Installing rooftop solar panels

If you have considered switching to solar power, you’re not alone!

Residential solar panels have been growing in demand over the past several years as prices have fallen, efficiencies have improved and solar rebates and incentives allow significant savings for homeowners.

Before you plan this home improvement project, you probably want to know: how do you install solar panels on a roof?

Traditional photovoltaic (PV) solar panels can be installed professionally, or as a DIY home improvement project.

Rooftop solar panels require brackets for mounting, a solar power inverter, the panels themselves, and the ability to do wiring work within your electrical panel.  Of course, you’ll also need equipment including a ladder, drill, power screwdriver, and the ability to safely hoist solar panels up to your rooftop.

You don’t need to be a certified installer to do it yourself, but if you are hiring a solar installer, make sure that they are licensed and insured!

Before you begin your project, choose an area of your rooftop that receives the most direct sunlight.  Ensure there is no shading from vegetation or adjacent structures.  If necessary, you may need to tilt the panels if the pitch of the roof is too low.

Solar panel mounts must be secured with stainless steel lag bolts bolted through into rooftop rafters.  Here are the steps to install solar panels on a roof:

1.  Locate rafters with a stud finder, then align mounts on top of the rafters.

2.  Use a chalk line or laser sight as you work in a straight line pre-positioning the mounts.

3.  Pre-drill the holes for the roof mounts with a pilot bit.

4.  Secure the mounts onto the roof, using the bolts, then place metal flashing over the mounts.

5.  Next, metal rails must be secured to the posts using stainless steel bolts.

6.  Finally, solar panels are mounted onto the rails.  Multiple panels are connected into an array.

7.  Once the solar panels are installed on the roof, they must be connected via a conduit to a solar inverter.

8.  Now, you can enjoy free solar electricity generated by your residential solar panels!

Residential solar panel installation

Solar power is picking up across the United States with more and more people installing solar panels for energy independence and to reduce their carbon footprint.

Although residents of any state can find bargains and incentives on solar arrays, the top 5 states for residential solar panel installations (as of the date of this post) include:

• California
• Arizona
• New Jersey
• Colorado
• Pennsylvania

According to a SEIA/GTM Research report, these five states offered very favorable markets for residential solar installations in 2010.  As a result, they represent the greatest megawatts of solar electricity capacity installed.

The State of California boasted nearly 128 MW of capacity from residential solar panel installations in 2010.  The remaining states on the top 5 list had a range of 14-28 MW of installed solar power that year.

So what were the driving forces that encouraged so many people in these states to install residential solar panels?

First, homeowners are able to go solar without the upfront costs with a solar panel lease – where the system is owned and maintained by a solar manufacturer – or a solar power purchase agreement (PPA), in which a homeowner contracts to buy solar power at a competitive fixed rate over for 10-20 years.

These financing options are provided by companies including, but not limited to Sungevity, SolarCity, SunRun and SunPower. In 2010, as many as 30% or more of residential solar systems were installed with a lease or PPA in states where these financing options were readily available.

Second, these states offered generous, aggressive incentives to install residential solar panels.  Investment in solar by homeowners is encouraged with rebates, tax incentives and SREC programs. Each of the top five states provides at least one of these options.

Bottom line, the top 5 states for residential solar panel installations have programs and incentives that reduce (or eliminate) the upfront cost of switching to solar power.  Over time, homeowners save significant money in utility bills and gain security against rising utility costs.  Of course, solar power is cleaner than fossil-fuel based electricity.

Hopefully, more states will join these five in increasing solar capacity in 2012.

Solar incentives encourage solar panel installations

Ever wonder why there is such a big difference in solar panel installations between two of the sunniest states in the U.S. – California and Florida?  Property owners in California account for over 50% of the country’s solar power, while Floridians generate only 1%.  Meanwhile, the State of New Jersey is the second highest in the nation when it comes to solar energy.

