All You Need to Know About Solar Panel Installation
Solar panels have become incredibly popular these days. Nobody expected the use of solar energy to become as mainstream as it has become. However, this technology is still relatively new, which is why many people don’t know how solar panel installation works. For instance, if you plan to purchase a car but are new to it, you will find loads and loads of people who know how the buying process works. However, as far as installing solar energy equipment go, you will find only a select few people who are aware of its ins and outs.
Installing RV solar panels or any type of solar panel for that matter can be a bit costly. What’s more, the number of experienced solar panel buyers is quite limited and the amount of people who owned such an item through its complete cycle is very limited. This is why you should always get a professional installer to take care of these matters, making sure your solar energy needs are taken care of the right way.
If you have been considering buying a solar panel for a long time but are still on the fence, now is a better time than ever to make the switch. This is mainly because the costs associated with solar energy equipment are lowering as more and more people are installing solar-friendly panels in their homes.
Answering Common Questions about Solar Panel Installation
Are you finally making the jump to solar energy? If yes, you may have several questions about it. If yes, continue reading as mentioned below are answers to common questions people ask about solar panel installation.
Can my Roof Hold Up Solar Panels?
In most cases, this is the first question people tend to ask about solar panels as they are worried if installing them would damage their roofs. Well, if you’ve covered your room with shade, you will not have an adequate solar window for justifying your solar panel’s cost.
Therefore, it would be best to conduct a thorough assessment of your roof before you even buy your RV solar panels. If you think your roof is not favorable for installation, or your building owner isn’t allowing you to install the panels, you may want to consider alternatives. Community or shared solar panels are an excellent substitute for regular ones as they allow multiple people to take advantage of solar installation while sharing the bills.
However, if you do have a rooftop with decent sunlight, ensure that it is in excellent structural shape. Since solar installations are quite popular these days, they come with lengthy warranties that last as long as twenty to twenty-five years. If you think your roof may require renovation down the line, make sure that you take care of it earlier to ensure you don’t face any issues when installing your solar energy system.
By doing so, you will not have to worry about dedicating extra time and paying extra cash for disconnecting the panels for renovation. While you are at it, ensure you go through homeowner association regulations to ensure that you are in the clear. It would also help if you envisioned how your yard would look like in the future. In case there aren’t any obstructions in your roof, but you just installed loads and loads of oaks on your property, there is a good chance you will run into trouble later on. Keep your panels clear and prune away the foliage as often as you can.
Which Type of Solar Panel Should I Choose?
While you will find a variety of solar technologies to choose from, the best ones available these days are thermal and photovoltaic. Photovoltaic technology utilizes various cells for turning sunlight into electricity. On the other hand, thermal technology utilizes sunlight for heating air or water. If you use a high amount of energy for the purposes of heating or you reside in an area where the rates for heating fuel or higher than electricity, investing in a solar thermal would be a great idea.
While people rarely install solar thermals in their homes, they are an excellent choice nonetheless. However, make sure you hire a Vancouver licensed electrician to install the panels properly.
How to Connect the Panel to the Grid
One of the biggest issues people face during panel installation is connecting it to the grid. You have to sort out several logistics before putting the solar panel together which is why it would be best to enlist a professional installer. At the end of the day, the details can significantly vary according to where you live.
Ask yourself questions like “would I need to pay a fee?”, “how long would I need to wait to ensure my utility is connected properly?”
Should I Buy or Lease the Panel
Every household must run its cost-to-benefit analysis on these simple tradeoffs. Of course, purchasing your own equipment will result in a massive upfront cost. However, it will also pay excellent dividends making your investment completely worth it. However, if you lease to get the solar panels on a lease, the overall cost would be quite high, but your energy bills will be quite low.
What’s more, leasing means that the company will be owning your system until you pay it off. If you fail to pay for your electrical panels lease on time, there is a good chance that the company could take it away.
Owning the system will give you complete peace of mind, allowing you to reap the benefits of solar energy, minimizing your energy costs by tenfold.
Important Things You Should Know About Solar Panels
Green energy has been on the rise for a long time and now its popularity is through the roof. More and more people are looking for eco-friendly alternatives these days, and solar panels present a tremendous option for all types of homeowners.
For those who don’t know, solar panels are a collection of solar cells connected together electrically. These cells are inside a frame that changes sunlight to electricity. Making the jump to solar energy can provide you with loads and loads and loads of benefits, helping you save money, ensuring you play your part in improving the environment.
That being said, you may encounter some limitations when connecting solar panels to your home. Your house’s positioning and weather, in particular, can be deciding factors for installing RV solar panels. Below is a list of things you should know regarding solar panels
What are Solar Panels Made of
As mentioned earlier, solar panels have solar cells inside them. These cells are also called photovoltaic cells and are made out of silicon and other types of semiconductors that help convert the sunlight to electricity. Once the light comes in contact with the cells, the electrons separate from atoms, after which they generate electricity by circulating in the cell.
The solar cells used in most homes are capable of converting around twenty percent of sunlight into electricity. On the other hand, some commercial systems are capable of reaching forty percent solar efficiency. That said, technology is evolving at a rapid pace and you can expect solar efficiency to improve tenfold in the coming years.
Solar Energy is free and Completely Renewable
Once you cover the initial costs associated with your solar panel, you won’t need to worry about sending a single cent for the electricity produced by them. In addition, taking advantage of solar energy will also significantly reduce your carbon footprint because it is renewable and green. Believe it or not, some users of solar energy can save around thirty-five million tons of carbon dioxide. What’s more, solar energy can harness a significant amount of the sun’s power within one hour.
