How are solar panels installed?

Are you considering generating your own electricity and saving money on your energy bills by investing in a solar panel system? If so, you may be wondering how the solar panels are installed on your roof. This blog post provides an overview of the solar panel installation process, ensuring you are well-informed before making that green investment.

• Erecting the scaffolding

To ensure the safety of the Solar PV roof installers, scaffolding is erected to provide a sturdy working platform. Generally, the scaffolding will be set up two days prior to the installation.

• Fitting the roof anchors

The stainless-steel roof anchors, which screw into the rafters of the roof and form the base for the mounting system, are hidden from view once the solar panels have been fixed. There are many types of roof anchors, and the type used will depend on the roof covering. The roof anchors are then screwed to the rafters and the Solar PV roof installer will check the roof finish in relation to the rafters.

• Attaching the rackets

The racket is composed of aluminium bars that are locked into the anchors and screwed in place. The installer will check to make sure each bar is straight and parallel to the other bars - this is a vital step in ensuring the panels look great.

• Installing the Solar Panels

The next step after the bars are in place is to clamp the panels to the frame. Careful measurements need to be taken, and the panels need to be checked for straightness from the roof and from the ground. Roofs are rarely perfectly straight, so the solar PV installation looks best when the panels run parallel to the nearest edge, usually the eaves.

• Wiring the Solar Panels to the Roof

To get the system connected, the installer needs to run the DC wiring from the panels into the property while hiding as much of the wiring as possible. On a slate roof, a small hole will be drilled and the cables fed through with a lead soaker to make the roof waterproof. These wires are then fed into the inverter.

• Final Wiring

While some workers are on your roof, another electrician will be inside your house setting up and connecting your inverter to the new panels and also your existing electricity wiring. The inverter is installed in a predetermined place and linked to the metering. The electrician will then double-checks all of the cabling and components for safety, and the solar panels are now ready to generate electricity!

As part of your full solar system, a small modern consumer unit and generation meter will be installed next to your existing fuse box, which connects to the existing supply.

Your inverter, generation meter and isolation switch will be located in the same place, grouped together.

• Switching on the solar panel system

You’re nearly ready to generate free energy for your home. The electrician will turn on the inverter and power up the system after the wiring is finished.