The idea of saving at least Rs. 2500 every month on electricity bills is inspirational enough to prompt people to learn how are solar panels installed. Easier said than done though! Installing rooftop solar panels requires skills and industry-specific knowledge.
Although the web is populated with DIY ideas for installing solar panels on residential and commercial rooftops, only EPC contractors and installation companies can carry out the job in a risk-free environment.
If you’re giving serious thought to going solar, then this guide on how are solar panels installed and their maintenance tips are the right post for you. Dive in for details!
Top 4 solar panel installation tips for beginners
#1. Rooftop Inspection
There are certain roof parameters that decide whether or not the area is ideal for solar installation.
A roof inspection is hands down the first thing to learn when trying to figure out how are solar panels installed for the first time. So look for Local Solar plant installer so they are aware of everything
Here’s everything that you can expect from a rooftop evaluation carried out by a professional solar installation expert:
- Determining which type of mounting structures will be needed: For an RCC rooftop, heavy, hot-dipped galvanized steel mounting structures are used to install solar panels. For a metal sheet roof, aluminum rail structures are used.
- Determining the direction of the roof: The roof should ideally be facing South since that’s where maximum sunlight falls in India.
In South India, the solar panel mounting angle is usually 10 degrees. In North India, the mounting angle is usually above 20 degrees.
If you want the solar system on your rooftop to work at its full potential, it’s very important that the solar panels aren’t shaded by shadows from any source between 9 AM to 4 PM. So, the experts also study this aspect to find out the most ideal spot for the installation of rooftop solar panels.
#2. Rooftop accessibility
When learning how are solar panels installed, it’s also important that you understand the constraints.
One of the biggest constraints is rooftop in-accessibility. You have to ensure that your rooftop is accessible by stairs or ladders.
Installing a solar system on a rooftop means the installation experts will have to carry a lot of heavy structures back and forth. If there’s no way to access the roof, the installation will be greatly affected.
So, it’s very important that there’s proper access to the rooftop!
#3. Determining your Power requirement
Solar systems are capable of producing different amounts of power. It’s important that you know your power requirements.
Indian households usually require a 2 KW to 5 KW solar system. However, there’s no such thumb rule. Everybody’s power requirements are different.
You can check out the units you usually consume from your electricity bill.
A 1 KW solar system generates 4 units of electricity daily. So, for instance, if you consume 12 units/day, installing a 3 KW solar system should cover your utility bill.
#4. Assembling the components
Here’s one of the most important sections in this guide on how are solar panels installed!
Solar panels and solar mounting structures aren’t the only components that go into the installation of rooftop solar systems. All the following components are required for a successful installation:
- Solar panels
- Solar mounting structures
- Solar inverter
- DC cables and AC cables
- DC combiner box
- AC combiner box
- Earthing cables
- Cable trays or conduits
- Earthing strips
- Earthing kits
- MC4 connectors
Once the solar system is installed, there’s still one step left: changing the normal electricity meter with a bi-directional meter.
Top 2 solar system maintenance tips for beginners
Now that you know how are solar panels installed, let us walk you through the ways in which they have to be maintained so that they last their entire lifetime (usually, 25 years).
#1. Keeping the surface of solar panels clean
If there’s dirt and debris on the surface of the panels, their power generation efficiency will reduce. Hence, always make sure that the panels do not have dust on them. You can keep the surface neat by wiping it with a clean cloth.
If there’s any oily residue that you can see, you can mix alcohol and water, and use that solution to clean the greasy area.
#2. Timely professional inspection
One could argue that expert inspection might not be needed every 15 days when the panels are being cleaned daily on a personal level. But, that’s not true.
You can clean the surface of the panels, but what about the other components like wires and cables, solar inverter, etc? Who ensures that they’re all in their best shapes?
You can count only on your solar installation company to help you with this degree of maintenance. Usually, a 15-day-visit is recommended.
- The experts will remove all the traces of dust, dirt, and debris.
- Experts also take care that no part of the solar system catches rust.
- They tighten the nuts and bolts.
- They replace missing nuts and bolts.
Quick takeaways:
- The rooftop should be accessible.
- The rooftop should get ample sunlight between 9 AM to 4 AM.
- A south-facing roof is always better.
- It’s important to clean the surface of solar panels so that there’s no dust.
- You can use a mixture of water and alcohol to remove oily stains from the surface of solar panels.
- Replacing professional maintenance every 15 days with only personal maintenance of solar panels can be disastrous.
- Expert maintenance is mandatory to ensure that all the components of the solar system are running properly.
Conclusion:
We hope that we’ve addressed all your questions and you’re now fully aware of how are solar panels installed and how beginners should proceed with the maintenance of solar panels.
As long as you’re following the tips and suggestions we’ve mentioned, you’ll definitely reap the long-term benefits of going solar: you will get free electricity since solar energy is free, you are saving the Earth, and you’re no longer dependent only on the DISCOM for power supply.
