Stages of Roof-Mounted Solar Energy Installation
In this video article, I will share with you the construction stages of our 6 KW capacity solar power plant installed on our roof. The stages of roof-mounted solar energy installation start from the panel on the roof and go to the electrical panel and the inverters mounted next to it. My goal is to provide a video that will help us visualize the process of setting up a grid-connected solar energy system at the most basic level. Although the installation stages of a solar power plant may seem easy at first glance, we should not become complacent. If we do not continuously monitor and keep the system under control, scenarios such as production losses, inefficient operation, or even the system operating at 50% to 75% efficiency may arise. As we try to emphasize in almost every video, this system does not include batteries. There is no need for storage in this system. (In the future, storage will become an indispensable part of our lives, and such storage units will be in every home, but I think it’s still early in terms of price/performance. However, those with the financial means can make the transition now.)
Material Selection According to Roof Type
There are different equipment options depending on the type of roof where we will install the solar energy system. Since our roof is made of sandwich panels, I can say that the installation is relatively easier. Different mounting equipment can be used for different roof types, such as trapezoidal sheet metal or membrane roofs.
We used aluminum profiles on our roof. Sometimes galvanized sheet metal can also be preferred. Thanks to its special channeled structure, we placed the panels on it, and the retaining parts formed a strong bond between the panel and the aluminum profile by entering the channel. Although it looks simple from the outside, improperly tightened or edge retainers that are not fully fitted to the panel frame can cause problems in weather conditions, especially wind.
Importance of the GES Electrical Panel and Bidirectional Meter
The electrical panel of the Solar Power Plant and the switchgear that should be inside, especially the bidirectional meter, are essential for grid-connected systems. What happens if we do not install a bidirectional meter? The excess energy produced by the solar power plant will flow towards the grid, and your standard unidirectional meter will continue to count without considering which direction the energy is flowing from. This means your bill can easily go from 100 TL to 150 TL. I consider it my duty to warn you as I have encountered many such examples. Be careful.
Additionally, protective equipment such as fuses, residual current devices, surge protectors, and switches must legally be present in our panel. Thus, we build an electrically robust and reliable structure.
Solar Cables and Connectors Are Very Important
In the context of solar energy, an underestimated perspective like “What can go wrong, it’s just a cable” could mean you will have to climb onto the roof many times to solve problems. I recommend ensuring that your solar cable, which carries all the energy obtained from solar energy and is exposed to serious temperatures since it is between the panel and the roof, is of very high quality.
The same goes for connectors. If you think, “We can just splice them together,” you might often see your inverter giving error messages. While they may look similar, it is crucial that the components known as MC4 are waterproof and can connect two cables as if there were no splice.
Conclusion
Solar energy systems that seem simple can cause you losses if not attended to carefully. Considering the installation stages of a roof-mounted solar power plant, for now, setting up battery-less systems focused on meeting our own needs will allow us to recover our investment costs in the shortest time.