Residential solar photovoltaic systems are becoming more and more popular because of increasing government financing incentives and the rising price of fossil fuels. To take advantage of this burgeoning market, start with training before beginning to install alternative energy products such as solar photovoltaics. And because there is such a variety of products on the market, conducting research is extremely important.
Seventy percent of the solar photovoltaic market is made up of grid inter-tied systems. A grid inter-tied system consists of a solar photovoltaic panel or array of panels added onto the regular source of electricity provided by the utility company. These systems also offer battery back-ups as well, which is essential in climates where power outages are common.
Some systems being installed today use micro-inverters (as opposed to a single central inverter), which convert DC power to AC power at each panel on the roof. This saves money by sending the power to the home using less-expensive AC cabling. This system also eliminates the need for DC components such as disconnects and combiner boxes, which means less time spent wiring. By using the series of individual inverters at each panel, each panel is essentially its own power plant.
For optimum performance, panels should be mounted with southern exposure, typically on a south-facing roof with limited tree coverage. Once the rack rails are in place and leveled, the panel and inverter installations are relatively quick and easy. The inverter boxes are bolted to the rack in the center of each panel, then connected to each other by AC cabling provided with the system. The inverters are then plugged into the panels and the panels bolted into place over top.
A typical residential grid-tied system will cost between $6,000 and $8,000; systems with a battery backup can add an additional $2,000 to $5,000. With micro-inverter systems, cabling is less expensive and man-hours are reduced, so you can potentially reduce your installation overhead and increase your bottom line. No matter what, solar photovoltaic systems are a viable alternative energy source; they're efficient, relatively easy to install, and affordable. And with a growing demand from homeowners, they could be a good addition to any building plan.
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