Here are your options and gotchas when adding solar panels to an existing system.
Please note: this post was written in 2016
***Please read this 2022 post for the latest information on upgrading your solar panel array.***
So you’ve got solar panels on your roof and you want more so you can get your bills even lower?
May the (electromotive) force be with you!
I’m thinking of writing a screenplay. The movie’s name is “3-Phase Solar Wars : The Phantom Imports”. Here’s the opening scene:
“Quite soon in the future, in a suburb not very far away….
It is a period of civil war. Solar owners, striking from over a million rooftops, have won their first victory against the evil Electricity Empire.
During the battle, these plucky rebel homeowners managed to get their electricity bills down so low that they are on the cusp of destroying an entire electricity retail industry.
But now the Empire’s sinister agents have a plan:
Innovation in solar never ceases to amaze me. But I can’t decide if this particular innovation is genius or totally nuts.
US solar panel manufacturer Lumeta Solar have announced a new 175W solar panel design that is super thin, with no frame, a junction box on top instead of underneath, and get this: double sided sticky tape on the back. The idea is that you simply peel the backing off the tape and stick the panel to the roof.
Lumeta Solar Panels stick on to the roof with adhesive. (Pic: Lumeta Solar)
Power and Water Corporation (PWC) is set to deploy renewable energy systems to over 30 communities in the Northern Territory. SETuP (Solar Energy Transformation Program) will develop solar power for use in remote communities. The aim is to implement systems that won’t affect remote energy users’ usual operations. For the full article, click here: Northern Territory Solar Energy Transformation Program
A recent survey showed of 32 residential solar installers over a two-month period showed that micro inverters were able to reduce soft costs compared to conventional central inverters. In fact, major micro inverter manufacturer, Enphase claim that installation using their TRUEAC modules have can reduce labor costs by up to 48%!
They also claim that installers in the US had to walk away from 1 out of 4 jobs if they weren’t using micro inverters (which are easier to install on difficult roofs). I find this really hard to believe, but if it’s true I can only put it down to the prevalence of online quoting without a site visit over in the USA. You really do need a site visit if you want a high performing solar system properly designed for your roof. You simply can’t do it with Google maps (even with micro inverters)!
Read more about this here.
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