CORRECT WAYS TO INSTALL SOLAR PANELS ON ROOF
Solar Panels are generally installed on roofs of homes or commercial buildings, especially the area that receives direct sunlight. Solar Panels perform to their optimum when they are placed under direct sunlight.
Things to consider before Solar panel Installation:
Observe and remove any obstruction to sunlight or any thing that can cause shade on solar panels.
Determine the size of the solar system required. You should add up the wattage of all the electrical appliances that you plan to use. Calculate how many hours per day the appliances will be used.
After this you will be able to know the wattage requirement, size of the solar battery needed and the wire size. Correct wire size will prevent overheating of the wires and ensure maximum transfer of power to your batteries.
Make a checklist of the equipment needed for a solar energy system: Solar Panels, Charge Controller, Inverter, and Battery.
Take wind speed into consideration especially if you are in areas where winds can go more than 180 kilometers per hour (110 miles/h), to ensure that your solar power system can withstand the wind blows.
Solar Panel Step by Step Installation Process :
- Installing the solar mounting structure
Fix the mounting structure to support the solar panels. The whole mounting structure must be tilted and have an angle between 15 to 20 degrees to have maximum sunlight exposure. For countries in the Northern Hemisphere, the best direction to face solar panels is south because it gets maximum sunlight. So install the structure accordingly.
For Sloped Roofs - a railed system must be installed. This consists of attaching a set of rails to the roof to hold the solar modules. Flashings, screws and bolts are used to attach these rails by drilling the roof and using sealant to prevent water leakage.
For Flat Roofs - Installers use either ballasts or concrete blocks to rack the solar panels.
Once you secure the structures into place properly, you can move on to installing the racking rails. When installation day begins, start with ensuring the solar racking system conforms to your design and drawing.
RCC Rooftop
Sloped Roofs
2. Mounting the polar panel
Once your structure is installed, now you have to fix solar panels with the structure. For this you need to place the panels in such a way that the mounting holes are perfectly lined up with the rails. Modules must be mounted on mounting holes located at the rear side with the stainless steel nut, bolt and washer. Each Module must be securely fixed to the mounting structure at a minimum of four points.
We recommend leaving a space of at least 10 mm between two modules considering linear thermal expansion of the module frames. You need to place the next panel on the rails in order to ensure that the clamps are wedged between the two consecutive panels. It is recommended to use stainless steel fixing only. Always select the length of mounting screw after considering a clearance of 5-10 mm between the module back face & screw face to avoid any breakage of module while tightening. Following this you need to tighten the clamps between the panels.
3. Wiring and interconnection of solar panels
All wiring should be done in accordance with applicable electrical codes. In this step we are going to connect solar panels. The most common way of doing so is using the MC4 connectors attached to the panel with the junction box. The Solar Panels are either connected in series or parallel.
Series Connection: In this case, the Positive (+) Wire of one PV module is connected to the Negative (–) Wire of another module. This type of wiring increases the voltage matching with the battery bank. Whereas current remains constant.
Parallel Connection: In this case, Positive (+) to Positive (+) and Negative (–) to Negative (–) connection is done. This type of wiring voltage of each panel remains the same and current increases.
Make sure that the maximum output voltage of the string will not exceed the inverter input voltage, taking into account temperature variations.
Match the polarities of cables and terminals when making the connections; failure to do so may result in damage to the module.
Make sure that the panels are not connected to the load during the installation phase. For safety purposes, the grid must be disconnected to ensure no electricity will flow during the installation.
4. Connecting the solar panels array to solar inverter
The positive wire from the solar panel is connected to the positive terminal of the inverter and the negative wire is connected to the negative terminal of the inverter.
5. Connecting the solar inverter to battery
If you are planning for an off-grid solar power system to store electric energy so that you can use that power during night or dark cloudy sky then you need to connect your solar power system with a battery. So the next step is to connect the solar inverter and the solar battery. The positive terminal of the battery is connected with the positive terminal of the inverter and negative to negative.
6. Connecting inverter to consumer unit
A generation meter should also be connected to monitor the amount of electricity the solar panels actually produce. Households typically have installed a meter to track the use of energy, this is typically set up by the utility. Traditional metering systems only allow to keep track of energy in a single direction, which is assuming that the household will always be consuming power. However, if they household is installing a solar power plant to act generator in the power grid, then a bi-directional meter must be installed in order to track energy flows in two-ways direction.
Now we need to connect the inverter to the grid. To make this connection, a normal plug is used to connect to the main power switch board. An output wire is connected with an electric board that supplies electricity to the home.
Start & test your solar power plant
The Last step, when all electrical wirings are done it's time to switch the power on and test the newly installed solar panel system. start the inverter switch ON the main switch of the home.
CAUTION
Do not drill holes in frame.
Do not cut or modify parts or rails.
Work under dry conditions with dry tools.
Do not stand or step on solar module.
Do not install near flammable gases.
Do not drop or allow objects to fall onto module.
Completely cover solar module with opaque materials when wiring to halt production of electricity.
Keep the back side of solar module surfaces free of foreign objects.
Do not use chemicals on solar modules when cleaning.
Do not wear metallic jewelry, which may cause electrical shock.
Do not touch cable electrical contacts.
Do not expose solar modules to sunlight that is concentrated with mirrors, lenses or similar means.
Consult local codes and other applicable laws and statutes concerning required permits and regulations concerning installation and inspection requirements. Install solar modules and systems according to applicable codes.
Product should be installed and maintained by qualified personnel. Keep unauthorized personnel away from solar modules.
Avoid shadowing cells in order to prevent solar module hot spots and/or reduction in power.
Avoid installing modules and mounting system in high corrosion areas.