The reason is that solar incentives, not sunshine, encourage people to go solar.  Incentives in the form of tax rebates, property assessed clean energy loans (financing solar panels through property tax programs), and more result in greater numbers of solar panel installations.  Add to these programs an overall “climate” – if you will – in favor of clean energy and environmentalism that is embraced by state lawmakers, and solar can thrive in just about any location.

Solar incentives in California tell a great deal of the story:

• Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger initiated a $3.3 billion dollar Million Solar Roofs program, with the goal of producing 3,000 new megawatts of solar power by 2017.

• The California Energy Commission’s New Solar Homes Partnership encourages construction of new homes with residential solar through a 10-year, $400 million dollar program.

• The California Public Utilities Commission’s California Solar Initiative provides additional incentives for solar panel installations.

For homeowners looking for solar incentives, check where your state rates on the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency.  Contact a solar contractor to help you pencil out your potential savings through solar panels, and don’t forget to factor in the boost in property value you’ll enjoy as a result.

Install solar panels on free-standing structures

Think that rooftop solar panels are your only alternative for home solar installations?  Think again!

For some people, the design of their roof is not appropriate for solar panels.  Other homeowners may face shading from surrounding trees, or a poor roof angle to capture sunlight.  Some residents are choosing home solar panel options to allow them to reduce their reliance on grid-based electricity, while still preserving the integrity of their roof.

For example, in Tacoma, Washington, one couple installed a $25,000 solar panel system, consisting of 12 panels, on the top of a Pergola in their yard.  The system will reduce their utility bill by 50%.  The couple estimates that the system will pay for itself within 10 years, particularly considering the net-metering option allowed by the local utility.

Another Washington state family realized that a non-south-facing roof posed challenges to a rooftop solar panel installation.  So, they built their own structure to hold six solar panels that track the movement of the sun across the sky to maximize energy generation.  For the relatively low cost of $15,000, the family is trimming their utility bill and realizing energy independence.

Solar panels on a free-standing shed

Home solar panel options will continue to increase as residents look for ways to install solar and save money.  Rooftops are just the start!  Look for more free-standing structures holding solar panels to be built in back or side-yards.  Solar panels can also be installed on garages, sheds, playhouses and more.

Have you seen creative home solar panel structures in your hometown?

Solar installers put panels on a rooftop

Do you wonder what it takes to put solar panels on your home?  What about the people that help you with a home solar install?

Let’s walk through a solar installation, step by step.  In some instances, it can be done in a single day!  And, for those of you that are considering becoming a solar installers, you may just be inspired to go after one of these great green jobs.

Typically, a team of 3-4 workers can complete a solar installation within several days, depending on weather conditions, the size of the solar array, and whether the roof is flat or sloped.  Flat roofs will need a mount rail system to set up the solar panels at an angle.

Sure, you could try to do-it-yourself… and there are plenty of videos and websites set up to inspire the “Tim the Toolman Taylor” in you or your handyman friend.  Yet, you do get what you pay for.  This is arguably one of the home improvement projects for which you’ll want to call in professionals.

So let’s get started!

1.  Brackets on sloped roofs or a mount rail system on flat roofs often are the first items to be installed.

2.  A solar inverter is usually required and can be installed in a garage or outbuilding.  The inverter takes direct current (DC) and converts it into usable alternating current (AC).

3.  Solar panels – of course!  They need to be hoisted to the roof, laid out one by one, and then screwed into the brackets or rail system.

4.  Wiring is one of the most complicated aspects of a solar installation.  Three different wires are required: negative, positive and ground wire.  I find that its usually best to leave this up to the experts – the electricians!

Once the panels have been aligned in place, wiring needs to be connected underneath, with care to ensure that wire doesn’t touch the actual roof.  Then the wiring from the panels needs to be connected to the power meter and inverter.

As you can see, it can be relatively easy to install solar panels on your home.  The payoff is immediate – many see their power bills go from several hundred dollars down to practically nothing!

With spring around the corner, you’ll want to schedule a solar panel installation soon.  Beat the rush now and be the first home on your block that doesn’t have to worry about the high cost of air conditioning when temps start rising.

