HOW TO INSTALL SOLAR PANELS BY YOURSELF?

The year 2022 has come – no one is surprised by an electric car, electric scooter or electric bicycle moving along the road, just as solar panels installed on the roofs of factories, warehouses, gas stations and private homes are not surprised either, allowing not only to recharge the batteries of the aforementioned vehicles, but also to provide electricity to the dwelling.

For the most part, people interested in solar energy are people with a lively and inquisitive mind, keeping up with the times and looking for new ways to solve mundane problems. For such people, the idea of switching to solar energy can easily become the impetus for an overwhelming desire to make the idea a reality. It is in this article that we will figure out what materials, tools, devices and skills any enthusiast who decides to install solar panels on the roof of his house on the coast will need.

Firstly, it is worth noting that at least two people will be required to install the panels: it is much easier to make the necessary measurements of the roof surface together, it is safer and easier to work together and, of course, it is easier to move and lift the panels onto the roof together. To do it alone, of course, you can, but it will either be associated with risk to health and life (because you can just drop the panel or worse, fall with it), or it would require the erection of auxiliary mechanisms to lift the panels on the roof.

Secondly, you need to understand that installing solar panels will require special tools and consumables that not everyone has. Would you like to be sure? No problem - let's make a list of everything you need.

So, we will need:

1. Ladder. Reliable and long enough to climb the roof.

2. A compass or its electronic counterpart on a smartphone to determine the optimal position of solar panels, because for maximum efficiency they must be oriented to the south.

3. Measuring tape (meter) in order to know the exact dimensions of the roof and thereby determine how many panels we can place.

4. A marker or pencil to mark the boundaries of the panels and the places where holes are drilled to install the aluminum structure on which the panels will be supported in the future.

5. Suitable professional shoes that will not slip on a sloping surface, even if the tiles on the roof are covered with moss.

6. Terralinia which will allow us to put markings on the surface of the tile for drilling holes.

7. Drill-puncher. Preferably powered by a rechargeable battery. If there is no such thing, then a regular one that works from an outlet will also work, but in this case we will also need a sufficient length.

8. Extension cord.

9. A set of drills: in order for the tiles not to crack, it is necessary to start, for example, with a drill with a diameter of 8 millimeters, then expand the holes with a drill of 12 millimeters and only after that refine the holes with a drill with a diameter of 16 millimeters. In some cases, you will also need a drill bit with a diameter of 20 (!!!) millimeters.

10. Special dowels (tamises) for use with epoxy (taco quimico).

11. Cartridges with epoxy resin (taco quimica). It is better to have them in stock, because if suddenly there is not enough, the process will have to be interrupted and go to the store for them.

12. A special gun for epoxy cartridges (exactly the same ones used for sealant cartridges).

13. Sufficient number of anchors (barillas) or ready-made special bolts of appropriate length to fix the structure under the solar panels.

14. Grinding machine (maquina de cortar/radial), because after fixing the anchors in the roof and installing an aluminum structure on them, they will need to be shortened. Without this, it will be impossible to install solar panels.

15. Metal disk for a grinder (it is better to have a spare as well).

16. Safety glasses. When working with a grinder, sparks fly, and the cutting disc can accidentally fly into pieces at full speed – the eyes must be securely protected.

17. Gloves to protect your hands from mechanical damage and your skin from sunburn.

18. Set of wrenches. Depending on the type of aluminum structure to be installed, both socket wrenches and hex keys (allen keys) may be needed.

19. Level (level, nivel, level), so that the structure we are building is located strictly horizontally, without distortions.

20. A safety belt (harness de seguridad), because we work at a height, and the way down can be very fast and traumatic.

21. Helmet. If we work in pairs, then two. We work three – three and so on. No one will benefit from a tool that accidentally fell on his head.

22. A set of wires for AC and DC. If suddenly at this stage these designations of electric current types cause you more questions than answers, then do not proceed with the installation until you have studied this topic, or contact specialists.

23. A set of electrician's hand tools: wire cutters, screwdrivers, electrical tape, pliers, etc.

24. Multimeter. Just a multimeter.

25. A set of connectors of the "papa-mama" type for connecting all the wires and connecting them to the inverter.

26. Set of wall plugs and bolts to fix the inverter to the wall.

27. A set of clamps (bridas) for fixing a plastic pipe with wires to the walls and roof (we will not leave everything hanging out at random).

28. The plastic tube itself (tubo flexible).

29. Fasteners for the plastic pipe.

Is that a lot? No, because you may still need washers, nuts, junction boxes and much more, because everything depends on the specific case, the specific installation and the individual house with all its features.

What else might you need? Experience. Not only the experience of owning each individual tool, but also the experience of installing solar panels. This is extremely important, since incorrectly installed panels can not only provide less energy, but also pose a real threat to life and health: solar panels can not only shock, but also simply fall.

That is why we provide a full range of installation services: from measurements to installation and configuration of turnkey equipment. We will take care of all the organization and installation of solar panels, we will install them as efficiently as possible using the most reliable materials and the best specialists. Contact Darosol. We'll do the rest. And the Sun, of course.