9kW DIY Home Solar Panel System Installation - Start to Finish
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- čas přidán 31. 05. 2024
- I help my friend install a 9kW grid tie home solar panel system on the roof of his new pole barn work shop.
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K2 Systems Racking: www.santansolar.com/product-c...
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Disclaimers:
This video is for information purposes only, and does not constitute professional advice. Solar systems can and do involve dangerous electrical connections. If you do not have experience with electrical wiring, please seek professional support.
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Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:44 Racking Information
03:46 Racking Install
10:08 Optimizer Install
14:39 Solar Panel Install
16:06 EnergyPal Information
18:47 Kids Install Solar!
19:45 DC Junction Box
24:19 Inverter AC Connection
24:39 DC Connection Junction Box to Inverter
29:00 Final Solar Panel Install
29:36 Warning Labels
32:00 Inverter Startup - Jak na to + styl
This is the BEST presentation that shows the actual DIY installation & the hardware and every bit and piece of the system.
TY to all who did the job.
I have been watching a lot of Solar install videos and yours is by far the best and most detailed complete install video I have seen, thanks.
I'm beyond excited as I've been creating my own diy system and been binging your videos!
Excellent presentation, Dave. Concise, to the point, with a very clearly outlined installation procedure, so anyone with a reasonable level, of DIY competency, could achieve a similar outcome.
It won't be the last video, of yours, I watch. Thanks.
This is a diabolical Installations no respect for Heat and safety. If anyone is injured the insurance companies would not pay out.There should be guard rails on the roof and a scaffolding to work from.plus they are also required to wear safety harness
I was recently quoted $47k for a system, so needless to say I'm here to learn how to DIY it! LoL Thanks for the solid instruction.
You can do it!
Nice set-up! San Tan is awesome, that's where we got our panels and mounting rack.
Another awesome video Dave. You make it look so easy.
Best tutorial I've seen so far. Well done!
beautiful system beautiful setup. Great explanation and please keep up the good work!!!!
Dave you are one of the best youtubers I ever watched since it began ! Thanks so much !
Wow, thanks!
Excellent video. Appreciate your references to the code. Might add that the code requires a minimum of six inches of wire tail at junction boxes. Keep up the good work.👍
Awesome video!! You regularly exceed my expectations!! 👍
I love the racking system, it looks very easy to use.
I've used it on multiple installs now and I like it a lot. The components are interchangeable and well thought out.
A very nice illustration. I definitely learned a lot by your video. In the K2 is the way to go
Hey, I just wanted to say "Thank you" for your incredibly detailed videos. I'm going through a bit of "analysis paralysis" at the moment, but it's awesome seeing your different installs, and the reasoning behind why you used one product over the other.
I can relate. When I was planning for my original install I was overwhelmed with all the options. At some point I decided to just move forward with something I was confident would work. Looking back, as you have seen in my videos, I could have done lots of things better, however, it was still worth it. To find the actual perfect solution would take more analysis than is practical. Good luck!
Pretty awesome video! Congrats to your kids!!!! Good job!
Best solar videos on the web. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Wow, thanks!
Looks like a very nice & clean install, I had 10kw of solar installed with 2 x 5 kw inverters to cover a Skillion roof over our main kitchen, dining & family area and get about 65kw/day presently in sunny Queensland, Australia, a huge bonus for us is that it shades this roof area and has reduced the internal room temperature on hot days enormously and we can feel & see a 5C-7C temp change either side of our back door. Cheers
That is one nice advantage of solar panels on the roof. They act as shade and reduce the solar load on the building. This has the added advantage of reducing AC power requirements. Thanks for giving some real world numbers for people to understand the impact.
great work, they should add holes on the rails so that the water doesn't accumulate
i was thinking the same, particularly with the open overhangs left on the ends. i'm sure the plastic caps are not really a seal, but ideally a few small holes along the way would be beneficial i think. until leaves and crud clog them anyhow.
Simple, complete and clear, much appreciated
The kids were my favourite part. ❤❤❤❤❤
Great Project. Great Stuff Dave
Amaizing presentation. Thank you.
I really needed to hear this thank you Lord for this teaching
Wow, that's a lot of roof. Love it.🙃🙃
Awesome video. Very informative and helpful.
Very detailed video, thank you for sharing your god given knowledge brother, more projects to come 🙏
Thanks!
Really well done how too thanks for putting this out there!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Nice job dave thanks for sharing
Thanks for another great video.
This was a really nice video. Loved all the details.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Awesome. It looks like that main disconnect turns off the house and also the shop. Some might think that's overkill but in the end it will disconnect the PV power supply which is what the inspector is looking for. I might do the same setup for my shop pv system. Minus the optimizers is what I'm leaning towards right now.
such a detailed video . Hats off
Thanks for posting.
well well explained and worth watching !!!!