Initial Costs of Solar Panel Installation
People often tend to overestimate solar panel installation costs. One of the biggest reasons behind it is that you have to pay an immense upfront cost for solar panels. However, if you take a closer look at things, you will realize that these panels will significantly reduce your electricity bills, proving to be a great long-term investment.
Another thing that makes solar panels so great is that they significantly increase the value of any house they are installed in. With the plethora of technological advancements and the increase in solar panel installations, there is a good chance that the prices to install them would go down. As a matter of fact, if you compare the prices of today’s solar panels with the ones people bought a few years ago, you will notice that today’s equipment is significantly cheaper.
Sunlight Is not Necessary for Solar Panels to Work
While there is no denying that your solar panel’s efficiency will be maximum under the shining sun, it will still create electricity during the winter season and cloudy days. That said, your panel will not produce any electricity during the night, however, most solar energy panels come with storage systems capable of providing energy at night.
Potential Problems
Before installing solar panels in your house, it would be best to consider the inclination and shape of your roof along with your house’s location. To gain the best year-round performance out of your solar panel, your roof should face south, at an angle of thirty degrees. However, these requirements are not as strict because solar panels are more than capable of working in a variety of settings. All you need to do is make sure that there are no shadows around your place of installation, especially between 9 am to 4 pm.
Make sure you install your panels away from trees and bushes because of two reasons. First off, they could shade your panels. Plus, the leaves could scratch the panel’s surface impacting its performance. Too much exposure to rain and wind can also affect a panel’s long-term performance.
Therefore, it would be best to shelter your panels from such elements and you can do this by evaluating its placement beforehand. As mentioned earlier, most companies offer twenty-five-year warranties for their solar panels. This essentially guarantees that their output will generally be over eighty percent.
Surprisingly, however, solar panels don’t work as efficiently in a warm climate. This is because solar panels don’t harness heat. Instead, they harness the sunlight, which is why you may notice a decrease in efficiency if the temperatures are on the higher side.
Technology is incredibly Versatile these Days
You can use solar panels for virtually any kind of road, bridge, building, and even satellites and aircraft. Solar energy is rapidly making its way to virtually every facet of life. For instance, you will find plenty of portable, lightweight panels used on small devices, windows, etc.
In addition, many boats and cars are upgrading to solar energy. There has also been a significant increase in solar farms where people install hundreds of solar energy panels in massive areas. California’s the Mojave Desert has arguably the biggest solar farm, generating around ninety percent of the world’s solar power (commercially produced).
Permissions
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to worry about applying for planning permissions for installing solar panels in domestic settings. All you need to do is make sure that your panels don’t protrude over two hundred meters and you will be good to go. However, if your solar panel or Tesla solar roof is too massive, you may require permission to ensure you are not violating any laws.
Maintenance
What’s most impressive about solar panels is that you don’t need to worry about any maintenance once you install them. As long as you make sure the panels are clean and are not placed under shade, you will be good to go. Tilted roofs do not require too much cleaning as the rain will easily wash off the debris and dirt.
Harnessing the Sun’s Energy is not a New Concept
People have been harnessing the sun’s energy long before the invention of solar panels. Leonardo Da Vinci was the first one to predict the advent of solar energy during the 19th century. However, the solar panels used back in the day were not that efficient and only had offered one percent solar efficiency.
The Procedure for Solar Panel Installation
As mentioned abundantly, people generally install their solar panels on the roof. This is because roofs generally have the specifications required for the proper installation of these panels. Here is a quick look at the general procedure involved in the installation of solar panels.
Setting up the Scaffolding
The first thing you must do is set the scaffolding upright to make sure you are safe while installing the panel of the roof.
Installing the Mounts
Then you must set up the mounting system for your solar panel. This will provide support to your solar panel’s base, making sure it does not fall off. You must tilt the entire mounting structure between an angle of eighteen to thirty to thirty-six degrees in order to get as much sunlight as possible.
Installation and Wiring
Once you set up the mounts, you will need to install the panels on the structure you installed previously. Do not forget to tighten the nuts and bolts to make sure your RV panels remain stable. Finally, you will need to put the electrical wiring together.
Choosing the Right Solar Panel
You must familiarize yourself with the different types of solar panel variety available these days. Many people make the common mistake of choosing commercial solar panels, which in most cases, are not suitable for residential areas. It would also help if you learned about the equipment and materials used for installing solar energy equipment.
Solar panel kits generally have two vital elements. As mentioned earlier, photovoltaic panels generate direct current by using sunlight. On the other hand, solar inverters transform energy to AC (alternate current) ensuring you can utilize it in your house. The two main solar panel types you will find in the market are polycrystalline and monocrystalline.
Companies use uniform crystalline silicon to make monocrystalline panels, which is why this type of solar panel has the best efficiency rate. What’s more, these panels are incredibly durable and offer tremendous results when installed in areas that get abundant sunlight. That said, they are a bit pricey.
Polycrystalline panels, on the other hand, are made from moulded and purified silicon. Their heat tolerance is relatively lower, which could impact their performance, especially in high-temperature areas. It’s also worth keeping in mind that polycrystalline panels aren’t durable and have short life spans. However, they function perfectly in places that don’t get too much sunlight and can generate a decent amount of electricity for powering large houses. In addition, monocrystalline panels are an excellent option for people looking for affordable solar panels.
Final Thoughts
Solar panels offer an excellent way to save money on utility bills while remaining environmentally friendly. If you plan to get one for your house, get in touch with a licensed electrician in Vancouver to ensure your panels are installed properly.