Do it Yourself Home Solar Panels

Ideally, a solar panel should be able to pivot so that it captures as much sunlight as possible throughout the seasonal changes.

If you are interested in building your own solar panel system for your house or business, you need to be aware that there are several costly components that typically go into solar installation, apart from the photovoltaic cells themselves. If you are planning to install a battery backup system, installing and replacing the deep cycle battery bank will be one of most costly components of the entire system. Having an overview of the installation process for setting up your own solar system will help to prepare you for the work.

Things You'll Need

• Solar panels
• Mounts
• Power drill
• Caulking gun
• Silicone caulking
• #12 and #8 AWG cable
• Screwdriver
• Charge controller
• Deep cycle batteries
• Eyelets
• Power inverter
• Extension cord
• Power strip

Instructions

1. Install the solar panels on your rooftop or on a fixed pole. Ideally, solar panels should be facing the south at an angle that matches your area's latitude. If possible, pivot the solar panel so that it is angled at minus 15 degrees from the latitude during the summer months and plus 15 degrees during the winter months.

   There are a variety of mounts and rails for solar panel installation. Make sure that the mounts have seals to weatherproof the through-bolts that are drilled through the roof. Use silicone caulking to further ensure that your roof does not begin to leak.

2. Connect the solar panels to the battery bank by using a large AWG cable, typically sized at #12 according to Home Power Magazine. However, depending on your setup, you may need a smaller or larger cable. Use a wire sizing chart to find the correct size based on the amperage of the maximum solar panel production.

   Use a wire stripper to remove about 1/2 inch of protective insulation from the end of the wire. Most solar panels will allow you to screw in the stripped wire ends to the terminal's ports.

3. Strip the other end of the #12 wire and attach it to the inputs of a maximum power point charge controller.

   The charge controller serves to regulate the amount of electricity that is sent to the battery bank. Without a charge controller, the batteries would become overcharged and need to be replaced more quickly.

4. Connect the charge controller's output terminals using #12 cable, or the same size as used leading up to the charge controller, to a pair of eyelets, which in turn are connected to the terminals of a deep cycle battery.

   Connect the deep cycle battery bank into a series circuit configuration, which is achieved by connecting opposite terminals for adjacent batteries. For example, the negative terminal of one battery should be connected to the positive terminal of its neighboring battery.

5. Connect the battery bank to a pure sine wave power inverter, which is responsible for converting the direct current signal from the batteries into an alternating current, which is used by most home appliances.

   Each power inverter will have its own connection and cable requirements, with the cable size varying based on the distance between the batteries and the inverter.

   Use the general recommendations for power inverter cables found at Don Rowe as a starting point for configuring your system.

6. Plug an extension cord into your power inverter and use a power strip to begin using your solar panel system to power home appliances.

   Alternatively, you can also connect the solar power system, via the power inverter, to provide the power for a certain branch circuit by connecting the outputs of the power inverter to a specific circuit breaker in your electric panel.

Tips & Warnings

• The battery bank should be stored in a well-ventilated and weatherproof location. Batteries should be placed at least three to five inches apart. The individual batteries of the battery bank should add up to 120 volts in order to be used for common household appliances.

• The power inverter should exceed the expected amperage of the battery bank by at least 15-to-20% and should match the voltage of the battery bank.

References

• Don Rowe: Power Inverter FAQ
• "Home Power Magazine"; Backup Sizing; Flint Richter; October-November 2010
• "Home Power Magazine"; Sizing Batteryless Grid-Tied PV Arrays; Justin Sanchez; August-September 2010
• Green Living Tips: Solar Power Basics: 2008
• Free SunPower: FAQ
• Home Power: Solar Electricity Basics

Resources

• Power Stream: Wire Gauge and Current Limits
• Solar Expert: Solar Panel Installation Techniques
• Scientific American: What You Need to Know Before Installing Solar Panels: 2008
• New Mexico State: Photovoltaic Power Systems and the National Electrical Code
• RReDC: Solar Radiation Data Manual
• Aaron Cake: How To Solder