Installing Solar Panels on Your Home or Business - DIY Chatroom

doctorhouse · 12-26-2005, 09:23 AM

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Solar panels are just now entering an exciting era of usability and practicality. Solar Panels are typically installed on the top of homes or businesses, but they can also be installed next to the structure if space permits. This is usually not a big deal if you live in the country where you have acres and acres of cheap land at your disposal. However, if you live in a populated city it usually makes more sense to install solar panels on the top of the building that needs power. It is important to install your solar panel so that it the sun hits the panels at the right angle.

Ideally the solar panel would be directly pointed at the sun at all times. In the past, tracking devices were not economically feasible, and they have not been used. Instead solar panels were installed in a fixed position that usually pointed to the south. You can now install a tracking system that actually continously rotates your solar panels throughout the day to keep your solar panels producing at maximum capacity. These systems are not cheap and they work best when they have room to rotate which is not always easy to do on top of your house. For this reason, tracking systems work best in remote locations where real estate is cheap. If you don't have this luxury, keep in mind that solar panels produce at full capacity when placed in direct sunlight. Fix your solar panels directly under the noon time sun. Remove all obstructions and trim branches that may be blocking sunlight to your solar panels. Many people do not take this consideration seriously, and they are greatly disapointed to find out that their solar panels don't put out the electrity that they claim they will. Well, the answer is simple, solar panels need to be in full sun without any exceptions. If you don't follow this simple rule, you're just not going to get enough out of your solar panels to justify the cost.

The only advantage that you may have on your side however is that your solar panels may last longer if they are not under the stress of full sun everyday. Solar panel mounts are now made specifically for the use of installing photovoltaic solar panels. Solar panel mounts come in several different forms. Some mounts work better on RVs, some solar panel mounts are designed to affix your panels to poles, on the top of your house, or next to your home. In any case, don't try to make your own mounts unless you have really researched this. Your solar panels are an expensive part of your home, and you don't want to come home someday to find thousands of dollars of solar panels destroyed in a wind storm. I hope this article has given you some idea of how you might be able to install solar panels on your home.

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Noah Stephens

There is much more to be written about this subject, so please visit my website for more information about solar panels: ***link removed***
Noah Stephens is an expert on photovoltaic solar panels. Visit his website ***link removed***
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Teetorbilt · 12-26-2005, 06:57 PM

Doctorhouse, your purpose is to do what? Please elaborate.

Cole · 12-28-2005, 04:52 PM

I was wondering the same thing myself?

K2eoj · 12-28-2005, 05:34 PM

We put them up in the 70's and 80's and took them down in the 90's. Tax credits were a big part of why they went up. Being ugly was a big reason for them coming down. I bought a house in 94 with a very elaborate system with tracking abilities. Before i could take it down a hail storm hit and I'm ashamed to say how much the insurance check was for but I did not ask for it. In my case solar panels did pay. <P>

Hopefully they have come a long way but I personally will hang tight before putting them on my roof. Maybe more tax credits?? HS.

Dustin07 · 12-28-2005, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Before i could take it down a hail storm hit and I'm ashamed to say how much the insurance check was for but I did not ask for it. In my case solar panels did pay.

rofl....

someday.... I'd love to go with renewable energy. In our area wind makes a lot of sense. my dad was thinking about putting a bunch of windmills up on his small farm out here.

mandarinmint · 09-02-2008, 02:41 PM

My bf bought solar powered lights for his mother's garden. Granted they are much dimmer than fluorescent or regular light bulbs, they provide a soft wash of eerie blue light in the garden. The color almost reminds me of the moon. I've always wanted to install solar panels on my house, but thought they were too costly. But in the long run I've read that it pays off. This site is a pretty good article on DIY solar collector on the house: http://gabwith.us/take-the-chill-out...ar-collectors/

However, make sure you live in a neighborhood that allows solar panels/collectors to be in plain view. Neighbors may complain they look unsightly or the city may be afraid of property values losing value due to "ugly" but green houses!!!

Dustin07 · 09-04-2008, 11:23 PM

LOL this thread is 3 years old now! But anyways, I have researched renewable energy much since this post first started and of the two (solar and wind) wind is the only economically viable choice. And even that may come to an end if congress does not renew current energy bills. Solar just doesn't pay. Wind however, can be profitable.