Install Your Own Solar Panels
Designing and Installing a Photovoltaic System to Power Your Home
Will be published approx. on 27. June 2017
Book
Paperback/Softback
200 pages
978-1-61212-825-2 (ISBN)
Description
Labor and related costs account for more than half of the price of the average home solar installation. But homeowners can save thousands of dollars with this user-friendly manual, which follows the same process professional contractors use. Through detailed directions and step-by-step photos, veteran solar installer Joseph Burdick and seasoned builder Philip Schmidt teach you how to determine the size, placement, and type of installation you'll need. This comprehensive DIY guide covers everything from assembling rooftop racking or building a ground-mount structure to setting up the electrical connections and making a battery bank for off-grid systems.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Workman Publishing
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Illustrations
Full-color; photographs and il
Dimensions
Height: 206 mm
Width: 254 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Weight
574 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-61212-825-2 (9781612128252)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Joseph Burdick has more than 30 years of experience in the photovoltaics industry - from R&D, measurement, and testing to system design, installation, and project management. He is president and CEO of Burdick Technologies Unlimited, LLC, one of Colorado's top renewable energy companies, and is also a professor at Ecotech Institute, where he trains students for careers in solar installation.Philip Schmidt has been teaching readers how to do things for almost two decades. A former carpenter and longtime writer and editor, he is the author of 18 books, including PlyDesign, Decorating with Architectural Details, and The Complete Guide to Treehouses. He lives in Colorado with his wife, two daughters, and too many leftover building materials.
Content
Introduction
1 The Basics
Anatomy of a Solar-Electric System
Can I Install My Own PV System?
Going Solar – From Start to Finish
Working with Solar Professionals
Answering the Big Three
2 Assessing Your Site
Measuring Area, Slope, and Azimuth
Sizing Your System with PVWatts
Snow, Wind, and Shade
3 Choosing PV Hardware
Modules
Module Support Structures
Inverters and DC Optimizers
4 Designing Your System
PV Circuit Fundamentals
The Design Process
Sample System Designs
One-Line Electrical Diagrams
Wire Types for PV Systems
5 Getting Ready to Install
Permitting and Inspections
Shopping Solar
Solar Financials
Assembling Your Crew
6 Mechanical Installation: Rooftop
Laying Out the Racking
Installing Footers and Rails
Installing Modules
7 Mechanical Installation: Ground-Mount
Setting the Support Posts
Assembling the Ground-Mount Structure
8 Electrical Installation
Final Project Steps
Running Conduit
Component Connections
Final Inspection and Turning On Your PV System
9 Off-Grid System Design
Off-Grid Basics
Batteries
Sample Off-Grid System Design
10 Beyond Installation: Tips for Troubleshooting, Maintaining, and Monitoring Your PV System
PV Safety Rules
Shutdown and Startup Procedures
Maintenance and Troubleshooting
Monitoring Your System
Acknowledgments
Glossary
Metric Conversions
Index
1 The Basics
Anatomy of a Solar-Electric System
Can I Install My Own PV System?
Going Solar – From Start to Finish
Working with Solar Professionals
Answering the Big Three
2 Assessing Your Site
Measuring Area, Slope, and Azimuth
Sizing Your System with PVWatts
Snow, Wind, and Shade
3 Choosing PV Hardware
Modules
Module Support Structures
Inverters and DC Optimizers
4 Designing Your System
PV Circuit Fundamentals
The Design Process
Sample System Designs
One-Line Electrical Diagrams
Wire Types for PV Systems
5 Getting Ready to Install
Permitting and Inspections
Shopping Solar
Solar Financials
Assembling Your Crew
6 Mechanical Installation: Rooftop
Laying Out the Racking
Installing Footers and Rails
Installing Modules
7 Mechanical Installation: Ground-Mount
Setting the Support Posts
Assembling the Ground-Mount Structure
8 Electrical Installation
Final Project Steps
Running Conduit
Component Connections
Final Inspection and Turning On Your PV System
9 Off-Grid System Design
Off-Grid Basics
Batteries
Sample Off-Grid System Design
10 Beyond Installation: Tips for Troubleshooting, Maintaining, and Monitoring Your PV System
PV Safety Rules
Shutdown and Startup Procedures
Maintenance and Troubleshooting
Monitoring Your System
Acknowledgments
Glossary
Metric Conversions
Index