Solar energy has emerged as the go-to clean energy source all over the world, with millions making a shift. Even better, it’s free, powerful, and sustainable. Plus, every year, the number of people and countries investing in solar-based home backup systems is steadily rising due to increased awareness about global warming and its impact on our planet.
So, if you too would like to shift to solar energy to reduce your dependence on traditional energy sources and do your bit for the planet, keep reading as we are going to give you the complete lowdown on how to set up and install solar panels for home. Let’s get started!
Image Courtesy: Luminous
Step 1: Gather Solar Power Components
First, you would need a set of components to get started. To set up a solar system for your home, you would need the following:
Once you have these four components in place, you would also need additional components such as a breaker, meter, MC4 connector, and fuses to complete the setup.
Step 2: Calculating Power Load
We all have different needs and requirements, and the same holds true for our energy needs. So, before getting started with the installation, you need to figure out your energy requirement by calculating the power load. For this, you need to first create a list of the appliances you use daily and jot down their respective power rating. Next, you need to calculate the load by simply calculating the run time of the appliance with its power rating for each device and adding them all up. If you want adequate power backup, this step is crucial.
Step 3: Selecting and Charging the Battery
Solar systems can run without a battery pack; however, once the sun goes down, you won’t have access to power unless you have a battery in place. A solar battery is the energy reserve of the solar unit that stores any excess energy generated throughout the day. Therefore, if you want a system that can function 24×7 choose a battery based on your load requirement for an uninterrupted power supply. However, you will also require a controller to monitor the battery’s charging status.
Step 4: Setting up the Inverter
The inverter helps convert the Direct Current produced by the solar panels for home into Alternating Current or AC, which powers appliances. Choosing an inverter with the appropriate wattage is crucial for meeting your power requirements. Also, it’s best to choose a pure sine wave inverter due to the added advantages it offers over a modified sine wave or a square wave inverter.
Step 5: Setup the Solar Panels for Home
Once everything is in order, you can now start with mounting the solar panels. The best place to mount the panels would be an area that receives a lot of sunlight during the day. Proper setup of the solar panels is crucial to ensure the efficiency of the panels; therefore, it’s best to seek professional help to maximize efficiency.
Step 6: Linking the Solar Panels with the Battery
After installing the solar panels, the next step is to connect the panels to the battery. Check if your PV system and the battery come pre-paired to skip this step, or you would need to make a series of connections between the panel and the battery.
Step 7: Setup stands for inverter and battery
No setup would be complete without stands for the inverter and the battery units. You can either get them made yourself or order a pre-built one from the market. Once your inverter and battery are set up, work on the wiring. To complete the setup, you would also require an MC4 connector to connect the charge controller to the solar panels for home.
So, there you go; having your own solar system at home is one of the best investments you can make for energy independence.
But if you are thinking of setting up your solar system, don’t forget to check out Luminous’ stellar range of solar panels for home, solar batteries, and inverters. All of their products offer complete value for money and long service lives with a low cost of ownership. So, if you are serious about making those huge savings on electricity bills and doing your bit for the planet, check out their catalog now!