Solar Energy Installation: Getting Started
A solar energy installation is modular, so the system size is very flexible. The size will be determined by factors such as your desired power production, budget, and available space. Often it will be a combination of these factors. We work with you to come up with a plan that makes sense for your situation. After the site visit, we take our notes and photos back to the office and put it all together. We come up with one or more options that might work for your solar energy installation. Sometimes there are no viable sites due to shading or lack of space. We will be very honest with you. Everyone loses if a system is built on a site with inadequate solar exposure.
Location of the Solar Energy System
The ideal location for a solar energy installation (solar array) is one with a good southern exposure and little or no shading, especially during the hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sufficient space is also required. Roof mounting is the most common, but a variety of ground-based mounts are also available. You can also mount solar modules on the side of a building or home. In all cases, the mounting and system design is done with aesthetics in mind. The solar energy installation will be designed to have the cleanest possible look while maintaining full energy production.
A solar energy installation is modular, so the system size is very flexible. The size will be determined by factors such as your desired power production, budget, and available space.
Sometimes there are no viable sites due to shading or lack of space. We work with you to come up with a plan that makes sense for your situation.
The ideal location for a solar energy system is one with good southern exposure and little to no shading between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Solar Energy Installation Site Assessment
We visit your home or business and identify the best possible location for the solar energy system. Among other things, this involves taking measurements with shade analysis equipment to measure the amount of time that the site is full sun. Sometimes there are several good locations and we will compare the merits of each.
We also look at the location of the electrical meter and service panel (for solar electric) and the hot water heater (for solar hot water.) This allows us to determine the best route to bring the electricity or hot water from the solar collectors.