Not Rocket Science
- Everything is basic electronics.
- Solar panels
- Inverters
- Wiring
- Safety components
- High-voltage DC is usually involved.
- The concepts are relatively easy to understand for someone with an engineering background.
Commercial Solutions
- I would only ever use commercially available, off-the-shelf components.
- Solar panels come in a variety of types, configurations, prices and efficiencies. They all output DC.
- There are many types of inverters available. Some connect to your utility and some charge up batteries. (I will only discuss the former, also known as grid-tied inverters.)
- People are anxious to get into the solar installation business. There's good money to be made, particularly from those who are proud 'early adopters'.
- The three installers in my area from whom I got a bid unanimously marked up the system components by 30% (in addition to specifying a labor fee).
- There are some important concepts to understand before embarking on a solar project and these installers generally understand those concepts.
Where can you go to learn about residential solar?
- Subscribe to Home Power Magazine. Get the on-line subscription and read the archived articles.
- Purchase Photovoltaics: Design and Installation Manual from SEI (Solar Energy International). Make sure to get the most recent edition. Do the exercises.
- Now go back and re-read some more articles in Home Power Magazine.
- See if your local community college has any courses on solar power.
- Talk to people who have already invested in solar power.
- Rinse and repeat.
If you are thinking about doing a solar PV system on your own then you certainly should be very comfortable with:
- Solar panel and inverter sizing calculations.
- 110/220 VAC systems.
- Interconnecting with the utility.
- Handling high-voltage DC (~400-600 VDC).
- Truss load bearing for a roof-mounted system.
- Local code and permit requirements.
- Utility interconnect requirements.
- Subdivision architectural/CCR restrictions.
No comments:
Post a Comment