Can You Install Your Own Solar Panels? – Part 2

We recently outlined several key reasons installing solar panels yourself may not be a good DIY project to undertake. Here are some additional reasons to consider working with a professional solar installer when you choose to get solar panels on your Alberta house.

Safety

If you’ve got some DIY experience under your belt, you probably have a basic understanding of how electric wiring works, and you may have installed new light fixtures or ceiling fans successfully. However, wiring solar panels is much more involved than hooking them up and plugging them in.

Many municipalities require someone to be a licensed electrician before they can legally wire solar panels. At the very least, you should be trained in residential wiring and how to connect panels to your local electrical grid. If you lack this specialized training, you could be putting yourself in danger by attempting to install solar panels by yourself.

The project involves working with complex, high-voltage wiring, so there’s a risk of injury – both while the installation is taking place, as well as further down the road – if the wiring is done incorrectly. Bad wiring can lead to power surges, electrical shorts and fire hazards, not to mention the serious danger of electrocution. Also, consider that incorrectly wired panels could reduce the amount of power your system will be able to generate for your needs.

Tools and Equipment

How often have you heard that the right tool for the job makes all the difference? Electricians have access to specialized equipment most DIY-ers would never think about needing to own – and not only that, they know how to use it.

A licensed solar panel installer has the training to understand what equipment will match your specific system’s requirements, including how to ensure that the energy your solar panels puts out will be compatible with your municipal electrical grid. They also have all the meters, instruments and safety supplies they will need to complete your project. Buying all that equipment for yourself would be prohibitively expensive, which would run counter to the DIY-er’s raison d’être of saving money.

If you live in Edmonton and are looking to install solar panels under the provincial Micro-Generation Regulation, you’d need to file an application with both the City of Edmonton (Development, Electrical, and Building sections) and EPCOR. One of the General Submission Requirements is to submit a Single Line Diagram (provided by an electrical contractor) which should include:

• Module brand, model, certification mark, quantity, combined STC output & Location
• Service entrance information (line phase, voltage, wire service provider, etc)
• All bonding and grounding conductors (or WEEB’s) and system grounding electrodes(s)
• All sub and main panel bus bar ratings and feeder breaker sizes
• Solar breaker size, sub and main panel between inverters and grid, with location on site
• DC and AC disconnect locations on site
• Minimum conductor size & length
• Inverter brand, module, certification mark, individual and combined output rating (Current voltage, current, and power), quantity and location
• Combiner box details and fuse ratings where applicable
• Solar array DC circuit rating per module for micro-inverters or DC Optimizers, or combined string ratings, at Standard Testing Conditions: Voltage Open Circuit, Max Power Voltage, Max Power Current, Show number of modules per string.

Time

Any seasoned DIY-er knows taking on a do-it-yourself home project can take significantly more time than paying a professional to do it. After all, people who install solar panels for a living become very efficient at completing their projects. What takes the pros a few days will probably consume several weeks, if not months, of your life.

The installation itself may only take a few extra days, if you’re fortunate enough not to run into any problems. But all the time you’ll spend on learning, preparing and buying equipment before you start, as well as how long it will take you to maintain your solar panels without expert help – that’s all time you won’t ever get back.

DIY Solar Isn’t a Good Use of Your Money or Time

The complexity of a solar installation makes it impractical to consider tackling yourself. While you may be up to the challenge of doing all the tasks, you won’t be able to do them as well as a seasoned professional. 

With solar panels, small mistakes can add up to thousands of dollars over the life of your equipment. Those losses, combined with the steep learning curve you have to climb to even attempt to take on a DIY solar installation, make it highly unlikely you will save money over the lifespan of your solar panels. All things considered, you’re better off hiring a professional to give you the peace of mind that your solar installation will give you the most bang for your buck.