solar power map of us
Basics Site Selection
As you are probably smart enough to realize that you have that a) a sunny region and B) a sunny place to install the system. The more sun it receives, the faster your system will pay for itself, its simple. There are some Nice tool to determine exactly where to put the system. The Solar Pathfinder is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to find the best location for panels. This ingenious device works, showing a reflection of the sky and the sun's path in the four seasons your area. With this you can see exactly what the shadow of its panels along the year.
You also want title = "solar panels"> solar panels installed very close to home and meter. Since PV is DC, the cable that leads becomes larger and more expensive the farther is the inverter, meter and center power of the house. You want a place near the house, but out of the way of children and their errant footballs. Also if you are planning to install the system on its roof, its worth doing an inspection on the roof. There is no point in installing a system if you will need to be removed in a couple of years to replace the tiles.
Angle and Azimuth Determination
In general, the closer you can get to the panels due south (or 180 degrees azimuth), the better. If you live in an urban area and not sure what exactly to the south, using Google Maps to find the address and click the satellite image. You might be surprised to see that the roof was thought to be facing south is actually southeast!
The horizontal angle is very important too. The angle should be equal to your latitude, as this means the panels will be perpendicular to the sun for longer. If you're not sure what you are on the latitude, check out a map of latitude in the U.S.. So if you live in Portland, with a latitude of about 45 degrees, the panels must be at an angle of 45 degrees from horizontal. If the roof angle is 10 degrees latitude panels can be mounted easily if not you may have to consider a rack system that the inclination of the panels.
Space considerations
The rule of 1 / 10 is easy to remember for solar power. You will have 1 / 10 of a square foot for every watt to install. So if you want to install 2,000 watts, will have 200 square feet of space for the panels, shelves, wiring, and a little space for work around them. This can vary slightly depending on the type of installation and the panels but will serve as a guide for the moment. You also need about an area of 4'x4 ', near the metro for the investor, switches and power components. Note also that your power company may want to install a new meter, or even other meters for the system.
To contact the Utility and Building Department
Always a good idea to talk to your electric company about installing a system. You will probably need an interconnection agreement, an inspection and a fee schedule if you are planning to sell power back. We also want more information on the panels and inverter being installed. Also, ask about additional discounts and to date the cost per kilowatt hour that you are paying.
You should also make a call to the local construction department and ask about the permits. This may seem like a pain, but actually protects you from discomfort in the end. Eventually, probably find out about their ways and systems may have to pay a fine for not obtaining a permit. The vast majority of inspectors will let you install a system at home, can only require you have a master sign electrician at the facility.
Estimated production
you want to decide exactly what the system will produce in the course of a year. The National renewable energy laboratory has a cool tool that allows you to do so. With the information you have determined in previous steps, click on the solar map. Then, find your zone, then double click it. You should see a window open with a data link at the bottom that says "Send To Click. PV Watts on that link, then type the information given in the first steps for the angle, azimuth and the cost of energy. Also note the size of system you want in kilowatts. Click the calculate button and see the production for one month year. This can help determine recovery.
Finally: Determine the Budget
Possibly the most important is deciding how much you can spend on a system. Most complete energy kits solar cost between $ 4 and $ 6 per watt, depending on the size and rack system. Be sure to take into account all state, local and programs utility incentives, which can be found in DSIREUSA.ORG. You can even find a provider who will have discounts on the price of the system, the manufacturer will then of repayment. Sharp has a program like this.
Here's to determine what skills and tools needed, and start planning the installation.
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