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Install your own solar panels : designing and installing a photovoltaic system to power your home
Introduction
Labor and related costs account for more than half of the price of the average home solar installation. But homeowners can save thousands of dollars with this user-friendly manual, which follows the same process professional contractors use. Through detailed directions and step-by-step photos, veteran solar installer Joseph Burdick and seasoned builder Philip Schmidt teach you how to determine the size, placement, and type of installation you’ll need. This comprehensive DIY guide covers everything from assembling rooftop racking or building a ground-mount structure to setting up the electrical connections and making a battery bank for off-grid systems.
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Anatomy of a Solar-Electric System
The science of turning sunlight directly into electricity is known as photovoltaics (PV), referring to photons of light and volts of electricity. Here's your 10-second lesson on how PV works: Solar panels, properly called PV modules (see You Say "Panels"; We Say "Modules,"), contain solar cells, which are most commonly made of layers of silicon, a semiconductor material made from sand (also the namesake of Silicon Valley). When photons of light enter a solar cell, they get absorbed and excite electrons in the silicon layers, causing them to move and, ultimately, flow continuously through a circuit of wiring that feeds into the PV system. Harnessing this electron flow is what gives you electrical power.
The electricity produced by PV modules (and used by all batteries) is direct current(DC), in which all of the electrons move in one direction only. Your home's electrical system and most appliances use alternating current (AC) power, in which the electrons move back and forth, alternating direction about 60 times per second. Therefore, PV systems include one or more inverters that convert the DC solar-generated electricity to usable AC power for your home (and, with grid-tied systems, for selling back to the utility grid).
Electrical Installation Work Tutor Support Material
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Table Of Contents
Introduction
1 The Basics
Anatomy of a Solar-Electric System
Can I Install My Own PV System?
Going Solar – From Start to Finish
Working with Solar Professionals
Answering the Big Three
2 Assessing Your Site
Measuring Area, Slope, and Azimuth
Sizing Your System with PVWatts
Snow, Wind, and Shade
3 Choosing PV Hardware
Modules
Module Support Structures
Inverters and DC Optimizers
4 Designing Your System
PV Circuit Fundamentals
The Design Process
Sample System Designs
One-Line Electrical Diagrams
Wire Types for PV Systems
5 Getting Ready to Install
Permitting and Inspections
Shopping Solar
Solar Financials
Assembling Your Crew
6 Mechanical Installation: Rooftop
Laying Out the Racking
Installing Footers and Rails
Installing Modules
7 Mechanical Installation: Ground-Mount
Setting the Support Posts
Assembling the Ground-Mount Structure
8 Electrical Installation
Final Project Steps
Running Conduit
Component Connections
Final Inspection and Turning On Your PV System
9 Off-Grid System Design
Off-Grid Basics
Batteries
Sample Off-Grid System Design
10 Beyond Installation: Tips for Troubleshooting, Maintaining, and Monitoring Your PV System
PV Safety Rules
Shutdown and Startup Procedures
Maintenance and Troubleshooting
Monitoring Your System
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Install your own solar panels
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