Great content as usual. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
Thank you very much for including a detailed parts list! Looks like 10k for key compoments + a couple thousand for quality tools and extras like conduit. I need a 9kw system on my shingle roof in Arizona. Thanks again.
Glad it was helpful!
@@ProjectsWithDave I am having my asphalt shingle, vented roof replaced. Is there anything I can ask the roofers to do to make my DIY solar install easier after they are done? Thanks
I don't have any tips at this time. Maybe someone else has a suggestion for you.
@@PatagonianDuckYou might consider relocating vents / penetrations if that helps maximize your roof area available for panels.
hi dear friend, we are solar panels system factory, may i have your email or whatsapp please? More details will be sent accordingly.
Nice presentation
It is a great! Thank you.
This panel can put out close to 100 watts czcams.com/users/postUgkxOqI2yqX0XVrhR2BMJciTWrHJpG8FhJyg when positioned in the appropriate southernly direction, tilted to the optimal angle for your latitude/date, and connected to a higher capacity device than a 500. The built in kickstand angle is a fixed at 50 degrees. Up to 20% more power can be output by selecting the actual date and latitude optimal angle.The 500 will only input 3.5A maximum at 18 volts for 63 watts. Some of the excess power from the panel can be fed into a USB battery bank, charged directly from the panel while also charging a 500. This will allow you to harvest as much as 63 + 15 = 78 watts.If this panel is used to charge a larger device, such as the power station, then its full output potential can be realized.
BTW professionally made, very helpful videos and intruction and thanks for that!
Glad it was helpful!
Rock solid video. Title was not a lie.
You even stand like Crispin Glover in Back to the future!
Super Clean Installation
Thank you
Awesome video Dave! Relatively short and concise. You guys make it look super easy. Used Iron Ridge previously but will look into the K2 system on the next install. Curious, how long did it take to install from start to finish?
Thanks! It's not an accurate assessment because it takes significantly more time to video every step. We installed all the racking and optimizers on the first day, all the solar panels on the next day, then it took about a day to do the inverter, wiring and final panels.
1.13.23 Very good Dave. Thanks you for making this video.
Thanks!
Anazing vedeo to do install solar Amazing I loved it thanks
Great video instruction on racking & panel mounting for DIY!!
MANY THANKS FOR YOUR VIDEOS!
Glad it was helpful!
Great video
Thanks!
You cant make loops with wires if you want maximal efficiency. They heat up due to induction. We had to rewire 400 panels due to same exact installation. In case something catches fire or melts you will not be able to cash the warranty. And warranty is 20 years on some plants. So be very careful not to loop any wires. It will be major pain in the ass in case something goes wrong.
This is Straight legit 👌
the 120% rule is about the busbar in the panel, which for most 200A load centers is rated for 225A.
Thankyou for adding that clarification.
Just use 6x L bracket for each panel screwed onto roof. Done. Easy, cheap, quick.
Pull #10 insulated green ground wire in your 1” pvc for a cleaner installation
Great insight shared; however, it's crucial to emphasize the importance of safety measures by ensuring that children are not allowed access to the roof or top, fostering a secure environment for everyone involved.
But you do have to admit that the savings kids can give you on project costs are CRAZY. 💵💵
For a couple of candy bars they'll work all day! If you let them use the power tools, you can even skip the pop tarts! Harness 'em up and turn 'em loose!
*Note to the Secretary of the US Dept of Labor: No child labor was used in the composition of this parody. 😊
Love the mold on the north side of your house
awsome
Thank you Dave for the detail installation of the panels for DYI, I don't recommend anyone scanning the Energy Pal Code unless you want to be over charge with a design for your home?
Please give some detail on your experience with EnergyPal. All the customers I talked to have had a positive experience. I only want to recommend high value resources for people. Thanks!
k2 systems installer can you tell me more about the final adjustments you made to meet the panels to the roof? what tool do you recommend for the installer to locate the rafter affectively
thanks a lot
Happy to help
HOWdy P-w-E-D-D, ...
Thanks for Sharing
COOP
the WiSeNhEiMeR from Richmond, INDIANA
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Are you running each string all the way to the inverter and if so could you eliminate the junction box and just put a waterproof connector at the end of your conduit? Love your approach to this. I’ve watched several times because I’m putting up a similar array in the next few weeks.
Yes they are home runs to the inverter. At one point the inverter was going to be mounted closer to the string end point and I was going to make it one unbroken home run without a junction box just as you suggested. Less chance for failure. However, the longer run was easier to do with a junction box.
20% rule is to prevent maximum load it goes both ways. 200amp panel max is 160 both generation or use
I'm trying to figure out which wires to you for the back of the solar panel. Because there's wires that actually be sottering on those Pacific wires I'm looking for.
