How to Install a Solar Panel for Your Home
7 Jan 2021 Licensed Electrician
Solar panels are an excellent way to provide your home with reliable, inexpensive electricity while also limiting your home’s carbon footprint and protecting the environment. If you are looking to get your property set up with a solar electric system, the team from BNR Electric can help. Whether you plan on installing a small DIY solar panel or a large scale solar electric system, it can always help to get input from experienced electricians to ensure that your new solar energy setup is safe and functional.
How Solar Panels are Installed for Homes
There are many different types of solar panels and a couple of different ways of setting up a solar energy system, so the procedure used to get your home set up will depend on the system being used. If you want your home to be off-grid, the installation steps will be different than if you are planning to use a grid-tied system. It is important to note that you will need a professional electrician’s help to get the solar panel connected to your home, so it is worth speaking with a solar installer before you get started on your project to ensure you have everything you will need.
The steps that are used to install solar panels are as follows:
1. Prep the Site and Acquire Permits
After the solar energy system has been selected and planned out, all of the proper documentation and permits will need to be acquired in order to make changes to your property’s electrical setup. If you plan on having a grid-tied system, arrangements will need to be made with your electrical provider.
Once permits are acquired, the spot in which the solar panels are going to be installed will require preparation. If they are going on a roof, scaffolding will need to be set up and brackets will need to be installed, and the roof will need to be inspected to ensure it can bear the panels. If the solar panels are to be installed on the ground, brackets or a platform will often need to be built. You will also need to evaluate the condition of your electrical panel to ensure it is compatible with the new solar setup.
2. Initial Wiring
Before the panels are installed, the conduit and wiring will need to be run from the installation site to the home’s electrical panel. This also often involves tying the panel into the municipal energy grid or a battery for off-grid systems.
3. Panel Installation
Once the wires are in place, the solar panels can be installed on the brackets and platforms. This often requires additional racking systems to support panels that are in tandem, and this racking will need to be installed before the panels can be put in place.
4. Connecting the Panels
After the panels are securely in place, they can be connected to one another and the home. In most cases, a fuse box will be used to connect the panels when more than one is being installed. The solar inverter will also need to be installed to make the current usable by the home and grid.
5. Inspection and Activation
Before activating the new solar energy setup, a representative of local government will usually need to come by to inspect the new setup to ensure that it does not put your community in danger. Once the system is approved, the solar panels can be activated.
If you would like to learn more about how home solar panels are installed, or to find out about our solar energy services, please contact the team at BNR Electric so we can answer your questions.
