Having a solar panel power system for your home makes sense not only for folks who are trying to reduce their carbon footprints, but also for people who want to reduce or eliminate power bills. All you have to do is make a one-time investment in the components needed and you will have free, zero-emission electricity for your home for the rest of your life. Here is a list of basic equipment and steps that can help you install your very own solar panel power system for your home.
Solar panel power system can help your home go off grid
Solar panel power system can help your home go off grid
Components you need
Residential solar power kit or a set of solar panels, miscellaneous hardware for mounting panels on the roof, Array DC disconnect, DC-spec wiring, electrical charge controller, a battery pack and an electrical power inverter.
Instructions
Step 1: Assess the electric consumption of your house and calculate how many solar panels and batteries you will need.
Step 2: Install solar panels on your roof at an angle that is equal to your location’s latitude and ensure that they are facing southwards.
Step 3: Install the DC disconnect on the exterior of your house and connect the wires running from the solar panel to it. The device allows you to turn the power generation system off to run maintenance on the solar panels or the roof.
Step 4: Install the charge controller and connect it to the wires from the DC disconnect. The charge controller creates a barrier between the battery pack storing the DC power by cutting the power feed from the panels off once the batteries are full.
Step 5: Connect the wiring of the charge controller with the battery pack and the wiring of the battery pack to the DC disconnect. This will allow you to simply switch off the power from entire system using the option of disconnect to run maintenance.
Step 6: Install the battery pack and inverter near your home’s power mains. You may need to get permits and clearances from concerned authorities before taking your home off grid power. The inverter converts DC power generated by the solar panels into AC power that is suitable for residential use.
Step 7: Connect the inverter to the array DC disconnect.
When you are using a solar panel power system to take your home off the grid, you need a very accurate assessment of your home’s average power consumption through the year to ensure that you don’t install a system that is insufficient for your needs. By connecting an inverter and battery pack combo to your home’s electrical mains, you can provide your entire house with solar power.
However, a good way to ensure that you never accidently empty out your batteries by using an appliance that strains the system, you should provide a power connection only to specific electrical outlets. Ensure that your home uses energy efficient appliances and optimize insulation to cut down on your home’s power needs.
