Introduction

This book is meant for the average house owner who wishes to install a solar electrical system himself or have one installed by somebody else.

This book will give the data and understanding of how a solar electrical system works and the relationship the varied parts have to one another. You'll have a smart idea of what your installer is doing and if he is doing a competent job, and you'll have the data to at least ask the right queries. One of your first tasks on deciding to install a solar electric system should be to find out what the building and electric codes are in your neighborhood. With the augmenting recognition of alternative home energy systems have come mass production and the standardization of parts. The designs of most systems are similar, with lots differences having to do with the dimensions of the system.

Parts and systems on the market today can sometimes pass local electric inspections so long as the elements are UL or CSA licensed. An experience of the system, it's elements, and how they function re one another will save you plenty of time, money and frustration. In the appendix there are diverse worksheets to help with the sizing of your system, and a glossary and other helpful info.

Solar Energy Living

Living alongside solar electrical power involves making a personal choice. You'll have to become more conscious of the energy you use and the way to preserve it.

Few solar electrical systems supply the bliss of unlimited power. We must employ our electricity in considerate and suitable ways. This isn't to assert that we should live in the dark or go without power tools and regular household gadgets.

Regardless of what sort of alternative energy system you install, it is always less expensive not to use energy at all. There are tons of paths to preserve energy and economize with small effort. One thing to begin with is to switch off appliances when they aren't being used. This applies to radios, TVs, PCs, and so on. Turn the lights out when they are not being used. Use what you want, but use as little excess power as possible. Today's world is chock-full of technological decisions. The challenge to you, as the owner of a solar electrical system is to select the acceptable technology.

Lighting is a major user of power in the home. DC fluorescent lights, rather than incandescent lights can save you up to two / a few of the price of lighting your place. If you like to use AC lighting, there are energy saving incandescent bulbs available. Dearer, they seem to be a lot better and will preserve power. AC fluorescent lighting is also a power saver. Your chiller will be one of the biggest users of energy in your home, on a continuing basis. Many of these appliances are available in propane or natural gas versions. A solar thermal hot water heating system can be awfully efficient and cost effective.

You may wish to run some loads like washing machines and massive power tools off your back-up generator, whilst charging your batteries at the same time. You need to doubtless do your energy budget a number of times to see what appliances you can eliminate or convert to different types of energy. In order for you, the potential owner of a solar electrical system, to get the maximum potency and benefits from your system, you have to 1st know how an independent electrical system works. When using alternative energy, batteries are generally wanted to store that energy so that it is available when you would like it, night or day - rain or shine. An exception to this is some micro hydro systems, where with the right situation, batteries won't be.

Another good thing about a battery bank is that it can be enlarged as your wishes change and grow. The power from the batteries can be delivered as 12- volt DC ( Direct Current ) or though the use of an inverter as 110-volt AC ( swapping Current ).

There's also the added benefit of no more power bills. You will feel empowered, instead of limited, knowing that you are responsible for your own power system and. You may be sure that you're going to not run out of power so long as you are mindful of your consumption. It's not not easy to be aware of your power wishes and use. If you plan in advance and size your system correctly, it becomes an easy matter of daily agenda to look at the meters on the wall to grasp the standing of your system at any given point. You have to learn how to be conscious of your electrical consumption and to get rid of waste, in order not to surpass the boundaries of your system. Green energy isn't a new concept, but it is an idea that is becoming more valuable and more likely for more folks all the time.

With the apparently consistent energy crises across the continent and around the planet, and the negative result on the environment that conventional sources of energy are having, there's certainly a thing to be declared for being at least partly energy self-sufficient.

Using Photovoltaic (PV) Cells To Generate Electricity

If you want reliable power in an area where you are not hooked up to the electric grid, a solar electric system can supply power for lights. Solar electrical kit are used around the globe in remote locations to power houses and full hamlets, reinforce cell telephone signals from remote mountain tops, pump millions of gallons of water a day, monitor air quality and plenty of other things.

Solar electrical systems also supply a wonderful alternative for people who are tied to the application grid, but are on the lookout for a back-up power system.

If you live more than quarter of a mile from the use grid, a solar electric system may be a particularly cost satisfactory way for you to have a constant supply of power, particularly when you account for the pricetag of power line extensions and monthly electrical bills.