California Solar Energy on the rise

California Solar Energy on the rise has increased the number of rooftop solar panels from about 500 to 50,000 in a mere ten years.  Of course, there is still a ways to go to reach the Million Solar Roofs called for by Governor Schwarzenegger, but a 100 x fold increase is nothing to sneeze at.  In fact, over the past three years alone, sales of solar panels in the Golden State have doubled.

So, where is the hottest solar panel growth occurring?  San Diego leads the way with over 2,200 solar rooftops to date.  But L.A. and San Francisco are not far behind.  Yes, they are green cities, but perhaps for a moment… green with envy, too!  Other hot spots include Nevada City with the leading per capita solar installations, and City of Industry (where I send my credit card bill each month), that leads the state with the most capacity per capita (1.5 kW per person installed).

Million solar roofs in California

While California solar energy is on the rise, nationwide, solar power still has a way to go.  It accounts for less than 1% of electrical power.  One thing that could make a difference, however, is to implement a feed-in tariff as Germany enjoys, that would allow property owners to sell back excess generated energy to utilities at a market rate.

In addition, solar energy loan programs like the one in Palm Desert will help defray the costs of solar arrays, as do government tax incentives and credits.

New legislation may be just the thing to continue the rapid growth of California solar energy, as well as getting solar power off the ground in other states, too.  For example, the Vote Solar Initiative is pushing for a bill to raise the cap net metering – where consumers cut energy bills by selling power back to utilities.

Could we all follow the lead of California with respect to solar panel installation?

Any new solar programs underway in your hometown?

REI in the Old Mill District in Bend, Oregon

When I look out the window from my office, I see the iconic smokestacks of the Old Mill District in Bend, Oregon.  Those smokestacks are no longer functional, since the sawmill shut down decades ago, and the area has been transformed into a savvy shopping area for residents and tourists.  Its core retail store is the outdoors shop, REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.)  Somewhat ironically, the rooftop from which the smokestacks emerge will soon be covered with solar panels!  REI has started its mission of solar panel installation at 10% of its 105 stores nationwide.

REI was established in the Northwest in the 1930s as an outdoor gear co-op.  Today, you can sign up to be a member of REI and share in its profits, as the co-op continues to the present day.  Or, you can just shop there without a membership and enjoy the quality recreational and outdoor gear at REI.  In case you were wondering… yes, I shop there, and yes, I am an REI member.

The planned solar panel installation at a number of REI stores is consistent with its philosophies and values.  You can read inspiring information about the company’s environmental stewardship on its website.  Even its products are designed with the environment in mind:

But getting back to the news about REI’s solar panel installation …   Recently, three stores in the San Francisco area have completed the conversion to solar energy.  Three stores in Oregon and two additional stores in California will also be sporting solar panels on their rooftops by the end of 2008!

Just a few more stores to go and the company will reach its goal to have 11 retail stores to be solar powered with rooftop solar arrays.  Rooftop space is valuable for solar panel installation (and not just at REI).  When all 11 stores complete the installation, the total area covered with panels will be more than 4 acres!  As a result, more than 1.1 million kilowatt hours of clean solar energy will be generated, providing between 20 and 40% of the stores’ energy needs.

Protection of resources through use of solar energy, LEED-certified buildings, and more is a consistent theme at REI, as posted on its jobs page:

“At REI, outdoor recreation is our passion. We’re equally passionate about protecting and maintaining the places where we hike, climb, cycle, camp, paddle and ski. Advancing environmental stewardship through corporate giving, volunteerism and outreach programs is a key REI imperative in protecting the outdoors for future generations. Through our volunteerism, grants, workshops and education initiatives, REI commits time, money and gear to ensuring that the outdoors is accessible and respected by all. It’s the right thing to do, and it’s a whole lot of fun.”

I expect to see much more “green developments” coming from REI, as the company strives to reduce its energy usage, even as it continues to grow (yes, in this economy!).  Although I’m still recovering from a stress fracture resulting from running a marathon in October, I will soon be heading over to the Old Mill District for some shopping for more outdoor gear, and to take a peak at the new solar panel installation at REI!