June
2010
Home solar electricity advice? Making the solar panels accessible?
I’m thinking of having solar panels to generate electricity. The drawbacks are that I’m afraid if it needs repair, I won’t be able to find anyone. Also I’m afraid that the roof is not very accessible. If it is a new house, should the roof have a roof hatch? What can make the system not work?
Modern solar electric panels rarely fail. Because of this, if you would be installing them over a roof that only has a few years left on it, it would be better to redo the roof, first. In the unlikely event that a panel needs to be changed, this can be done in 30 minutes or so, because the panels are mounted on racks, with everything simply plugging together.
I have never personally seen a solar installation go bad, but from what I hear, the inverter (a box that goes in next to your electric service panel) is usually what burns out after 15 years, assuming the install was done right in the first place.
If you were to call roofers to repair your roof, they would somehow be able to get to your roof, by ladders, or a special truck. Solar installers use the same kind of equipment. They won’t have a problem getting up there.
A solar electric system is actually a very straightforward thing. No matter who installs it, if there is a problem, another installer should be able to diagnose and fix it.
first off installing solar panels are great. they last for around 25 to 30 years with the new solar photaic (dont know how to spell that) panels and when the house is not using any power they feed power back into the grid of the power company and the power company pays you. they dont pay at the rate they charge you but they still pay you something for the electricity you are putting into there electrical grid. and go with solar photaic not solar panel the solar photaic are the newer longer lasting and they produce more electrcity. the cost is around 15000 dollars to purchase and install. now when they are installed ladders are used, yes if a panel fails if can be a pane to get to it but whatever has to be done to get to it will have to be done. installing a roof hatch is a great idea and will give easier acces to panels if one fails agian a great idea but it is not neccessary. also each panel should be tested before it is installed on to the roof. also your going to need to call your power company and they will have to install a reversable meter so that the power you generate will go back in to the power company and you will be credited for it. it doesnt matter if the roof is accessible or not ropes with harness that go around a persons waiste can be installed so be can do anything to the roof that needs to be done. i mean after all there are shingles on the roof how do you think they put those on and if they put shingles on the solar panels will also be availble to be put on. now there is a wire that connects all of the panels togeather and the panel is connected in series which means the wire goes to one then the one after then the one after. this means for a panels to work the panel before it must be working and so on for each panel. if a panel fails then the system wont work but they are tested before installation. if a wire a gets chewed on or disconnected because of poor installation this will cause problems. mainly if you get good panels and the installation is done using good practices then you wont have to worry about the system. also they are made to last in the rain and wheather so you dont have to worry about that. usually the panels and all that cost around seven thousand and the installer will charge the same things and this is for a 300 thousand dollar house so not super small and not super big but larger than the normal 150-200 thousand dollar house
References :
Modern solar electric panels rarely fail. Because of this, if you would be installing them over a roof that only has a few years left on it, it would be better to redo the roof, first. In the unlikely event that a panel needs to be changed, this can be done in 30 minutes or so, because the panels are mounted on racks, with everything simply plugging together.
I have never personally seen a solar installation go bad, but from what I hear, the inverter (a box that goes in next to your electric service panel) is usually what burns out after 15 years, assuming the install was done right in the first place.
If you were to call roofers to repair your roof, they would somehow be able to get to your roof, by ladders, or a special truck. Solar installers use the same kind of equipment. They won’t have a problem getting up there.
A solar electric system is actually a very straightforward thing. No matter who installs it, if there is a problem, another installer should be able to diagnose and fix it.
References :