Other alternatives are wind generators, a micro-hydro system, or a gas or diesel generator. In reality, if you are off the grid, you can most likely have a generator as a back up regardless of what kind of system you install.

If your place is off the grid - meaning that you are not hooked up to utility power - you have these choices:

     1.    Connect to the local electric company if possible.

     2.    Live without electricity.

     3.    Provide your own electricity.

With a little research and some considerate planning you shouldn't have any difficulty becoming energy self-sufficient in most circumstances. Remember that you do not need to commence with a huge system. You can start little, plan in advance and add on as required. A major advantage of photovoltaic ( PV ) systems is their relative ease of installation and maintenance.

After first consultations with the makers and / or your local provider, most smaller systems can be installed and maintained by non-experts. Most providers of PV systems are extremely well informed and useful, but having a basic awareness of your own will make you much more happy with the method in the long game. Most providers can also help you with the design segment of the system.

With any electric system, safety is a supreme consideration.

Installation and Maintenance

A major advantage of photovoltaic systems is their relative ease of installation and upkeep. After first consultations with the manufacturers and / or your local provider, most smaller systems can be installed and maintained by non-experts.

Most providers of PV systems have a tendency to be intensely informed and beneficial, but having a basic awareness of your own will make you much more happy with the method in the long game. Most providers can also help you with the design segment of the system.

With any electric system, safety is a supreme consideration. Ensure that you get any required building and electric allows needed and that your system is installed according to the topical countrywide and local electric codes.

Getting Started

If you are beginning to consider installing your own solar electrical system or are into the 1st planning stage, there are a few things to do and consider before you purchase elements and begin to install your system.

Remember the more planning you do and the more information you get in the beginning, the much more likely your experience will be a delightful one.

It's going to be less annoying and ultimately less costly. Here are many initial steps to take.

• Figure out how much power you will need. List all of the appliances you plan on using, both AC and DC, and how much power they consume on a daily and a weekly basis. Once you know your average daily/weekly power usage, use these figures to calculate your PV array size, battery bank size, and the size of your controller and inverter. There are charts and worksheets in the appendix to help you with this.
• Get information on local building/electrical codes regarding solar electric systems.
• Do a site analysis to determine where and how your array will be mounted. Figure where your battery bank and other components of your system will be located.
• Calculate the size, type and amount of wiring you will need.  If you plan to start with a small system and then add to it as your needs change or your budget allows, you may want to consider buying a larger controller and inverter so you can add more PV panels and batteries later. You may wish to make your battery bank enclosure large enough to accommodate more batteries in the future.

Planning ahead can save you cash, time and work in the future. If you go into your project with as much information as feasible, your disappointment level is sure to be minimized. You may find different costs and levels of service from one provider to the next.

Electricity Basics

One analogy that is sometimes used is the flow of water thru a pipe. The electrons would be comparable to drops of water in a pipe.

When you have enough electrons, with force behind them, this may be used to do helpful work.

Electric energy is measured in amperes, volts and watts. Voltage is the pressure of the electrons flowing thru the wire and is measured in volts.

Customarily , the bigger the voltage, the more pressure or force behind it. This is equivalent to water pressure or psi ( pounds per square in. ).

Amperage is the amount or rate of flow or current in the wire in a given period of time. This is measured in amperes or amps for short. This would compare to the gallons per second running out of the pipe.

This is their relationship to one another:

   Watts = Volts x Amps

   Volts = Watts / Amps

   Amps = Watts / Volts

Obviously, if you have values for two of these you can figure out the third.

-A kilowatt (kW) is 1000 watts.

-A megawatt is 1,000,000 watts.
 

A kilowatt-hour is 1000 watt hours. This is the unit used on your electrical bill. Example : 10 100watt light bulbs left on for 60 minutes will use one-kilowatt hour of electricity.

In power systems the total amount of energy consumed over a period is measured in either amp hours or watt-hours. An one-amp draw used for 4 hours would be four amp hours.

AC vs. DC

Alternating current (AC) is the sort of power the application company supplies to your house.

Solar panels produce direct current that may be stored in batteries or used to run direct current (DC) loads at once. In all power systems, electricity must be moved from one place to another. Transferring electricity is rarely a hundred percent efficient, due to resistance in the wire. In wire, the loss of electric power is an element of the resistance of the wire and the quantity of current.

