[RE-wrenches] Solar Ready remodel

[August Goers]

Hi Holt -

Solar ready works great when carefully planned. ~25% of our clients in the Bay Area are builders or contractors and often don't have the budget to install a full solar system. We have a very high success rate with selling and installing the full PV system during the sale if we market it correctly. Here are some considerations when planning a solar ready PV system:

-Enter into contract and pull a permit for a complete PV system - if they decide not to install it later the permit can always be closed off.
-File for any incentives that might be available to lock in the best rates.
-Decide where the inverters will go and make sure the general contractor keeps the area clear.
-EMT should be run from the roof to the inverter location in the wall if possible. Make sure the exposed conduit is permanently sealed on top so water won't penetrate. Keep bends to 360 degrees or less - I typically try to keep it to 270. If the run is long then it might be worth fishing through a pull rope just to make sure the conduit will be usable after the walls are closed. Complicated long runs might require pull boxes installed along the way.
-We often run MC wire for the AC run in the walls from the inverter location to the electrical panel. 3 conductors plus ground with wire sized to handle the proposed future system size. Make sure there is a #8 or better ground electrode conductor run from the inverter to the main grounding location. Sometimes it simply makes more sense to run the AC side surface after the walls are up - it depends on how clean you need the final install to be.
-If a new roof is going up standoffs should be installed and sealed by the roofer. Make a sketch of the layout for future records. Make sure that the roofer takes complete responsibility for the roof warranty.
-Make sure the rough work is inspected by your local jurisdiction. This is a great time to talk with the inspector and see what issues they see before the walls are closed up. 
-Advise the client on shading issues and make sure chimneys, vent pipes, trees, etc aren't installed in a location where they'll interfere with the array.
-Make sure the electrical panel supplied by the electrician is sized and has space for the solar breakers and appropriate grounding. A 9 kW system will be pushing the NEC 120% back fed bussbar rule, so watch this carefully. The easiest solution to this is to install a large service panel (say 200 Amps or maybe even 400 Amps if it is a really big house) and then downsize the main breaker. 
-Label everything.
-Provide marketing material for the solar system when the house goes for sale - this is really important otherwise the solar benefit can be lost. 

A similar strategy can also be applied to solar hot water systems.

Anyone have additional thoughts? I've heard that some people haven't had good luck with solar-ready systems and I'd like to hear that side of the story. The service I listed above isn't cheap to do correctly - you can also keep the scope more limited.

Good luck. 

-August


 August Goers


Luminalt Energy Corporation
4000 Irving Street 
San Francisco, CA 94122


Office:  415.564.7652
Mobile:  415.559.1525
august at luminalt.com
www.luminalt.com





________________________________
From: "holtek at sbcglobal.net" <holtek at sbcglobal.net>
To: RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 7, 2009 7:34:57 AM
Subject: [RE-wrenches] Solar Ready remodel

  
Wrenches,
I am working with a client that is doing major 
remodeling on a recently purchased house. His budget is not allowing PV at this 
time, but he is very serious about adding it when he sells other property. I am 
suggesting that we make the house "solar ready" for such a time. I'm thinking to 
run oversized conduit to dedicated solar equipment room making 
wire runs easier when that time comes around. It is unclear as to the size of 
system budget will allow at future date (roof will accomodate approx. 9kw). Are 
there any further steps  that are suggested while the walls are open 
to make a future install as economical as possible? 
 
 
Holt E. Kelly
Holtek Fireplace & Solar Products
500 Jewell 
Dr.
Waco TX. 76712
254-751-9111
www.holteksolar.com
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