The Proper Installation of Solar Panels
If you’ve bought yourself some solar panels, you’re probably eager to get them put in place and charging your battery bank. Before you do, though, let’s ensure you are doing the work correctly and safely.
When installing solar panels, the very first thing you must do is see if they are UL certified. UL certification is a federal government manufacturing certification. UL certified solar panels have been through rigorous safety and quality diagnostic tests. DO-IT-YOURSELF solar panels, and also quite a few professionally made ones, aren’t UL certified. How come this is important when setting up solar power systems?
This is important because many insurance companies will not cover fire damage attributable to solar panels that are not UL certified. Are non-UL certified solar panels unsafe? No, there is little possibility of your solar panels causing an electrical fire. We are, however, dealing with electricity, and you can never be too cautious. So, how should you install your solar panels?
Installation of UL-Certified Solar Panels
In cases where you have UL certified solar panels, or if you have the okay from your insurance carrier for your non-UL certified solar panels, then the ideal spot to mount your solar panels is on your rooftop. If your rooftop is tilted at roughly a 30-degree incline and is also facing a southerly direction, it is ideal for a solar panel installation. Simply purchase a set of solar panel brackets and use them to secure the panels to your rooftop.
Once you purchase your mounts, bolt them to your roof prior to affixing them to your solar panels; otherwise, you will have a difficult time mounting your solar panels. Additionally, you have to be sure that your solar panel brackets are bolted directly into the studs supporting your roof structure. This isn’t too difficult-just work with a stud finder to locate them. If your roof is flat, or not facing a southerly direction, you can still mount your panels there. You’ll simply need to make use of a supporting frame that holds your panels up at the appropriate angle and towards the sun. There are numerous commercial solar panel mounts that you can purchase, or you can simply build your own, whichever you prefer.
Installation of Solar Panels that are Not UL-Certified
If you have solar panels that are not UL-certified, I recommend that you mount them on a freestanding base next your residence. That way, in the unlikely event that they short out, there will be no risk of them catching your roof on fire. To mount your solar panels in this way, you can choose from various commercially made mounts, or you can simply build your own. Because most of these frames are fairly simple, I suggest that you just build one yourself. You can construct your frame from metal or wood, and in any style you prefer. The important thing is to be sure that it secures your solar panels at a 30-degree angle to the sun. If your solar panels are installed in a horizontal or vertical position, they won’t work properly.
Wiring Your Solar Panels
If you’ve got more than one solar panel then you are going to have to wire all of them together. You’ve got a pair of choices. You can use a parallel or a series wiring arrangement. When selecting which arrangement to use, you need to bear in mind two points. First, your total power output will not be changed by either wiring style. Second, wiring your solar panels in parallel a configuration raises the amperage of your solar panel system. Wiring your solar panels utilizing a series configuration, on the other hand, will increase your system’s total voltage. Which wiring configuration you select will depend on what you are planning to charge with your solar panels. If you are intending to charge 12-volt batteries, for instance, you will need to be sure that your total voltage output is 12 to 18 volts.
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