Design Considerations for Your Solar System

Roof Mount Vs Ground Mount

Roof Mount Pros & Cons

Roof Vs Ground Mount: https://www.abuildersreference.com/ground-vs-roof-solar-systems

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vYonWMOvw4

Pros:

  • 20% cheaper installation

  • Fast Installation

  • Yard space is saved

Cons:

  • Harder to maintain solar panels

  • Will need to be removed for roof work.

  • Some Firefighters refuse to work on houses with solar due to shock hazard.

  • Panels can’t cool as well and won’t run as efficient.

  • Size is limited to the roof space available

  • Can only use the roof angle. Resulting in efficiency loss.

Ground Mount Pros & Cons

Pro’s:

  • Easier to maintain

  • Easier to expand

  • Improved air flow increasing efficiency

  • Can set it to the optimal angle resulting in up to 30% increase in efficiency.

Cons:

  • More expensive installation.

  • Installation takes a bit longer.

  • Takes more lawn space

Grid Tied Vs. Off Grid Vs. Hybrid Systems

Grid Tied Inverters

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pajmtcTTCJg

How Hybrids Work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP7vx33IlNs

Pro’s:

  • No Batteries

  • Net metering

  • Cheaper

  • No energy wasted

Cons:

  • No power if the grid is down.

  • Some places don’t pay you much for the power.

  • More rules and limits when connecting to the grid.

Off Grid Inverters

Pro’s:

  • Great for solutions without access to the grid.

  • Provides power even if the grid is down.

  • The equipment isn’t as regulated.

Con’s:

  • More expensive due to the batteries. Need enough for the worst case situations.

Hybrid Inverters

Pro’s:

  • Net metering

  • Backup power when the grid is down.

  • Fewer batteries than the Off Grid system

  • No energy wasted

Con’s:

  • More complicated than Grid Tie

  • More expensive than Grid Tie

  • More expensive than Grid Tie

Sizing Your Array & Battery Bank

Sizing Calculator: It calculates the size of your array for Off Grid, On Grid, & Generator Backup systems. It also takes account whether you use sun tracking, fixed array or tiltable array.

https://www.honeymilkhomestead.com/solar/solar-system-sizing-calculator

Video for sizing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ommuJFmaelE

Video for sizing an Off Grid System Based On Usage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJBGbufexEM

My Design Selections

  • Ground Mount Tiltable System, built from well pipe.

  • 2x EG4 Flexboss21 Line Hybrid Inverters 32kw. This allows me to sell power back to the grid and have a battery backup as well.

  • 14.3-28.6kwh battery backup system.

  • Will install a critical loads panel next to the main panel

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