Most countries encourage residents to install home PV plants, through tax incentives and policy subsidies. The ultimate vision is similar, allowing society to achieve carbon neutrality and green energy-saving sustainable development. Specifically for individuals, how should ordinary families install photovoltaic panels on their own roofs? What conditions are required? What are the differences between the different types of roof installation methods? This article will answer all of your questions.
Is my roof suitable for installing a PV solar system?
First of all, you have to observe whether there are shadows around your own roof and whether the light conditions are good. And a country house is most suitable for installing a rooftop PV system - sunny and unshaded.There are many kinds of construction materials for roofs, so we won't discuss them for now. Here we divide roofs into flat and pitched roofs.
Flat roofs.
Flat roof PV systems are generally installed in the form of concrete columns and PV brackets. The investment cost is not high and the economy is better.On a horizontal roof, we can determine the angle of the PV panels by adjusting the brackets so that the PV system receives the most light radiation to obtain the maximum power generation.The biggest benefit of installing PV power plant on a flat roof is heat insulation and temperature reduction, which can generally reduce the temperature by 5~7 degrees.
Pitched roofs.
With a sloped roof of PV power plant, rainwater is automatically discharged due to the slope of the roof, no water will accumulate, and the PV panels can also be cleaned automatically.Pitched roofs do not need to increase the height of the bracket or calculate the angle of tilt, and are easier to erect and maintain.However, pitched roofs are usually tiled, and special attention needs to be paid to the protection of tiles and roof waterproofing when installing PV panels.
Do I have the right to install solar panels?
Building a home PV plant requires separate ownership of the roof. In rural areas where there is a separate roof, it is relatively easy for residents of cottages to install. In urban areas, the roof of a multi-story or high-rise building is a common area that does not belong to a single household, and permission from all owners of the building is required to install PV panels.
What is the capacity of the panels I can install? How much do they cost?
This is determined by the size of a roof. Typically, an average home can have a 3kW - 10kW PV system on its roof, but larger projects can certainly be built if the roof area is larger or if higher power panels are used. Generally speaking, a roof of about 10 square meters can be fitted with 2kW, but it is possible to adjust the layout to use higher power solar modules, and even 7-8 square meters can be sufficient for 2kW.
The cost of installing a PV system depends on the specific circumstances of each household. In Europe, for example, for a residential house of 160 square meters, the upfront investment for a 5kW grid-connected PV system is about 6,000-8,000 euros (including taxes).
What products do I need to buy to install a PV system and how do I choose them?