Solar Panel Mounts

Tips that can help save time and money when installing a solar powered electrical system. 

Always start with a site survey. This is one of the most commonly overlooked steps when planning a solar powered setup. Too often, solar systems are installed only to find out that the sun's light is limited in the location the panels were installed or the angle in which they were installed will not generate enough power for the hardware needs. Sometimes there simply isn’t enough room anywhere on site to install this type of system.  Doing a proper solar site survey can assist in preventing some of these common challenges.  

Take inventory of all of the electrical components and hardware for the system. By identifying what the maximum power requirements are for each component, the total power requirements for the entire system can be calculated. It is important to always look at the maximum power draw for each particular piece of hardware. If this is not accounted for, it is likely that the system will be sized too small and can run into issues down the road. Once the power calculations for the system have been completed, a safety factor should be added on top of that calculation of at least 10 to 20 percent. This will ensure that the solar hardware will provide plenty of power, with room to spare for future hardware expansion, without needing to replace the solar panels. 

Make sure that the solar hardware meets the power requirements of the system. Pay attention to the supply voltage from the solar panel. This can vary from 12, 24 or 48 volts, depending on the panel and how it is made. Make sure that the charge controller can handle the current loads. Some charge controllers are very simple and don’t allow for much configuration, while others are quite complex and allow for monitoring and changes to be made on the fly. Also make sure to account for proper battery backup.