially to the purchases that could attract a government rebate. The certification on solar panels indicates the type of testing that they have undergone. For instance, TUV IEC 61215 confirms that the solar panels have gone through testing by an independent laboratory and have met their advertised specifications. Other certification types are often self-assessed. Therefore, they rely on the company being honest in what it claims.
solar attic fan pros and cons https://www.solarafter.com/3-top-solar-attic-fan-pros-and-cons
Decide on the type of panels
It used to be the case that if you had limited roof space you would need highly efficient (and very expensive) mono-crystalline solar panels. This is rapidly changing with advances in polycrystalline panel technology and some thin film technologies. Still, even if you have ample roof space you may still want to consider panel sizes vs. output. Filling up your roof with inefficient panels will affect your ability to add more panels at a later date, and does not maximise the power output of the space.
It’s also important to bear in mind that regardless of claim, no solar panel technology will produce a significant amount of power in full shade. Learn more about monocrystalline vs. thin film panels.
Solar panel mounting
Make sure that the roof, ground mounting or tracking system is engineer certified for the area you are in. For example, if you live in a cyclone prone area make sure the mounting system and mounting brackets are also cyclone rated. Quality systems are wind certified. After all you do not want your system to take off during a wild storm . The mounting system is a very vital component and some suppliers skimp on this item. Make sure you ask about wind certification, warranty arrangements and get copies of relevant documents.
How Do I Know If My Roof Is Suitable For Solar Panels https://www.solarafter.com/how-do-i-know-if-my-roof-is-suitable-for-solar-panels
Solar inverter efficiency
A power inverter is the box between the panels and your appliances that converts DC electricity from solar panels to AC suitable for use in your home.
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7 tips to use the power from your solar modules
1. Reduce the electricity consumption of the building!
First of all: If you want to save on electricity costs – with or without PV – you should first eliminate devices and appliances that use too much of it. These include standby devices, incandescent light bulbs and water heaters. The lower your overall consumption, the greater the part of it that you will be able to cover using solar PV.
2. Install LEDs instead of light bulbs!
Usually the largest single cost factor is lighting. Obsolete light bulbs only use about ten percent of the electricity to make light. 90 percent are lost as heat. They produce heat rather than light, because they are based on a glowing filament made of tungsten. Modern LEDs use almost all of the electricity to make light. You can clearly notice this from the fact that they stay cool, i.e. there is much less loss. A good LED needs about a tenth of the electricity to produce the same amount of light. And because it does not heat up so much, it lasts much longer. And: The price of LEDs has come down so much, that exchanging them for regular light bulbs pays off within one or two years. The same is true for industrial lighting systems which often use mercury vapour lamps. These, too, use up a lot of electricity and can easily be replaced by LEDs.
How Do I Know If My Roof Is Suitable For Solar Panels https://www.solarafter.com/how-do-i-know-if-my-roof-is-suitable-for-solar-panels
3. Turn off standby mode!
Many electrical devices (kitchen appliances, TVs, computers, game consoles, HiFi systems) also consume electricity when they not in use and on standby. Considering the number of electrical devices in a normal house, the standby consumption can really add up. For that reason, such devices should – when not in use – be physically separated from the circuit by using switchable sockets.
4. Make hot water electrically!
If you are producing solar electricity, you should convert your hot water systems to electric boilers. Instantaneous water heaters also allow the heating of water close to the tap – for instance as under-sink units. The water temperature can be adjusted to exactly what is desired. The demand for hot water is more or less the same over the course of the year. During the late spring and summer, that demand can entirely be met by solar power. That increases the level of self-consumption. A combination with special hot water heat pumps can also make sense.
solar attic fan pros and cons https://www.solarafter.com/3-top-solar-attic-fan-pros-and-cons
5. Run high-consumption devices during the day!
Those appliances in the household with the highest electricity demand are the dish washer, the washing machine, the tumble dryer and the kitchen stove. These can easily be equipped with timer switches, so that they run during the day, when the solar generator on the roof is producing a lot of output, which can be used directly. A high-wattage stove might be a challenge for PV by itself. In this case, a large storage unit (solar battery) can be used as a buffer for short-term load peaks. Because it is not just the number of kilowatt hours on the roof that has to be sufficient, but also the currents made available at short notice. This determines if a storage unit is designed for capacity (in kilowatt hours) or output (in kilowatts).
