More and more households in the UK are turning towards solar panels for their energy production. Over 3,000 installations are being carried out each week according to trade association Solar Energy UK.
The solar panel installation process, however, remains relatively unknown. You might be wondering if you can take care of it yourself or if you’d be better to call in a professional. And how much would it cost?
In this article, we will cover the step-by-step process of solar panel installation. We will also answer the questions you might have around the process and help you find accredited solar panel installers.
Step by step solar panel installation
We have broken down the installation process of your solar panel into eight key steps.
Before any installation takes place, the structural integrity of your property will be assessed by professionals. They will only go ahead with the installation if they consider that your roof and rafters can support the weight of a solar panel.
Set up scaffolding
The first step to solar panel installation is putting scaffolding in place. This is the most lengthy step in the whole process, taking about a day, but will ensure the installers’ safety as they access your roof.
Install mounts
The installers start by setting up mounts, ensuring that the solar panel remains securely fastened to the roof and protects it from potential damage in bad weather.
This is done by lifting some roof tiles in order to fix anchor points to the rafters. To these roof anchor points are attached the solar panel mounting system.
The mounting system supports the foundation of your solar panels, keeping them in place at the optimal angle to receive sunlight.
Install panels
Without fastening them at first, the installers will place the solar panels onto the mounting system. Once the correct angle is achieved, the panels are fastened with bolts.
Wire the panels
Your solar panel will most likely be pre-wired before installation, meaning that the wiring process can be skipped. The only thing to do is connect the wires to the inverter. The bigger the solar panels, the more wires you need to connect to your inverter.
Install the inverter
One of the fundamental components of your solar panel, your inverter converts direct current (DC) produced by the panel into alternating current (AC), which is energy that your home can consume.
The installers will set up the inverter by the breaker panel, a sort of hub for all electrical circuits within your home.
The installation process will take around 4 to 6 hours.
Connect to the battery (if there is one)
If you have decided to also buy a solar battery, enabling you to store energy produced by your panel for later consumption, then the inverter will be connected to it.
Connect to the grid
The inverter will be connected to your building’s consumer unit, the distribution board within your energy system that sends electricity from the mains to all circuits within the house.
Connecting the inverter to the consumer unit will enable your panel to start producing energy. Installers will then connect a generation meter, monitoring how much electricity your panel generates.
Start and test
As a final step, the installer will turn the power off and on multiple times to ensure that everything is working properly.
