For those seeking an environmentally responsible way to generate their own energy, solar energy is one of the best options available. Not only does it not emit any harmful gases, it also does not require any kind of fuel to produce it. This article will go over how to install a home solar power system so that you can harness the natural energy of the sun to generate electricity for your home. This system is so simple to follow that even those without a technical background can be up and running with it in no time.
Find The Right Place
When choosing a location for your home solar power system, you need to take a number of factors into consideration. For starters, you want to find a spot that gets lots of sun exposure so that you can produce a lot of electricity. Ideally, your roof should be facing south to take advantage of the full midday sun and remain cool during the summer months. There are also plenty of free tools online that can help you find the right location for maximal exposure.
Rough In The Trenches
When choosing a location for your home solar power system, you need to take a lot of factors into consideration. For starters, you want to find a spot that gets lots of sun exposure so that you can produce a lot of electricity. Ideally, your roof should be facing south to take advantage of the full midday sun and remain cool during the summer months. There are also plenty of free tools online that can help you find the right location for maximal exposure. While it’s nice to choose a site that looks photogenic, you also want to be sure that you have the proper equipment to secure the installation and that it is safe for you and your family to be anywhere near the wires.
Install The Solar Panels
Once you have found a suitable spot for your home solar power system, the next step is to install the solar panels. These are the components that will actually convert the sun’s energy into electricity for your home. For reference, one kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity costs about $0.12 in the U.S. A typical solar panel has between ten and twenty-five watts of power, so you will need several of them to get started. You will also need to purchase a 12 volt battery to store the excess electricity that SolarWorld provides. The exact number of batteries you will need depends on how much electricity your home uses; for example, if you have a lot of electrical appliances, you may need more than one battery.
Connect The Batteries & Equipment
Once you have installed the solar panels on your roof, the next step is to connect the batteries & equipment in series to create a solar battery bank. You will then connect the positive terminal of one battery to the negative terminal of another, and so on. During the initial setup process, you will need to ensure that all of the components are connected properly and that the ground wires are tied together. You can start up your home solar power system by connecting the terminals of the first battery and equipment, and leaving them disconnected while you work on the next one. When you are finished, you can reconnect all of the terminals and enjoy the benefits of a working eco-friendly energy system.
Size Really Matters
A big factor in determining the efficiency of your home solar power system is going to be the size of the array. Essentially, the more panels and the larger the array, the more electricity you will produce. Bigger isn’t always better though, as you want to make sure that the sun can still hit all of the surfaces that need to be illuminated. To that end, don’t make the mistake of going for the biggest array that you can fit on your roof. Instead, go for the smallest one that will do the job. For example, if you have a small roof, you can use multiple small panels to capture the sunlight.
Varying The Angle
A big mistake that many first-time installers make when trying to set up their home solar power system is assuming that they need to point the panels directly at the sun. In reality, you will be more efficient if you point the panels slightly downward at an angle of 10 to 15 degrees. When the sun is directly overhead, it can cause some of the panels to become shaded and therefore less effective. Thanks to technologies such as tracking systems and motion sensors, you can easily adjust the output of your home solar power system to follow the sun’s movements thus keeping the system consistently productive.
There are several things that you need to consider when installing a home solar power system. First of all, you need to find a suitable place for the panels. Next, you need to connect the batteries & equipment in series to create a solar battery bank. Last but not least, you need to vary the angle that the panels are pointing at so that they can track the sun’s movements. All of these elements will help ensure that your home solar power system is as efficient as possible and can provide you with a continuous supply of clean electricity.