Solar Panel Kits: How easy is easy?

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System
System Posts: 2,511 admin
in General Solar Power Topics #1
How easy are the solar panel kits to install, similar to the ones found here?

For better perspective, could someone with little to no mechanical experience install one of these or are they just easy for a professional to install?
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #2
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    Re: Solar Panel Kits: How easy is easy?

    Sometimes, kit's are great, and sometimes, they are horrid beasts. It all depends on the quality of the components, if the holes are pre-drilled properly, if the instructions were written in your native language, by a native speaker of that language.

    The "gotchas" are, if the kit assumes you have shingle roof, and has mount brackets for wood rafters, and caulk. BUT, you have tile roof. Won't work without a LOT of labor.

    Do you know how to seal the holes you drill in the roof to mount it?

    How do you get the wires thru the wall and inside?

    Does it connect to an existing electrical panel, or come with it's own.

    Lastly, most of the "kits" on that page, have a mod-sine inverter, which is good for what they say: use appliances such as blenders, vacuums or power tools.
    No TV's or microwaves listed, and for a good reason, mod-sine is not "clean, pure sinewave power" but it's a lot cheaper to make.

    added:
    It takes more sophisticated electronics to make a sine wave inverter, so they cost a lot more. Often, their "overhead" power is a little more consumption than a mod sine inverter consumes, however, when you run inductive loads (motors) on a mod-sine inverter, the loads draw about 20% more power than they would from a pure sine. That power is dissipated as heat in the motor or transformer, which will often fry shortly.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #3
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    Re: Solar Panel Kits: How easy is easy?

    It seems as though you have some experience in this topic so I am wondering if you could give me an example of a kit that is truly "easy install".

    I have been doing quite a bit of research on the category (PV) as a whole, but I am just now getting into the logistics of actually installing something like this.

    If you know of an sources that could better answer my questions, the info would be much appreciated.

    These panels would be used for a house that is currently on grid with the hopes of drawing as much power as possible from the solar panel(s).

    Thanks in advance.
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #4
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    Re: Solar Panel Kits: How easy is easy?

    If your house is on-grid, and you have fairly reliable power, why bother with batteries. Because of charging losses, copper losses, and downconverter inefficiencies, you loose about 30% of your harvest. If you want to spin your meter backwards in the daytime, you should look at a pure grid-tie system. (no batteries) and keep a small generator on hand for rare emergencies.

    PS, I had mine installed.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #5
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    Re: Solar Panel Kits: How easy is easy?

    a kit may be great if it fits all of your needs and you are familiar enough with it to know what to do with it. that's the problem as it may not fit all of your needs properly and you aren't experienced enough to do the install let alone know what you may have need of. i also see little evidence that these packages they call kits will save that much money for you in the overall that carefull shopping for individual components couldn't have accomplished. there is nothing like being familiar enough with it to know what you may want, need, or love and at what costs even if you don't do the install and hire somebody to do it for you and that may be best for you as they would obtain permits and be held liable for their work as it must be installed following all requirements as the law may insist upon. that includes the NEC and your local inspectors, not to mention your utility's requirements if grid-tied. the subject matter is too involved to just make a kit and have just anybody install this themselves.
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  • hunter44102
    hunter44102 Registered Users Posts: 24 ✭
    #6
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    Re: Solar Panel Kits: How easy is easy?

    If you are just doing a small system just to get familiar with solar, mount it to a pole as close as you can to the house.

    Then run the wires into your house/basement where you would have a Charge controller + Batteries or Grid tie inverter
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