How do I prepare for a solar panel installation?

Installing solar panels helps homeowners save money and invest in cleaner energy. To prepare for an installation, determine your energy needs and home compatibility with a solar panel system. The installation requires complicated electrical work and paperwork that any reliable solar installer can handle.

Can I install solar panels myself?

You can install solar panels on your home yourself. You will need some electrical wiring experience, and we suggest that you also use a professional solar contractor or electrician to do the wiring and connection processes to ensure that you: Do not start an electrical fire that damages or destroys your home, solar array, and solar components.

Should you install solar panels on your roof?

Installing solar panels on your roof can both save you energy costs and reduce your home’s environmental impact. Even though there are some DIY solar panel options, installing them is a highly complex project, and you’ll still need assistance from an experienced professional.

Can solar panels be installed on a south-facing roof?

For homes in the Northern Hemisphere, a shade-free, south-facing roof with solar panels placed at a 30-degree tilt is ideal for production. This is not to say that having a roof that is partially shaded, or east- or west-facing, puts a solar PV system out of the question.

How do you connect a solar panel to a house?

The conduit connects the solar panel or array to the house or battery backup system. You can dig the trench or run the pipes now or at the end of the process. It is better to do all of that now, run the wires through the conduit and leave them unattached until you are ready to connect them.

Where should solar panels be installed?

Relocate all penetrations—including stacks, bathroom vents, and cooktop vents—away from the area where the solar array would go, so thepanels can be installed in a regular and even pattern—rather than awkwardly wending around those penetrations.