INSTALLATION
There are several basic types of installations for PV Solar Systems. We can accommodate just about any situation for any home or business with roof-mount, pole-mount or ground mounting installations.
Basic Installation Steps
First, you must contact us by phone or web. We will schedule your first on-site consultation to evaluate your annual power usage as well as the cost of that power. Your first homework assignment will be to go to the website of your electric utility provider (SCE, PG&E, City of Riverside, City of Colton, etc.) and request at least one full year's worth of utility bill information including the annual consumption and cost figures. We will evaluate the roof (or yard , slope, etc) of your home or business for mounting location and direction.
Mounting
There are no moving parts in any of our mounting systems to ensure long system life and low cost. While there are systems that track the sun throughout the day and are adjustable for the different seasons of the year, they are very expensive and require a lot of maintenance. Therefore, we don't recommend them for most applications. Because we are at approximately 38 degrees latitude, the ideal pitch in most of Southern California for maximum economic benefit is 38 degrees (close to a 5/12 pitch). When possible, we attempt to set the PV panels at 17 to 18 degrees in order to take full advantage of the utility rebates. While this makes the PY system less efficient during the fall through spring time, it makes the system more efficient during the summer months when air conditioning is demanding the most from our power grid. Besides, changing the degree of pitch has a minimal effect on electric production. If we have to tilt the panels on a roof, it can add anywhere between $500 and $1,300 to the cost of the system, depending on the size of the system.
When we mount the PV system on the ground, it can add thousands of dollars to the cost depending on system size, trenching required, and hardness of the earth. In many cases, we have mounted the PV system on racks mounted eight to ten feet above the the ground over horse corrals or creating a kind of vehicle carport.
There are several types of installations that we offer:
1) Pitched Roof Mount (most economical)
2) Flat Roof Mount
3) Ground Mount or Slope Mount (most expensive)
1. For pitched roofs:
For south facing roofs, we simply mount the panels flush against the roof for maximum aesthetic approximately six inches off of the roof. This not only looks good but will actually extend the life of your roof.
For east/west facing roofs, we typically mount half of the panels flush on the east facing pitch, and half on the west for maximum aesthetic. This technique sacrifices production by 20% if we tie in to the inverter correctly. OR we can tilt the panels towards the south to maintain maximum production at the sacrifice of aesthetics.
For north facing roofs, we always tilt the panels toward the south as to not sacrifice production of the system.
2. For flat roofs we typically mount the panels at 15 to 20 degrees, and sometimes as high as 25 or 30 degrees; south facing for maximum efficiency. We can mount the panels as low as 10 degrees if a lower profile is desired, or if space is an issue, as this also allows us to put the rows of panels closer together because they create a smaller side shadow at the lower profile.
3. For ground mounts we use concrete footings and upright poles for mounting. Typically the PV array is in a single plane that is tilted 15 to 25 degrees. We also must dig a trench and run the conduit to the electrical box and meter, which is an additional cost.
Space required
Pitched Roof: Depending on the PV panel model, size and wattage must be individually calculated. Usually, it works out to approximately 100 square feet of roof space for each kW of power output. Flat roofs require as much as 50% more space than pitched roofs. Some ground mounts may require 50% more space than pitched roofs also.
Appropriate mounting location:
You need adequate space that is unshaded all day long, especially during peak sunlight hours (all year long) for maximum production, economic and environmental benefit. Solar electric panels are very sensitive to shade, but do perform with limited efficiency in cloudy weather.
We do not like to remove trees but sometimes tree trimming
is all that is necessary to keep the area clear of obstruction.
Other roof features that must be taken into consideration as potentially shading a solar array include: vents, chimneys, skylights, other roof surfaces, air conditioners, swamp coolers, antennas, satellite dishes, etc.
Other obstructions to remember are trees in your neighbor’s yard, utility poles, mountains, large buildings, etc. We will evaluate every possible location and compare every combination.