How To Install Solar Panels: Solar Panel Installation Detailed Guide

Solar energy is the radiant energy captured from the sun’s heat and light with the help of solar panels and further converted into electricity using various technologies. Over the years, solar energy’s popularity has surged due to technological advancement, reduced costs, and increased awareness of renewable energy’s benefits.

In addition, there are many environmental and financial benefits of installing solar panels such as reduced dependency on fossil fuels, minimized harmful emissions of GHG (Greenhouse Gas), and greater savings on electricity bills.

Here is a complete guide to planning your solar panel installation, where we will walk you through the installation, monitoring, and maintenance process. Generally, people wonder if they require a professional or if could they install the solar panels themselves and how long it takes to install them. Moreover, knowing about what warranties are offered with solar panel installations is very essential.

Planning Your Solar Panel Installation

The initial planning phase of solar panel installation is highly important for verifying that your solar system is functional, strong, efficient, and in full compliance with local laws and regulations. And, there are several essential steps involved in this phase, which help you assess the design and suitability of solar energy for your home, meeting your energy needs.

The steps involved in the initial planning phase of solar panel installation are:

• Consultation
• Flexible System Design
• Permitting and Approvals
• Installation
• Inspection and Activation

Assessing Suitability for Solar panels includes considering a few factors, such as:

• Site Assessment: Evaluate your property’s solar suitability by considering the tilt, orientation, available space, and shading of your roof. To perfectly assess, you might need tools like the “Solar Pathfinder”, or it is recommended to take the help of a professional installer.
• Roof Suitability: Consider your roof’s age, material, direction, and current condition for the suitability of solar panel installation. Having a south-facing roof with minimal shading is the best of all, but installations in the east or west-facing roofs can be possible.
• Energy Consumption: Analyzing your previous electricity bills can help estimate your average energy usage. You can estimate the required size of the solar panel with advanced tools for increasing savings and energy production.
• Designing a Solar Panel System: This step includes the selection of panel type, number of panels, inverters, and other necessary components to enhance energy production. The design should be able to withstand future additions of appliances or electric vehicles.
• Local Regulations and Incentives: Being compliant with zoning laws, building codes, and other necessary permits is important. Additionally, solar incentives, tax credits, or rebates offered by states and local governments have to be well-researched to reduce the overall cost of your solar installation.

Solar Panel Installation Process

Installing solar panels involves a few extremely influential steps that must be carefully planned for a successful and efficient setup. Here is a detailed analysis of the solar panel installation process explained in a step-by-step process:

1. Assessment of Roof, Energy Consumption, and Necessary Permits:-

You must determine whether the roof is suitable without having any shading issues (it is a plus point if it is a south-facing roof). Also, you should evaluate your current energy consumption patterns so that you can size the solar system on your roof accordingly. Moreover, the installation of your roof must be compliant with local regulations, and have obtained the necessary permits.

2. System Design:-

Generally, the installer will design the system based on your energy needs, which involves selecting the type and number of solar panels along with the inverter and other required components for the system.

3. Approval from Local Authorities:-

Before you proceed with the installation, you must ensure that everything related to your solar system complies with local regulations. And, you need to obtain the necessary approval from your local authorities that acts as a license for your solar installation.

4. Mounting the Hardware on your Roof:-

For a proper installation, the necessary hardware modules have to be mounted on the roof such that they hold the panels perfectly. Moreover, the mounting has to align securely with the roof structure.

5. Installation of Solar Panel, Inverter, and Electrical Wiring:-

Panels are placed onto the mounting and must be oriented perfectly such that more sunlight can be captured to improve the energy production. The inverter is connected to convert DC electricity to AC and all necessary electrical wiring is done. And, if your system is Grid-Tied, then your installer will connect it to the grid.

Monitoring and Maintenance

Regular monitoring of solar panels is very influential to ensure operating at a peak level of efficiency. By this, you can identify any possible issues early and also optimize your energy production for a longer lifespan of the system. Moreover, monitoring will alert you about shading issues and help you schedule your maintenance, which further reduces the repair costs.

Tools and Technologies used for monitoring solar panel performance:

• Solar Monitoring Systems

These systems will help you provide all necessary real-time data about each panel’s production and performance. Also, there are a few popular apps that you can consider for monitoring your solar system such as Enphase Enlighten, SunPower Monitoring, mySolarEdge, and Tesla app.

• Mobile Apps, Web Portals, and Energy Monitors

You can have real-time insights about consumption using specialized user-friendly apps, and it can be accessed from anywhere.

• Sensors

Most advanced technologies like shading or temperature sensors are integrated into smart solar systems to provide you with detailed information about any changes that are affecting the performance.