6. Do your gardening on solar electricity!
Solar electricity yields are highest between spring and autumn. This is also the time of year when the garden requires the most work. You can very conveniently run electric lawn mowers, hedge trimmers or lighting off solar electricity. If you have a solar battery, you can use it to power LED lights in your garden in the evening and at night. A garden sauna can be heated up using surplus electricity during the day, so that it is ready for use in the evening.
Do Solar Work In Places That Gets Snow https://www.solarafter.com/do-solar-work-in-winter-or-in-places-that-gets-snow
7. Heat electrically during the transitional periods!
If your solar generator is run in combination with a sufficiently large storage unit, you can use infrared radiators to take the chill out of cooler evenings. Such radiators come in a variety of nice designs, even in the form of bathroom heating mirrors. As long as they only use little power and are only used for additional heating, they are a good way to use up solar electricity. Once the electric heating from solar power no longer suffices, you will have to buy in electricity from the grid. Or you switch to a more efficient thermal heat pump system.
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How to take power your home with solar energy?
There are a number of steps to follow when planning to power your home with solar energy. After choosing which option is best for you to use solar (see step 3), follow the steps afterward that apply to you. Your solar energy installer and local utility company can provide more information on the exact steps you will need to take to power your home with solar energy.
1. Investigate your home's energy efficiency 2. Assess your solar potential and any limitations 3. Assess your options for going solar 4. Estimate your solar electricity needs 5. Obtain bids and site assessments from contractors 6. Understand available financing and incentives 7. Work with your installer and utility to install the system and set up agreements
1. Investigate Your Home's Energy Efficiency
Before starting the process of powering your home with solar energy, homeowners should investigate their energy use and consider potential efficiency upgrades. Homeowners should be well aware of their total electricity usage, and consider low-cost and easy-to-implement efficiency measures before choosing solar. solar attic fan pros and cons https://www.solarafter.com/3-top-solar-attic-fan-pros-and-cons
Explore the following resources to reduce your electricity use: • Home energy audits: A home energy audit can help you understand where your home is losing energy and what steps to take to improve the efficiency of your home. • Appliances and electronics: Use your appliances and electronics more efficiently, or consider investing in highly efficient products. • Lighting: Switch to energy efficient lighting, such as LED light bulbs. • Heating and cooling: If you use electricity to heat and cool your home, your heating and cooling needs will significantly affect the amount of solar energy you need. Weatherizing your home and heating and cooling efficiently will reduce the amount of electricity you need to produce with solar.
2. Assess Your Solar Potential
Before deciding on the best way to use solar electricity at home, assess the potential solar energy that can be produced at your address. Because PV technologies use both direct and scattered sunlight to create electricity, the solar resource across the United States is ample for home solar electric systems.
However, the amount of power generated by a solar energy system at a particular site depends on how much of the sun's energy reaches it, and the size of the system itself.
Several mapping services and tools are available to help you determine your home’s solar energy potential. Some of the services also offer information on the estimated system size, potential costs and savings, and local contractors. Do Solar Work In Places That Gets Snow https://www.solarafter.com/do-solar-work-in-winter-or-in-places-that-gets-snow
These tools are an excellent starting point and can help you determine whether your home is suitable for solar, and if not, the best path forward for still benefiting from solar. While these tools are helpful, they don't account for all of the variables that need to be considered for your particular system. For that, you will need to work directly with a solar installer who can provide an accurate assessment of your solar potential as well as detailed recommendations, estimates, and equipment expertise.
Consider the following:
• Nearby shade trees. Contractors will also help evaluate shading, but also consider your own or your neighbor's trees that are still growing and could shade your system in the future. • The age of your roof and how long until it will need to be replaced. If you expect to need a new roof within the next few years, you may want to consider making that improvement before installing solar. • Neighborhood or homeowner association (HOA) restrictions or approval requirements. Some states now have "solar rights provisions" limiting the ability of HOAs to restrict solar installations or limit solar access. These provisions vary state to state, and by municipality; check into your own HOA covenants and state laws.
3. Assess Your Options for Using Solar
Purchasing and installing a system that you fully own and maintain is no longer the only option if you want to go solar. Even if you rent your home or don't want to purchase a rooftop system, there are many programs will enable you to still benefit from solar electricity. Below are some of the options available for using solar energy at home; check with local installers and your utility for programs available in your area.