Very good！
Thank you very much!
What jumps out is a very common costly mistake - butting up two rows of panels flush. Looks neat, but it's simply......wrong! Even in Ohio, it gets fairly toasty in the summer, solar panels don't like heat, so ventilation is paramount. Leave a two inch gap for ventilation and get another 5% free output, extend the life of the panels to boot.
I'm sure a wider gap between rows would be helpful in this configuration and would have been easy to apply. However, I'm thinking that would complicate snow shedding. The snow would start to fill the gap and back up on the top row, possibly causing some structural loading issues.
Let me start by saying I am impressed with your dedication to answering comments. You have some great informative videos, thank you for sharing. Have you had any experience with snapNrack solar panel mounting system?
Thanks for the feedback! I have not tried the SnapNrack system. I see some pro's and cons at first glance. It could be cheaper since you don't have cross rails, although those mounts look very expensive. It looks challenging to set the second row of panels by wedging them under an already secured clamp, I'm not sure how well that would work without trying it. Probably my biggest issue with the system is the lack of flexibility to change the panels later. With a rail system if you upgrade the panels later you can adjust the pitch with no issue, with this system, all the mounts are fixt in place to match the exact size of your original panels. Also, you have a lot more holes in your roof. It's an interesting concept though.
Dave, this felt more like a K2 infomertial, 🤣
Well, the intention was to focus on how to install on a roof. Also, K2 was kind enough to send support to make sure I was able to give you the best information possible. Hopefully it was still helpful for everyone. Thanks for the feedback.
This was perfect for us, K2 solar students 😂😂😅😅😅😂🤣
Do u recommend optimizers for ground mount with no shadowing around in an open field. Keep seeing videos that optimizers and microinverters not needed. Curious your thoughts 🤔. Thx and wonderful detailed video!
If you don't care about individual panel monitoring, it isn't necessary. You can watch my detailed assessment of the options in this video: czcams.com/video/nC7i_GSrGlk/video.html
Unistrut, Amazon clamps and spool of wire and you could save about 70 percent of your cost on this install.
The part you forgot was to get a utility inspection. You cannot activate grid tie solar without the utiliy's permission. Other than that, this is the best explanation I've ever seen for grid tie solar installation.
Thanks for pointing that out. We had the utility inspection and approval, it just wasn't included in the video.
Good
Hi Dave, great series of videos. For this install did you have to run separate DC lines back to the house from the barn, or are you feeding the array back through exist AC lines?
It is feeding the house through the AC line between the house and the Barn.
@@ProjectsWithDave Thanks for the reply. I was wondering if that was possible. BTW... your videos have inspired me to go solar this year. Thanks again.
It’s also better to put the screws, holding the sheet metal down on the flat part not the ridges. Your system looks good. Cut shade trees as needed.
After running the system for a month we determined trimming one of the close trees towards the East would improved the production by about 10%. After cutting it down, we did see about that much improvement.
not ideal to install screws (even with the proper seal) on the flat surface of a roof, unless you are going to use some flashing to divert water around it. metal roofing is installed using screws through the ridges to avoid a potential leak path, as water runs mainly between the ridges.
How does that many 400w panels produce only 800w?
What am i missing?
Even if sun is low, that doesn't make any sense 🤔
Would be amazing to get a cost break down of a system this size.
Here is a cost breakdown I did for a similar system: czcams.com/video/PNTO83FvaL4/video.html
he lost me with the string lol 😂
I find it hilarious that the professional was the only person wearing the proper FALL protection. Kids were up there on the pitch of the roof with nothing but tennis shoes and play clothes. I think that you should stress safety first when doing a job. I enjoyed the video. Accidents happen in a split second.
It'd be cool if your friend was named Every Other Day Dave.
Hi, love your videos! I noticed you used PVC conduit inside. However, I thought metal conduit is needed inside. Is this allowed because of the optimizers and automatic shut down with the inverter?
Thanks for the encouragement. I'm a mechanical engineer not an electrician, maybe there's an electrician out there that has some insight on your expectation for needing to use metal conduit. All the installations I have done and had inspected used PVC inside and out with no issues.
Thus is an excellent video. I am thrilled to see all the components I learned on text put into action. Nothing beats visual. Thanks. Wonder if you also have a similar installation using Enphase micro inverters.
I have not used Enphase yet due to the cost. I may purchase some in the future for back to back comparison.
A couple of suggestions, especially for the diy'er and maintenance of the system. Especially with SanTan Solar panels and equipment, which are generally not manufacturer warranted, but with only a one year SanTan warranty. Is One, to go with one less panel per string giving more room on the sides, and Two, giving at least 18" between each horizontal string so you don't have to disassemble as much when components fail, much easier maintenance.
