How to Install Solar Energy in a Home

Home solar systems range in size from a few hundred watts to several kilowatts, and the size you install will depend on your needs. While installation of a large system intended to run the whole house or sell energy back to the power company should be left to professionals, a smaller, single-panel system to charge batteries for running small appliances can be set up without much trouble.

Things You'll Need

• Solar panel
• Panel bracing
• Lag screws
• Roofing cement
• Wire
• 1/2-inch wire staples
• Charge controller
• 2 deep-cycle batteries
• Inverter
• Romex wire
• Electric receptacle box

Instructions

Mount the Panel

1. Determine the best orientation for the panel. For those in the Northern Hemisphere, it will need to face south and be tilted to optimize the amount of sunlight falling on it. The angle of this tilt will depend on your latitude and the pitch of your roof.

2. Panel braces have to be screwed into the roof rafters. Find a rafter under the house soffit and extrapolate to the location of the panel. Screw the braces in with lag screws and be sure to seal around the screw and the base of the brace with roofing cement.

3. Mount the panel and secure it according to the specifications of the brace manufacturer.

4. Determine the size of wire you need, connect it to the panel and run it to the battery location, affixing it with 1/2-inch staples in inconspicuous locations like under eaves and beside trim.

Setting Up the Battery Bank

1. Locate the batteries in a dry, ventilated location, typically in the basement or in an outdoor shed built for the purpose. Mount the inverter and the charge controller near the batteries. Including the charge controller in the system will ensure that the batteries do not over-charge.

2. Run the wire from the panel into the charge controller and connect that to the batteries using wire recommended by the manufacturer.

3. Connect the batteries to the inverter. The size of wire you need for this connection is best determined with the help of an electrician. The inverter will convert the DC current from the batteries into usable AC current.

4. Hard-wire standard house wiring (romex) to the inverter and run it to an outlet box near the location where you wish to use the power. Attach the wire to a standard receptacle and affix the receptacle to the box.

Tips & Warnings

• It is better to hard-wire the inverter to the receptacle than to use an extension cord. The U.S. Department of Compliance does not allow extension cords to be used in the same location for longer than 90 days.

• Batteries give off noxious, flammable fumes. Make sure they are located in a place that is isolated, cool and well ventilated.

References

• Free Solar Power: Wire Sizing Calculator for Solar Panek Arrays
• PRLog: How to Install Solar Panels on Your Roof

Resources

• AMECO: How a Solar Electric System Works