Purchasing a Solar Energy System
Solar Leases
Power Purchase Agreements (PPA)
Solarize Programs
4. Estimate Your Solar Electricity Needs
To help your contractor to provide recommendations for your system’s type and size, gather information about your home and electricity use. • Review electricity bills to determine annual electricity needs. Your usage will be shown in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Review each month of the year; you may use more electricity in some months than others (e.g., if you run the air conditioner in the summer). Some utilities offer tools that can help with this review. • Consider any planned changes. If you will be purchasing an electric vehicle or are planning a home addition, your electricity needs may increase. If you are continuing to make significant changes to improve your home's energy efficiency, you may need less electricity than you used in the past. How Do I Know If My Roof Is Suitable For Solar Panels https://www.solarafter.com/how-do-i-know-if-my-roof-is-suitable-for-solar-panels
5. Obtain Bids and Site Assessments from Solar Installers
When researching installers, be sure to find qualified and insured professionals with the proper certification—the solar industry standard certification is from the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners. You can also ask friends and family members who have recently gone solar for references and check online resources for reviews. Before you make any commitments, ask for proof of licensure before working with an installer.
There are also online tools that can help you easily find and compare solar installers. Obtain at least three bids for the PV system installation and make sure the bids are based on the same characteristics and metrics to enable comparison shopping.
When interviewing installers, consider asking the following questions:
• Is your company familiar with local permitting and interconnection processes? Often obtaining building permits and receiving permission to interconnect can be long and tedious processes. Ensure that the installer is familiar with these local processes will ensure that your system is installed and connected in a prompt manner. • Can the company provide references from other customers in your area? Talk to other customers in the area to learn about any challenges they faced and how the company helped resolve them. • Is the company properly licensed or certified? PV systems should be installed by an appropriately licensed installer. This usually means that either the installer or a subcontractor has an electrical contractor's license. Your state electrical board can tell you whether a contractor has a valid electrician's license. Local building departments might also require that the installer have a general contractor's license. Call the city or county where you live for additional information on licensing. Additionally, solarize programs may require you to work with a specific installer to receive the discounted system price. • What is the warranty for this system like? Who ensures the operation and maintenance of the system? Most solar equipment is backed by an industry standard warranty (often 20 years for solar panels and 10 years for inverters). Ensuring that system is backed by a strong warranty is often an indication that installer is using quality equipment. Similarly, the homeowner should establish whose responsibility it is to properly maintain and repair the system. Most lease and PPA arrangements will require the installer to provide system maintenance, and many installers offer competitive O&M plans for host owned systems. • Does the company have any pending or active judgments or liens against it? As with any project that requires a contractor, due diligence is recommended. Your state electrical board can tell you about any judgments or complaints against a state-licensed electrician. Consumers should call the city and county where they live for information on how to evaluate contractors. The Better Business Bureau is another source of information.
Bids should clearly state the maximum generating capacity of the system—measured in Watts (W) or kilowatts (kW). Also request an estimate of the amount of energy that the system will produce on an annual or monthly basis (measured in kilowatt-hours). This figure is most useful for comparison with your existing utility bills.
Bids also should include the total cost of getting the PV system up and running, including hardware, installation, connection to the grid, permitting, sales tax, and warranty. A cost/watt, and estimated cost/kWh are the most useful metrics for comparing prices across different installers, as installers may use different equipment or offer quotes for systems of different sizes.
6. Understand Available Financing and Incentives
Small solar energy systems are eligible for a 30% federal tax credit through 2019. The tax credit decreases to 26% in 2020, then to 22% in 2021, and expires December 31, 2021.
If you opt for a solar lease or power-purchase agreement, remember that you will not be eligible for this tax benefit, since you will not own the solar energy system.
You can search for additional state, local, or utility incentives on the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE). In addition to incentives, be sure to explore all of the available solar financing options. Every situation is different, and what is best for your property depends on a wide range of factors. The Clean Energy States Alliance guide helps homeowners understand their options, explaining the advantages and disadvantages of each. Also visit the Homeowner’s Guide to Going Solar for more financing options. running a mini fridge on solar power https://www.solarafter.com/running-a-mini-fridge-on-solar-power-your-best-options
7. Work with Your Installer and Utility
If you decide to install a solar energy system, your installer should be able to help you complete the necessary permitting and steps.
Your installer will determine the appropriate size for your system. The size will be based on your electricity needs (determined in step 4) as well as the following:
• The site's solar resource or available sunlight • The system's orientation and tilt • The system's efficiency at converting sunlight to electricity • Other electricity sources, like a utility, a wind turbine, or a fossil fuel generator.
