System Install.

System
System Posts: 2,511 admin
in Grid Tie and Grid Interactive Systems #1
After some research and advice from people on this forum i have decided to hire a pro to come and install the system. Scheduled a site evaluation on Friday, any suggestions as to what i should do in preparation for it? or any expectations i should have?
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,637 admin
    #2
    Re: System Install.

    Look around your place... Ideally, no shade on the array between 9am and 3pm. And no potential shade from things outside your control (new neighbors, additions, plantings/trees).

    If mounting on roof, understand where they will run the wiring and will it look OK for your home. Can you reach to clean panels a couple times a year--or it is an extension ladder on a second story roof (not fun--I can tell you).

    What are the utility requirements? If you are in California--you probably will have a Time of Use plan. For PG&E--the E6 plan TOU is complex and expensive if you cannot shift your power from peak power times (and it is complex--so it can be difficult to keep the rest of the family on plan). E6 may still be better for you vs E1 flat rate residential--but there is risk if you use a lot of power during peak and partial peak periods.

    Make sure you have conserved all of the power you can (fridge, freezer, gas appliances like hot water and heating, CFL's, etc.). Much cheaper to conserve vs trying to generate power.

    Do you have a good power history for your home... If you have lived there more than one year--you can see that your system matches your needs.

    If you are new to the home, this may be an issue in sizing your system.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • Roderick
    Roderick Solar Expert Posts: 253 ✭✭
    #3
    Re: System Install.

    BB has given all the good technical advice, already.

    From the business side, like any job, I'd suggest you get multiple bids, and resist any company that tries to push you into signing on the spot.
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: System Install.

    to quote bill, "Look around your place... Ideally, no shade on the array between 9am and 3pm."
    i'll add that this needs to hold true even in winter as a lady forum member had found her garage shaded her pvs at the bottom later on.
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  • jza80
    jza80 Registered Users Posts: 13 ✭
    #5
    Re: System Install.

    To add on BB's wiring comment:
    For the PV to inverter wiring, the installer will probably want to run external pipe...but inside may be possible if you have a path and the installer will do it. This may cost more, since there is some extra work and part involved.

    You need to decide where you want to install the inverter...again, the installer will likely want to mount it outside next to your meter but you may want to keep everything concealed with an inside location as we did, this could also affect the cost.

    Do you want to do data logging of your output? If yes, then that will drive the inverter choice to a certain degree, and network wiring may be needed.

    This didn't help my install, but this site will give you a range of installation costs for California sites:

    https://csi.powerclerk.com/Default.aspx

    There seems to be some negotiation room for PV installs these days, we obtained a big discount off the originally quoted price by, basically, waiting a long time to decide and finally accepting the installers lower cost offer. Had I known about the CSI site beforehand, I would have requested a lower quote from the beginning, using that data which also included installs by the company that did my setup (with widely varying prices, based on the CSI info).
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