Factors to Consider During Solar Installation
Planning for a solar installation? There’s some homework that you must do before hiring an installation team. You better first understand (or at least have an overview) your roof condition/structure, your electric wiring, and the proper place where you think your solar inverter and batteries will be integrated/placed. I would highlight the three most important things that one must consider during the solar installation from my experience. Each of these points should be addressed independently, yet they are interdependent.
Table of Contents
Roof Structure and Assessment
In my case, my roof is rather complex. It has a Mounty and a storage room. I purchased eight Zonergy solar panels, each with a capacity of 370W. These panels were slightly larger in size. And it is recommended to place solar plates together in series to generate more electricity and increase efficiency during and after solar peak hours.
Putting all 8 solar plates in series was challenging for the installation team at that time. I had a limited budget and at that time, I couldn’t afford a separate customized stand for these plates. Therefore, they concluded that 4 plates must be placed on the roof ground and 4 on top of the storage room, then they connected them in series. That time, I was thinking about factors such as cable length, connection quality, and surface material because they contributed to the resistance. Eventually, I thought this would affect efficiency in the long run.
With these settings/installation, I was getting a PV current of almost 2KW at peak hours and around 1.4 to 1.8KW on average. This was a pain for me. Because as per my calculations and expert suggestions, for my system, the current must be generated across 2.2KW.
I called the solar team again and asked them to put all plates together to avoid any resistance, and then I ordered a customized frame for my solar panels. This really improved the electricity output.
One thing I must highlight here: since I had a budget constraint, I opted for polycrystalline solar panels. If you have the same scenario (complex roof structure), but your budget is good, go for monocrystalline panels to get better efficiency.
Battery Storage Placement
Battery storage placement can be challenging due to following reasons:
- Battery/battery size
- Wiring consideration
- Space availability
- Temperature control
Ideally, it is recommended to place batteries near the inverter to avoid energy losses, and resistance, and save wiring costs. However, in my case, I had a space availability issue. Therefore, we placed the batteries in the storage room (which is on the roof, as described earlier). Now we had to connect the batteries with the inverter all the way from the storage room down to the 1st floor. To be honest, this was challenging. We had to order/extend the wire as well.
Electric wiring before moving batteries close to the inverter
Cutting it short, everything was set up, but the batteries were not providing good backup. This issue became apparent when we experienced electricity shortages from the main grid. Therefore, I called another expert and asked him to conduct a detailed audit of my solar installation. As expected, he moved the batteries down to the floor near the inverter. Then, we conducted a quick test: we shut down the main power and calculated/tested the battery backup. There was a big improvement.
Electric wiring after moving batteries close to the inverter
Electricity Wiring
Why worry about this when we hire the experts? Yes, this question is valid. Still, you just have to understand how the wiring is working. Obviously, with the solar panel installation, there is an upgrade in your home electric wiring, and the expert is not monitoring your system all the time. Therefore, it’s crucial that you understand what to do if:
- There is an unexpected power outage for long hours
- Your batteries are draining
- The weather is bad, and there is a chance your plates will get affected (e.g., sky thunder fall on plates)
- You have to shut down/restart the entire system
Conclusion – Factors to Consider During Solar Installation
Please note that all the factors I shared in this blog and their implementation are based on my personal experience. However, during our commercial/residential installations, we actively address such issues/factors. The intention is to raise awareness so that when you have solar installed, you can effectively communicate with the installation team. Feel free to ask questions if you have any doubts about wiring, battery placement, or anything related to your roof structure.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Where do you put a solar system breaker?
You must ask the expert or the installation team to install a safety breaker between the solar plates and the inverter, between the batteries and the inverter, and between the inverter and the main electricity grid.
What is the purpose of breakers in solar systems?
These breakers are used/installed to protect against overloads and short circuits.
Does a lengthy wire make the flow of electricity weaker?
When you have a long wire between your solar panels or between your solar panels and the inverter, it can cause a voltage drop. Longer lengths of wire have more resistance than shorter lengths, resulting in a larger voltage drop.
