The difference between quality and dodgy installs has become a significant talking point within the solar industry. At Westsun Energy, we take pride in identifying our customer’s solar needs, helping them every step of the way, including design and installation.
This article goes through critical points that separate an excellent install from a bad one, including whether your solar installer has added value to your home, not just a future headache for you.
Licensing
All solar work is legally required to be installed by a licensed electrician with an attached CEC-accredited license. Firstly, you should check that the company that is completing your solar installation is both insured and licensed – this will protect you and your home in the event of anything going wrong and prevent you from being added to the list of casualties who have been caught out by using unlicensed tradespeople to install solar on their home.
Anything with solar requires a Clean Energy Council Accreditation; this ensures that the electricians installing your system have completed the required courses and are adequately educated regarding the correct installation procedures.
Finding a licensed installer will help prevent any future headaches and can be found here:
https://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/consumers/buying-solar/find-an-installer
Signage
Appropriate labelling and identification should always be on the inverter, isolating switches and switchboards. Acceptable forms of signage should include some of the stickers pictured below.
On the inverter, you should be able to see the following:
- A clear warning place card with a detailed shutdown plan
- Warning about disconnecting DC cables without isolation
- If there is more than one MPPT used
On the switchboard, you should be able to see:
- Clear labels for your main switch (grid supply) and the main switch (inverter supply)
- Solar array open circuit voltage and current
- A green PV sticker on the outside of the switchboard
These labels are there to ensure appropriate actions can be taken in the case of an emergency. For example, if there is a house fire, a firefighter can quickly be made aware of the solar system installed in the home. This includes the size and danger of it with the ability to locate the correct isolators to turn it off.
Racking
Racking is an essential part of the solar system that physically holds the panels to the roof. Comprised of rail, mids, ends and tin or tile fleet, depending on your roof type, the installation of this racking will be a significant indicator of whether or not your panels will stay bolted to your roof for the next twenty-plus years. A poorly installed racking system may result in water leaks, so we recommend using a CEC-certified solar professional.
Roof Penetrations
To ensure your roof is adequately protected, whether tile or tin, it’s an integral part of the racking that penetrates the top and must be installed correctly.
When installed on a tile roof, one of the most important things to look over is that it has been correctly ground down so it sits flush back on the top after the foot has been installed.
Once a tile foot has been screwed into the truss, the tile it sits under must be shaved back properly. If these aren’t shaved correctly, and a substantial gap is left, it will result in a water leak.
Similarly, the tin foot must be installed on a tin roof with rubber spacing underneath it. Generally, the previously existing screw is replaced with a new screw rubber foot. Therefore, the rubber foot must be in place to prevent water leaks.
Apart from this, another vital thing to check is the system’s rigidity. It should all be bolted down and locked in place – give a panel edge a jiggle. It should feel solid and not flex around in class. Loose panels or missing clamps directly affect the integrity of the solar installation.
Clamping Zones
Any installer who knows what they are doing will understand the importance of clamping zones.
Clamping zones indicate the best location for clamps to clench on the panel. This mitigates panel flex under strong wind conditions and ensures your meetings last during harsh weather.
Panels
Have you ever seen panels that look like they have been thrown on the roof and bolted down? We don’t want that to happen to you.
Not only is that hazardous but it is also installed entirely wrong. There are requirements about how close panels can be to the ridge and gutter lines on your roof. These are called the ‘exclusion zones’ and protect your solar system from the wind.
In Australia, we have wind zones graded A, B, C and D, with A being the least severe and D being the most.
The racking manufacturer’s guideline usually classifies the exclusion zones. A general rule of practice is to have the panels at least 20cm from the edge of the gutter and roofline all around.
A gap on the gutter line also allows water runoff, especially during heavy rainfall. If an insufficient gap is left, it will cause to ‘sheet’ off your roof, and you’ll end up with gushing water coming straight over your gutter.