• Cloud-based Platforms

By using these platforms, remote monitoring is possible, and you can analyze data along with detailed performance metrics from anywhere.

In addition, you can follow certain routine maintenance activities for your solar panels, such as:

• Regularly clean the solar panels.
• Check for any physical damage, cracks, or corrosion.
• Inspect the inverter for any performance issues.
• Ensure proper ventilation of the inverter.
• Trim surrounding tree branches that block sunlight.

The frequency of professional maintenance is recommended to be at least once a year to thoroughly check the components of your solar panel. Moreover, the professional will indicate possible issues early so that you can avoid those problems that might suddenly arise and cause you additional expenses.

What warranties are typically offered with solar panel installations?

If you are about to invest in solar panels, it is important to understand the warranties that come along. Generally, these warranties assure that your investment is protected and there are 5 types of warranties that you must know.

1. Product Warranty: Several manufacturers offer this warranty, which covers the defects in material and workmanship. Usually, this product warranty period ranges from 10 years to 25 years, which guarantees you that the manufacturer will either replace or repair it at no cost.
2. Performance Warranty: Mainly, the manufacturer boasts of their product’s performance to a certain percentage, and this warranty is to guarantee that it will meet that range. The performance warranty is very essential as it protects you from great drops in performance.
3. Installation Warranty: Many solar companies have started providing the installation warranty with a period of 1 year to 10 years. The purpose of the Installation warranty is to assure you that any leakages or structural issues caused by the installation will be repaired at no cost.
4. Inverter Warranty: This warranty protects the inverter, which is the most essential component of your solar system to convert DC energy to usable AC electricity. Typically, inverters come with a minimum warranty period of 5 years to 10 years.
5. Extended Warranties: In some cases, the manufacturers or installers offer you with extended period of warranty by charging additional cost. However, this is optional and is given only if the homeowner is willing to acquire protection for a longer period of time. You must bear in mind that these extended warranties vary according to different providers. Most of the companies offer you an extended warranty of up to 25 years of period. Here is more details about solar panel warranties.

How much time does it typically require to install solar panels?

In the United States, the average time taken for installation of solar panels is between 1 month and 3 months from the time of signing the contract. Whereas, the actual installation of the solar panels will take up to 1 day to 3 days. However, there are a few factors that might change the timeframe of solar panel installation, which include the complexity and compliance with local regulations.

These are the main factors that impact the duration of the installation process:

• Obtaining Necessary Permits and Regulations

This is the first and foremost step where the process might get hindered, and you need to bear in mind that these regulations vary according to the location. Few regions are very strict with their rules and regulations, so your installations have to comply to obtain the permit.

• Fluctuating Weather Conditions

If you are seeing a clear sky with moderate temperature, then your installation process will be done smoothly and fast. Whereas, if you are experiencing adverse weather conditions like strong winds, rains, and extreme levels of heat, then the installation process will get delayed.

• Solar System Size

When your solar system size is smaller, the installation process will be completed soon but if the system is larger with huge panels, it would take time to install.

• Installation Team Availability

Generally, the manufacturer has to take care of availability but in some cases, you might experience a delay in the installation process due to a lack of team availability. There could be various reasons for that, which include the size of your solar system. Because, the installer might have a team readily available for installing small systems, whereas he might have to take time for larger systems.

Should I install solar panels myself, or do I require a professional?

If you are thinking of installing solar panels yourself (DIY — Do It Yourself), let me tell you that solar installation DIY is completely optional. However, it comes with pros and cons, and many homeowners wonder if they could handle the installation process on their own.

Pros of DIY Solar Panel Installation:

• You can save on labor costs, which are a major part of the installation cost.
• Having complete control over the solar panel’s design and placement is possible.
• New skills can be learned about solar technology and energy systems.

Cons of DIY Solar Panel Installation:

• Electrical knowledge and skills are required for perfect installation.
• You will have to face many complications regarding structural and panel mounting work.
• Warranty benefits have to be compromised if the company has conditions for mandatory installation by professionals.
• You might have to go through a lot of processes related to local permitting and regulation, which could become very complex.
• One of the biggest drawbacks of DIY solar panel installation is the amount of time you need to invest in it. Especially, this could become very difficult if you are not completely aware of the necessary steps or if you face any unexpected challenges during the process.

Whether the DIY solar panel installation is worth it will completely depend on your skills, the kind of electrical work you do, and the current condition of your home.

If you are a tech-savvy person and have lots of time to invest but not money on installation, then you can go on with the DIY process of installing solar panels. However, it is recommended that the homeowners hire a professional, as they have expertise and experience in this.