How to Install Solar Panels

There are many things that a homeowner must consider when preparing to install solar panels. Are they to be installed on the ground in a free-standing array? Although not the preferred mounting arrangement, some locations make a free-standing array the only option for installing solar panels. If the panels are being mounted on a roof top, is it a old home or one that is currently under construction? Lastly, what is the prevailing weather and climate at the installation area?

The best option for installing solar panels is to do so when the roof is being constructed. Its easier to integrate the mounts for the placement of the panels. If the mounting position is considered during the design phase, placement can be optimized to fully exploit the available sunlight during the day. A roof with a sloping side facing south is an ideal place for installing solar panels. Such optimum placement ensures that the solar panels will be operating at maximum efficiency.

When installing solar panels during new construction, the roofing materials being used can greatly affect the ease with which the panels can be installed. It's much easier to install solar panels on a roof that is being covered with composite shingles. Other materials, such as tiles, are difficult for workers to stand on and also offer challenges for providing mounting access through the tiles.

The working components of solar panels are the photovoltaic cells that are embedded within the solar panel frame. These small solid state devices, when electrically and mechanically connected into an array, are activated by direct sunlight to emit enough electrons to create a useful flow of DC electrical power. The output from these photovoltaic cells is fed into an inverter, and subsequently stored in batteries for use when demanded. Some systems, depending upon location and local laws, may transfer this home generated power into the commercial electric grid from which it can later be tapped for use in the home.

To take full advantage of available sunlight, solar panels should be mounted to a building's roof that faces in a southerly direction. How the panels are attached to the roof are a function of the geographical area's prevailing weather patterns. If the panels are mounted in an area of light breezes, a simple attachment will suffice. In areas of high winds more rigid and robust mounting will be necessary to ensure that the panels are secure. A solar array panel being hurled through the air by strong winds is a deadly threat to man and structures.

Another critical factor to consider in solar panel installation is the angle at which the panels are mounted with respect to the surface of the roof. The panels must be tilted to receive the maximum available sunlight. The closer the panel's location is toward either of the Earth's poles, the greater tilt will be required to receive optimum sunlight. Some sophisticated systems have controls and drives that can automatically reposition the tilt of the panels to ensure maximum exposure to sunlight as the sun's position changes during the day and by the season.

Whenever the commitment is made by a homeowner to install solar panels, cost rears its ugly head. Those who have no financial concerns can have a commercially built system professionally installed at a reasonable, but significant, cost. Those who may need to economize, provided they have basic handyman skills, can build and install their own systems at considerable cost savings.

Even if you build your own panels, if you have no construction skills, you may be wise to hire a contractor to actually install the solar panels. You'll still save more money than you would if you purchased a commercially manufactured system.