You can generate electricity and run your electrical appliances by installing a solar system and solar panels on your roof. Although this is a great investment, there are a few things you need to keep in mind before installing solar panels.
Understand the Technology You Need
You have to determine the solar technology you need to go for, based on your requirements. If you want to heat the water you should invest in thermal technology. Produce solar electricity technology is called photovoltaic technology. There are two types here:
- Monocrystalline Solar Panels – These photo-voltaic cells are black in color and come with rounded edges. They are best to install when you have space limitations. They are also higher in conversion efficiency and can produce more electricity than polycrystalline solar panels. However, they are more expensive as their manufacturing process is slightly complex.
- Polycrystalline solar panels – These photo-voltaic cells are blue in color and come with straight edges. Cheaper than monocrystalline solar panels, these are also more durable.
Other than the solar panels, you have to also make sure you get the right inverter installed with good batteries.
Calculate Your Energy Consumption
One thing that you have to determine before installing solar panels, is your daily power usage. This will help you identify the ideal size of your solar system and the number of solar panels you will need.
Get your local electric provider to do an energy audit for you. Through this, you will know if there is any inefficient use of energy. You can also compare your previous electricity bills and start assessing each one of them. You should calculate the average kWh (Kilowatt-hours) of electricity that you use, every month.
The maximum plant size that you can install can be calculated by dividing the ‘Shadow Free Area (in square feet)’ by 100. So, if you have 1800 sq feet of shadow-free area on your roof, your maximum plant size would be 18kW (1800 sq ft/100).
Get a Rooftop Survey Done
A rooftop survey is extremely essential before installing solar panels. Usually, the solar panel installer will do this for you, free of charge, before giving an estimate. He would consider the material used for roofing, the pitch of roofing, the size and shape of roof, its orientation, and the shade around the roof, before deciding how to place the solar panels on your roof.
Any safety issues related to structure joints and wire joints will have to be addressed before the installation.
Get Details About Subsidies and Offers
Government offers many subsidies and offers for installing solar systems and panels. You should gather information about them, to make maximum use of them and reduce your expenses of installing solar systems and panels. You can also sell the solar electricity that you generate, to the electricity utility that has been operating your grid.
Find Out If You Need Battery
In case you are going for an off-grid or hybrid inverter, you may need to buy a good battery. Your options are:
- Flow Battery – This needs a pumped electrolyte such as zinc bromide or vanadium ion, along with some chemical processes, to store and release charge. It can hold charge for long, is highly durable, and very easy to recycle. However, it is expensive and requires high maintenance.
- Lead-acid Solar Battery – Although more affordable and practical, these are large batteries that take a long time to get charged. They are not appropriate for other usage.
- Lithium-ion Solar Battery – These are commonly used batteries that can tolerate wide range of temperatures. They last for long and do not overcharge or damage that easily. However, they are difficult to recycle.
- Tubular Battery – These are also large like lead acid batteries. However, their charging and discharging rates are excellent.
The Bottom Line
Choosing a trusted installer is very important if you need your solar system to work efficiently. Get in touch with a few trusted solar system providers through solar leads. Compare their quotes and evaluate their work, before making your final decision.