{"id":1730,"date":"2020-02-24T18:53:53","date_gmt":"2020-02-24T18:53:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.regalgrid.com\/?post_type=magazine&#038;p=1730"},"modified":"2024-09-25T13:21:12","modified_gmt":"2024-09-25T13:21:12","slug":"photovoltaic-system-installation-the-key-phases-explained","status":"publish","type":"magazine","link":"https:\/\/regalgrid.com\/en\/magazine\/photovoltaic-system-installation-the-key-phases-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Photovoltaic system installation: the key phases explained"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Installation of a photovoltaic system<\/strong>\u00a0is certainly the smartest way to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/regalgrid.com\/en\/magazine\/energy-saving-with-photovoltaics\/\">cut the cost of bills<\/a>\u00a0whilst also\u00a0<strong>reducing carbon emissions<\/strong>. For those who have already decided to go down this route, it is important to complete\u00a0<strong>certain crucial steps for solar-panel installation<\/strong>, to guarantee a properly functioning and legally-compliant system. The first prerequisite for installation is that you are the\u00a0<strong>owner of the property\u00a0<\/strong>or you have\u00a0<strong>authorisation from the owner<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Technical assessment<\/h2>\n<p>It is essential to consult a\u00a0<strong>qualified technical expert<\/strong>\u00a0that will guide you through project development. Your technical consultant will perform an assessment and identify the main features of your property. Precise criteria have to be met to ensure feasibility and cost-effectiveness of the installation:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Roof orientation<\/strong>: a\u00a0<strong>south-facing<\/strong>\u00a0direction is ideal for solar panel installation on a pitched roof. South-east and south-west facing roofs can also be considered: yields will be lower, but still good. Increased irradiance is also achieved with optimal roof inclination, ideally between 30\u00b0 and 35\u00b0 at Italy\u2019s latitude.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Obstacles to irradiance<\/strong>: there must not be any obstacles present in the trajectory of solar rays that may cast shadows and compromise the system\u2019s yield.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Roof dimensions<\/strong>: the maximum size of panels is determined by the usable surface area. Generally speaking, a 3\u00a0kW system requires around 20\u00a0m<sup>2<\/sup>, but your technical consultant will advise you on the best set-up for your needs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Environmental or visual-impact restrictions<\/strong>: your technical consultant may advise you to check whether the area you live in is subject to environmental or visual-impact restrictions. However, it is your responsibility to obtain further information from your local municipal authority.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<h2>Designing the photovoltaic system<\/h2>\n<p>Your technical consultant will consider the following when designing the system:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Characteristics of your home<\/li>\n<li>Size of your household<\/li>\n<li>Consumption habits<\/li>\n<li>Budget<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Based on these factors, the consultant will introduce you to the various types of panels in\u00a0<strong>monocrystalline or multicrystalline<\/strong>\u00a0silicon or\u00a0<strong>thin-film<\/strong>\u00a0technologies using cadmium telluride, each with different yields and costs.<\/p>\n<p>Another important consideration is:\u00a0<strong>how do you want to manage excess energy?<\/strong>\u00a0There are two alternatives: you can either feed it back into the national electricity grid or\u00a0<strong>store it<\/strong>. The second option gives you more\u00a0<strong>independence<\/strong>, even at times when the system is unable to generate energy, by relying on a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/regalgrid.com\/en\/magazine\/pv-system-with-storage-benefits-and-costs\/\">storage system<\/a>. This type of investment is becoming increasingly accessible to all users due to the reduction of prices and the presence of incentives and tax exemptions.<\/p>\n<p>You can specify to your technical consultant which type of system you would prefer:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Stand alone\/off-grid<\/strong>: not connected to the national electricity grid and equipped with a storage system (best suited for properties that are not already connected to the national grid).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Grid connected<\/strong>: connected to the national grid, allowing excess energy to be fed back into the grid in return for a reimbursement on your utility bill, or to be shared with other members of your energy community.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mixed<\/strong>: the system is both connected to the grid and equipped with storage systems. This type of system allows both self-consumption of energy generated at any time of day, and also permits sharing of excess energy with other consumers connected to the same transformer substation, if you belong to an energy community.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you are happy with the design and quoted price, you can proceed by checking the authorisations required by your country regulation.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Installing the photovoltaic system<\/h2>\n<p>At this point, you can proceed with installation. The company responsible, together with the designer, will carry out the following activities:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Preparation of\u00a0<strong>worksite<\/strong>\u00a0and safety measures<\/li>\n<li>Installation of\u00a0<strong>support<\/strong>\u00a0structures and photovoltaic modules<\/li>\n<li>Installation of\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/regalgrid.com\/en\/magazine\/inverter-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-work\/\">inverter<\/a><\/strong>, electrical panel and\u00a0<strong>storage system<\/strong>. If you already intend to share your energy with others, perhaps with your neighbours, this is the time to install a\u00a0<strong>controller<\/strong>\u00a0such as Regalgrid&#8217;s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/regalgrid.com\/en\/landing\/\"><strong>SNOCU<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0for:\n<ul>\n<li>Real-time monitoring and management of incoming and outgoing energy flows<\/li>\n<li>Optimisation and set-up of automatic management for charging and discharging cycles of the storage system<\/li>\n<li>Active control of all interconnected devices<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Wiring and testing of the photovoltaic system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can now go ahead and submit a request to the grid operator for\u00a0<strong>connection to the national grid.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>What to do after the installation<\/h2>\n<p>It is important to remember that a photovoltaic system has an\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/regalgrid.com\/en\/magazine\/solar-panels-lifespan-how-long-do-they-last\/\">extremely long lifespan<\/a>\u00a0compared to other technology.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/regalgrid.com\/en\/magazine\/photovoltaic-system-maintenance-useful-information-and-expert-advice\/\"><strong>Annual maintenance<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0helps to keep the modules in good condition, providing a more stable yield. The Regalgrid controller will help you to keep track of yields, better managing energy and monitoring consumption.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":4445,"parent":0,"template":"","category-magazine":[41],"class_list":["post-1730","magazine","type-magazine","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-magazine-solar-and-photovoltaic"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/regalgrid.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine\/1730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/regalgrid.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/regalgrid.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/magazine"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/regalgrid.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine\/1730\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4447,"href":"https:\/\/regalgrid.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine\/1730\/revisions\/4447"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regalgrid.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/regalgrid.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category-magazine","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regalgrid.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category-magazine?post=1730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}