High voltage AC power can be conducted over long distances with comparatively low transmission losses. When using DC power, the distance from your charging source ( solar panels ) to your battery bank becomes an element, as will the distance from your batteries to the diverse loads, due to high line loss.

Sizing Your System

The design stage is vital if you are to get the maximum for your cash and have a power system that meets your requirements. The target of the design stage is to develop the most cheap system that meets your power needs. The design stage will consider many factors including how much power you want and when you want it. The kind of power you intend to use is also critical.

You need to have as much info about your current position before you approach a PV provider. Insolation or daylight power is measured in equivalent full sun hours. A full sun hour is equivalent to the quantity of daylight striking the earth when the sun is explicitly overhead in a clear sky. Though the sun might be above the horizon for, say fourteen hours a day, you could be receiving only five or six equivalent full sun hours.

This is because of the fact the lower the sun is in the sky, the more atmospheres the light must pass thru. In the atmosphere reflect and absorb some of the light passing thru it, reducing the insulation.

When the sun is explicitly overhead it is passing thru the smallest amount of atmosphere. Almost all of the sun's energy is delivered between 9:00 am and three hundred pm, when the sun is highest in the sky. Shorter days, cloud cover, and the sun's position in the sky scale back the available energy in the winter months.

This diagram illustrates the trail of the sun over varying seasons. Your PV system provider or the weather bureau should have complete charts for the insulation of your area. When sizing your solar array, take the equivalent full sun hours figures and average them over a given time period. If your site is only to be used for part of the year,eg a holiday cabin, average only for the months you'll need power. This is when your energy wishes will be rising and your insulation values will be declining. Some accommodations, for example a bigger battery bank and a generator, must be made per winter months. Big amounts of electricity can be put into the battery bank comparatively quickly with a gas or diesel generator. When figuring the loads you're going to be running, AC loads and DC loads must be figured separately.

Wattage's can often be found on a tag on the rear of the appliance or in the owner's manual.

Components

While system components can vary considerably from one installation to another due to size, location, needs, etc., most systems will contain many of these same basic components.

• Solar PV panels or modules - generate 12V DC electricity from sunlight.
• Batteries - store your electricity for future use.
• Controller - regulates the power to and from your batteries.
• Inverter - transforms low voltage DC power to high voltage AC power.
• Monitors, Gauges, Meters, etc. - keep you aware of the status of your system and the individual components.
• Wiring - Connects the various components of the system to each other and to the loads.
• Fuses, Breakers, Switches, and Disconnects - designed for overload and short circuit protection.  They allows you to isolate parts of your system for safety and maintenance.
• Battery Charger - This allows you to charge you batteries from auxiliary sources.
• Backup Generator - provides power to your system and charges your batteries when necessary if your solar panels are unable to generate enough electricity.

Electricity-Generating Solar Panels

Sunlight can be turned into electricity by Photovoltaic, or PV cells.  Photovoltaic principles are not the same as solar thermal principles. Solar thermal elements convert the sun's energy to supply hot liquids or air. When daylight falls on a PV cell, electrons are proud and move thru the silicon. They find the attached electric circuit the best way to move from one side of the cell to the other. This is called the photovoltaic effect, and ends up in direct current ( DC ) electricity being produced.

PV cells are wired together to form panels and these panels are in turn wired together to form arrays. The dimensions of the solar array, together with your location determines the quantity of electricity produced. Solar panels have a life expectancy of 20-30 years, depending on their strategy of construction.

They don't have any moving parts and are virtually upkeep free. All they need is to be cleaned off once in awhile. PV modules produce electricity in proportion to the quantity of daylight falling on them. This makes it imperative to mount your panels where there's minimum or, better yet, no shading. PV panels, when hooked together in an array can be wired in series, in parallel or both. When wired in series, the negative terminal of one panel is wired to the positive terminal of another panel.

This increases the voltage, but has no effect on the amperage.

2 12-volt / 3.5amp panels, wired in series, would produce twenty-four volts at 3.5 amps. In a similar way , 4 12-volt / 3.5 amp panels wired this way would produce 48 volts at 3.5 amps.

When wired in parallel, the terminals are wired together positive to positive and negative to negative. Wiring this way would have no effect on the voltage but would increase the amperage.

Panels may also be wired together to extend the voltage and the amperage. The output of your solar array is conditional on light power and the quantity of exposure to the sun, not on how hot it is. On a cold, bright winter day your panels perform just and in summer.