Panel Alignment
Panel alignment is more of an aesthetically pleasing feature of your solar installation. However still incredibly relevant. You are paying for a premium service and deserve your panels to look good on your roof. These are the things a professional installer will ensure they complete correctly as they understand the importance of an aesthetically pleasing system.
Don’t end up with panels that look like this…
Wiring
DC cables have more character than your standard house wiring. The cable is, by design, more resistant to corrosion and cuts; however, it is built stronger. DC cable carries higher voltage and lower current, and due to the nature of inverter technology, DC cable is usually not RCD protected. Moreover, there is still a circuit breaker in place, and if your cabling has been installed in a potentially dangerous way in or on your roof, this can lead to hazards such as electrical arcing or fire.
If you can, you may hop onto the roof and check the cable run from the inverter to the solar panels on the top. All DC cabling should be installed in HD solar conduit or appropriately mechanically protected. The conduit should be clearly labelled as DC solar conduit and adequately held in place by straps and saddles.
Protecting your cable runs with heavy-duty conduit vastly reduces the risks of damage to the cabling.
Additionally, a common area for water ingress is the penetration that allows access for the conduit up to the solar panels on the roof. A recommended form of roof penetration is through the use of Dektite.
The Dektite should be installed with a clean bead of silicone and a visible amount of conduit protruding onto the rail on the roof, preferably under a panel to protect it from the UV rays the sun produces.
Directly out of the tektite, there should be an excellent clean fixing to the rail with no sags or bends.
Moreover, sag on the roof will lead to early degradation of the cables and is generally an indicator of poor installation. A degrading DC cable is dangerous as it will eventually arc and cause a fire. This could even cause the top to become electrically charged on a tin roof, which is incredibly dangerous.
Shading
One of the most essential parts of your solar installation is the shading on the panels. With the way that DC Solar operates, any meetings that are even slightly shaded will decrease performance. Whilst some people may think the more panels on your roof, the better, this is not always the case if trees or buildings block panels throughout the day.
It is probably likely that shading may only occur at some times of the day. However, you can invest in optimizers that benefit you if shading blocks your panels for some part of the day. We are here to help, and there are many ways to negate this situation, and it is a crucial step when looking to reduce your power bills.
Panel Maintenance
Moreover, panel maintenance plays a significant role in the system’s efficiency. Cleaning panels set of dirt and keeping them free from leaves and dirt will ensure the board operates at its full potential.
Inverter
The inverter is the brains of the entire system – the inverter transforms the voltages, converts the sun’s energy from DC solar power into AC house power, and helps minimize your power bill. Therefore, this is the most critical part of the solar installation, and the inverter must be installed correctly in a well-ventilated area free from dust and water ingress.
Inverters installed to manufacturer standards will usually have an exclusion zone around them for heat dissipation and a required location to allow for their IP rating to stay relevant.
In areas closer to the sea, corrosion can also be an issue and will require the inverter to be placed in a location that keeps it safe from any sea spray that may occur.
Another essential thing to consider is the location of the inverter regarding the sun. A good installer will work to avoid walls that experience large amounts of sunlight because the sun will cause heat to rise in the inverter. Inverters automatically clip performance based on increased heat and will end up with a faded screen after a couple of years.
Commissioning
Several factors go into an adequately commissioned inverter. If you are running a system that uses a high-end inverter such as a Fronius, there are things you will want to check to ensure that your system has been set up to operate in the most efficient way possible.
Whilst it is difficult to check these things by yourself, chatting with your solar installer on the day about what is being set up on the inverter can lead to a greater understanding of your system and its long-term health.
Inverters can be incredibly complex and can be the difference from your 5kW inverter running at 98% or 65% efficiency. With an investment around the exact cost of a second-hand small car, it makes sense to be adequately educated and make the right choices. This is what we are here to do: make your life as easy as possible along your solar journey.
Lastly, Westsun Energy emphasizes educating our clients regarding their solar investment. You will likely experience a higher energy saving than simply expecting the system to run and waiting for it to break down. You understand your solar systems are a great way to produce green energy and save on electricity bills.