Your installer will also ensure that all equipment is installed correctly and oriented and tilted in such a way to maximize the daily and seasonal solar energy received and produced by your system.
Be sure you understand how billing and net metering will work, as well as any additional utility fees you will need to pay.
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Best tips to set ups solar
This is a simple introduction to help you decide what you need and how to do it.
Firstly there are two different types of set-ups Off Grid and On Grid. If you live remotely and want your own independent power source then you want an Off Grid set-up. If you have a house and are connected to the mains electricity grid then you probably want to use an On Grid set-up, unless you want to use solar to become independent from the grid and have your own power.
As the majority of our customers are off grid we will start with that.
Off Grid
Off grid set-ups allow you to live remotely whether it’s in a van, boat, or remote house you can generate your own power and live independently. The most important thing to start with is working out how much power you use or need. You need to consider your power as a valuable resource and design your power usage to be as efficient as possible. Or you can install a huge system to power a normal house with full appliances if you have the budget to do so.
So to start with you want to estimate your power usage and then work out the size of solar system that you might need. We have created a solar calculator for you to help do this, you simply add in each item that you use and how much power it uses and how long you use it for. solar attic fan pros and cons https://www.solarafter.com/3-top-solar-attic-fan-pros-and-cons
Alternatively you can enter an estimation of morning, afternoon, evening usage.
Once you have decided on how much power you need then you can spec out the system that you need. The solar calculator will give you an indication of how much solar and battery power you might want to consider. Then next thing is to consider winter, if you have long dark winters like in the UK you need to consider how reliant you are on your power system, and if you want to add additional panels and batteries to allow for the days where there is very little sun. On a dark winters day you will see 10%-20% of your solar capacity, so you will want to add more panels and/or more batteries to allow for these periods, or consider having an additional renewable source such as wind or hydro or a back-up generator to run from time to time.
System Voltage
You will need to decide on what system voltage is best for you; this is the voltage that you want to run you battery bank at and all the various items that will be connected to it. You can use 12V, 24V or 48V. If you have an existing 12V system like in a van or boat and use 12V equipment on it then you will want to stick with 12V. If you are wanting to only use 230V AC power then you should probably use 24V for a medium sized install (1Kw-5Kw) or 48V for a large install (2Kw – 15Kw+), the advantage of using a higher voltage battery bank is that is saves you money in the long run as you need less charge controllers and can use thinner cables for the same amount of power. Large off grid house's will use 48V. Do Solar Work In Places That Gets Snow https://www.solarafter.com/do-solar-work-in-winter-or-in-places-that-gets-snow
So with all of that in mind then you have to decide on all the aspects of your solar set-up. We have built a system to help you design your solar system which will help you calculate what is needed. Or we have created various packages that we have already spec’ed out for you.
1) Solar Panels – This might come down to physical space that you have available or the amount of power you need or your budget. We offer a range of panels all at great prices for you to choose from. You will need to decide on how many Watts or Kilowatts of panels you need and choose the ones that fit you best.
2) Charge controller
Firstly you will need to calculate how many amps of charge controller you need. This is a simple calculation of Solar Panel Watts divided by Battery Voltage. Eg, if you have 1,400W of solar and a 24V battery bank then 1400W/24V = 58A so would want to use 60A of charge controllers. • You are best to use an MPPT (Maxium Power Point Tracking) charge controller if your budget will allow, the advantages are that it will give you around 30% more power, and that you can run your panels in chains of 2-3 panels at a higher voltage, this means you can use less cable and the Panels running at a higher voltage mean that you have less loss of power from volt drop across the line.
• The alternative is PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) controllers, these are a cheap and cheerful option, they send spikes of charge into the batteries. They can take higher voltage panels than your battery bank and send higher spikes of power into the battery, this will be accepted by the battery and also disulphates the plates which is good for the battery. But we would highly recommend using MPPT where ever possible. How Do I Know If My Roof Is Suitable For Solar Panels https://www.solarafter.com/how-do-i-know-if-my-roof-is-suitable-for-solar-panels
3) Batteries – You have the choice of batteries
• Flooded batteries have a longer design life and are much cheaper, but you have to maintain them and make sure they are topped up on a semi regular basis. Depending on the size of battery bank you need you can use 6V or 12V batteries and link them together to form a large bank. Or you can use 2V traction batteries if you have a need for a very large bank.
• Sealed batteries are great if you want to set it all up and not have to think about any maintenance, or if you need to air freight batteries these are the only way you can. They are significantly more expensive than flooded batteries.
