When it comes to buying a solar system, many people wisely turn to a local PV (Photovoltaic) dealer/ installer who can select the components and ensure that all of them work well together. Although this option may cost a bit more than those I’ll explain shortly, it’s a good approach. A competent local installer can answer all of your questions and take care of problems that may arise. (Be sure they really know what they’re doing.)
Unless you’re mechanically inclined and pretty knowledgeable, embarking on this process yourself can put you on a steep and treacherous uphill climb! “Even licensed electricians often need help from experienced PV installers,” notes Johnny Weiss, Cofounder and Executive Director of Solar Energy International (SEI). You can find a list of local installers at http://www.homepower.com or at http://www.findsolar.com Also, be sure to check out the local business directory your phone company provides.
Another approach is to buy a system from an Internet supplier. This approach can save you a substantial amount of money, as deep discounts are available through the Internet. Once the system arrives, you will have to install it yourself, or try to hire a local installer to do it for you. Bear in mind, local installers may not be happy that you cut them out of the first part of the deal!
If you do buy through an Internet supplier, you’ll need to know quite a bit more about PV modules, racks, inverters, charge controllers, disconnects, and batteries than when purchasing a system from a local supplier/ installer. If you decide to take this route, you should read one of the books on solar electricity in the Resource Guide to deepen your knowledge. I’ve provided a lot of information in this chapter, but there’s much more to know. As Weiss points out, “PV systems are not plug and play.”
For years, my favorite book on solar electric systems has been The New Solar Electric Home by Joel Davidson. It presents a lot of technical information in a way that is amazingly comprehensible and was recently updated. Unfortunately, most of the rest of the books on solar electricity are penned by engineers or tech-heads for whom writing is not their strength. There is at least one exception, though, a book from Johnny Weiss and his colleagues at the nonprofit organization Solar Energy International in Carbondale, Colorado, that might be useful to you: Photovoltaics: Design and Installation Manual. This book is a manual for individuals who want to size, design, and install solar electric systems. It is very well-written and full of good information.
It should bring you up to speed on the subject so that you can size and design your own system and purchase its components with confidence. Who knows, after reading it — and taking a workshop on the subject from Solar Energy International in Colorado, the Solar Living Institute in California, or the Midwest Renewable Energy Association in Wisconsin — you might want to install the system yourself !
Be very careful when shopping for and purchasing the components of a solar electric system. This requires a lot of knowledge and attention to detail, be certain that you are working with a very knowledgeable dealer who really knows what he or she is talking about and offers solid technical support. Look for a supplier who’s been around for a long time. And look for one who will sell you what you need, not what they have in surplus.
In recent years, there’s been an onslaught of Internet renewable energy suppliers.
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