How to Install Solar Panels

With the ongoing energy crisis today, solar panels are not the only future of home-energy generation but it’s also the salvation of those countries that will be greatly impacted if no real solutions will be discovered to solve the energy crisis.

Even though solar panels are a tad expensive, it doesn’t change the fact that buying them also means having a very logical investment.  At the beginning, solar panels can really drain your pocket but in a long term basis, you will immediately notice a big difference. Other “green” households have even reported that they were able to save 1000-3000 US dollars a year from energy costs.  Not to mention that aside from the big savings, residences and business establishments that have functional solar panels are qualified for tax incentives and for solar energy credits.  The latter can be traded for real money in an open market exchange.

Due to the awesome rewards that can be gained from having solar panels at home, a lot of people are actually considering to convert their homes to green residences too. However, they are always stomped at the idea that solar panels are expensive.  Yes, they are expensive but there’s a way to cut cost and that’s by personally installing your solar panels so you don’t have to pay for the installation costs. 

So if you’re a handy person who is willing to get your hands dirty, then it is high time for you to take out your tool belt, hammer, screw driver and drill.   Be assured that after successfully installing your solar panels, you will no longer concern yourself with this question, “how much do solar panels cost?”

However, before you go start making a noise with your hammering, ensure that you have consulted your local zoning board for special permits and to confirm whether it’s okay to install solar panels. It is not a secret that there are other communities who are not okay with solar panels so just make sure that everything’s alright with the law before you install the panels. 

Once you acquire the approval of your zoning board then start mounting your solar panels by following the procedure below:

1.   Select an ideal location for your solar panel on either side of your house’s roof. It doesn’t matter whether it’s on the east or west, the important thing is that the location receives the highest amount of solar radiation. 

2.   Determine your area’s latitude tilt.  Meaning, if you are located in an area with a latitude of twenty five degrees and below, you solar panels must also be angled towards the sun with the same latitude number. Suppose that you live in a twenty degrees latitude area then the incline of your solar panels must also be at twenty degrees.  However, for areas which are located on latitudes higher than twenty-five degrees, the inclination angle of solar panels must be added with five degrees (for example: 30 lat= 35 lat up to 40 lat).  For areas with above 40 latitudes, the solar panel angle must be added with twenty degrees (for example: 45 lat=65 lat). Make sure that you understand this formula.

3.   The solar panel mounts should be installed four feet apart from each other and they should be on the top of the roof beams.  If you don’t know where to look for this then you might as well consult your house’s blue print.

4.   Using your drill, drill enough holes into the roof beams but do it carefully so as not to damage the roof beams.

5.   Now carry the solar panels onto the roof beams and make sure that it fits the area where you have drilled the holes. Fix the solar panels firmly into the place with steel bolts.  Make sure that you also have a bolt seal on hand because you’re going to need to make sure that the bolts will not unbolt themselves over time.

6.   Check if one side (at least three inches) of the solar panels are off the roof.  This will allow better air flow which in turn aids the solar panel to operate optimally.

Now that you already have your solar panels installed, you can already rejoice with the big savings that you made. As long as you are willing and patient, solar panel installation should be a piece of cake.