• Nickel Iron NiFe Batteries are the longest life and most ecological batteries available. Invented by Thomas Eddison 100 years ago these batteries have a design life of 40 years. They are more costly to start with but if you consdier the cost of having to replace other batteries after a number of years then then actually work out cheaper in the lifetime of your system.
We have some wiring diagrams for how to wire your batteries on the website.
If using large banks of 6V or 12V batteries you are best to wire them into a bus bar rather than just linking them together. This spreads the load more evenly between the batteries giving the battery bank a longer life. It is good to alternate the batteries and the solar input and inverter output across the bus bar, again to give as much distribution of power across the bank. We have bus bars available as well. All the batteries we offer are deep cycle and designed for use in solar systems.
4) Inverter – If you want to run normal mains 230V AC power appliances then you will need an inverter to convert the DC battery power into 230V AC power. You will need to decide how much power you need from your inverter, if you are only running a laptop and a couple of small things then you can use a small 350W inverter, or if you want to run large appliances you want to use larger 3Kw inverter. The Outback and Victron 3Kw inverters can be stacked together to give greater outputs when necessary, including making a 3 phase supply. You want to use a Pure Sine Wave inverter to give a smooth power curve to your appliance to ensure it runs properly and is not damaged. Do not use Modified sine wave as they will cause damage to motors and sound equipment if run from them. We only sell pure sine wave inverters. The outback and victron inverters can be programmed to auto start a generator, or connect to the grid if necessary when the batteries are running low. We would highly advise using the Outback and Victron inverters in preference to the cheaper models we offer where you can afford to, for example if you can cope with 1.2Kw then go with the victron rather than the cheap 3Kw inverter.
Those are the 4 main parts of your system, you will then need cable, connectors and mountings. Most of our customers make up their own mounting systems to suit their needs as it is much cheaper than any of the commercial systems, and we offer cable and connectors on the website.
On Grid
An on grid set-up is very simple, you simply put some solar panels on your roof and then connect them to a grid inverter which is then connected to your existing electrical network in your house. This can be on any scale depending on your need and budget. If you just would like to add a few panels to start using renewable power and reduce your bill a bit then you can add what you can afford and use a micro inverter to get started. This is very easy, you simply wire the panels into the micro inverter and wire the micro inverter into in your house consumer unit. As power will always take the shortest route you will use the power you generate before any power from the grid, thus reducing your bill.
For medium and large installations you have an array of panels (in Kilowatts) and a grid inverter. You connect up the panels into a long string making a high voltage array and connect them to the inverter, which is connected to your electrical mains consumer unit. If you are not familiar with working with high voltage and mains AC power you should seek assistance from an electrician for connecting up the grid inverter.
The size of your on grid set-up will mostly come down to roof space and/or budget, most houses you can get around 4Kw of solar on, and if you use MCS approved equipment and get it installed by a registered MCS installer then you can claim the government FIT payments. But many of our customers just use our cheapest equipment and install themselves to get the free power and reduce their bills.
This can be taken to a larger scale with installations of 10’s or 100’s of Kilowatts or even Megawatts. Installations of over 50Kw do not require MCS equipment or MCS installation, you register for the ROFIT as the system owner, not the installer. running a mini fridge on solar power https://www.solarafter.com/running-a-mini-fridge-on-solar-power-your-best-options
Positioning of Solar Panels
You want to position your solar panels facing south, on an angle of approx. 30 degrees to give you optimum coverage throughout the year. You want to avoid shading on the panels at all times, and if there is an area that is likely to get shaded regularly you should separate it off into its own charge controller or grid inverter.
If you have a house that only has East and West facing roofs then you can install on both to get coverage throughout the day. In an on grid set-up you would need a grid inverter with a duel tracker. In an off grid set-up you would put the panels on different charge controllers.
PWM vs MPPT charge controller test
We often get asked about the actual difference you get between an MPPT and a PWM controller so we setup a side by side test using our Yingli part used panels onto 2 separate 12V batteries, 1 with a PWM controller and one with our tracer MPPT. Panels were set-up side by side angled south.
With early March sun the MPPT was giving 3.7A into the batteries while the PWM gave 2.5A which was 32% lower than the MPPT.
In cloudy conditions the MPPT was giving 1A when the PWM was giving 0.8A (20% lower with PWM)
Both charged the batteries well, but 20%-32% more power was gained by using the MPPT.
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