With a dark metal roof, questionable solar panels and optimizers, all these will cook in the summer! I will be very surprised if you don't have at least ten failures over the next ten years. You should make it so you can just Easily and Safely get to that one panel or component/ optimizer and replace it yourself, without disassembling most of the system, in some cases, to diagnose and or repair!?
Thanks for your suggestions.
interestingly enough, a (especially shiny, not matte/dull finish) black metal roof actually expels heat better than an asphalt roof, but yes, there could be more "heat soak", and a of a loss in production/efficiency from the panels due to that, it will be better than an asphalt shingle roof which absorbs, holds and convects, provided the air flow around the panels is maintained.
Thanks a lot! how would instructions and materials change if they were installed on shingles?
Simply replace the EJOT roof bolt with a style designed for shingles. They come with a flashing for tucking under the shingles.
24:09 The gland connectors not secured properly. Nice build!
27:31 OK it's fixed now... :)
Thanks for checking the details. I was missing a part and had to fix it later. If I showed everything the video would be several hours long... : )
OK, Solar Edge optimizers are good, I didn't know that Sant Tan sold them?
They do not sell SolarEdge, these were purchased through Unbound Solar.
Great video! With solar edge, do you have solar power if your internet goes down?
Yes, internet is just for monitoring and hardware updates.
but you have panels on top right? How come the water enters the rail trench and sinks the cable?
Hi Dave, can you share a link to the clips you use on the outside of the rail? I learned that they are not the same as the ones used on the panel frame.
They are different. Unfortunately, I don't see them stocked anywhere at the moment. I recommend using some UV stable Zip ties If you can't find them.
Good video. Panels weigh about 50lbs each. Do you recall what the barn pole spacing and purlin size were for the roof? Thx
I believe it was 2'
Thank you Maypower2029- great work . I have seen the same saving over the past few months we have had solar panels on our roof which you helped me install when i was recommended by you on the comment section (43 panels). Last year we had $300 in electricity bills - that's it! Maypower2029 is great!
clear installation details, what i cant understand is that in the beginning of the video you give safety-instructions about using a gear to work on a roof and then there are two kids on the roof without any protection. ont of them is stepping backward to the top of the roof without looking back and almost getting to the point of tripping over the nok
hello Sir
can you explain down grid off grid solar system comparison advantages and disadvantages and over all the best system mainly the cost and power quality ... thanks a lot
You can get more on this topic from my video on net metering: czcams.com/video/IwUK1dNJ3n8/video.html
@@ProjectsWithDave i watched this gentleman saying some good info about the days when not enough sun it looks like he using higher technology systems czcams.com/video/B5Gaqk5XPqg/video.html&feature=share
With the 120% rule, I see the 40 amp breaker for the pv input but I’m a bit confused. Where is the 200 amp breaker and could you please elaborate when you say “generally 40 for PV and 200amp for Input” what is that input to which you are referring? I assumed if your panel max is 240amps you would put about a 200 amp double breaker?
There is no 200A breaker. The 40A breaker is for the 7.6kW inverter output, not directly related to the solar array size.
Hello, I've always understood solar power well but what is still a little unclear for me is integrating the power to the grid. You installed a breaker to the other end of the panel. It has 240 from the grid going to that breaker, right? And then 240V going into the breaker from the solar. I would never trust myself to turn on that breaker, that's why i'm asking. Does it not short out or something?
The flow of power is controlled by the voltage. The inverter puts out a voltage slightly higher than the grid voltage resulting in it being a power source instead of a load.
You can add Suness Lithium battery, discount and 5 years warranty
the roof looks like it's pretty clear from tree shading. was the optimizer necessary?
There is shade in the morning and afternoon that creeps across the roof. Also the panels are used so the output varies quite a bit from panel to panel.
I need the "e-jot" fasteners you mentioned. I don't see them listed at santan or K2. Where did you get those please?
I have one source listed in the components list for this project on my website: projectswithdave.com/9kw-diy-home-solar-panel-system-installation/
Santan is working on adding one to there site. I'll link to it when it's up.
Hello Dave, I really enjoy your videos! I was wondering if you were able to get full access to the solaredge app as a self installer? I'm self installing my own solaredge system in Lincoln Nebraska. As far as I can tell solaredge will not give me administrative access as an uncertified self installer. I used the solaredge website to lookup a local certified solaredge installer. As far as I can tell there are none in Eastern Nebraska. Do you have any tips on how to get administrative access as a self installer? Thanks!
I set myself up as an installer with them. That was a while back so I don't remember what all was required.
How resistant are these to areas with high winds and tornado prone? I'm afraid to get solar because they might act as sails and lift off.
You have to spec the racking for the wind loads in your area. 90MPH winds is a typical rating. Keep in mind most roofs won't withstand a direct hit from a tornado even if the panels stay attached to it.