A Day in the Solar Installation Trenches

Solar set up. No two words collectively could most likely have such diverse meanings for me when separated. For me, photo voltaic seems amazing – I photograph sunshine, power beaming down on us from that large old gorgeous sun in the sky, free of charge of charge, every single and each single day. Marvelous. Set up, on the other hand, fills me with concern and trepidation, as does dealing with anything at all mechanical. Even altering a light bulb gets me quaking with worry!

So, you can imagine the response I got when I told every person I was heading on a photo voltaic set up. But, soon after currently being involved in the photo voltaic energy business for numerous many years on the devices retail facet, I made the decision I essential to know a lot more about the sensible facet of photo voltaic and get my hands (and most of the rest of me, as it turns out) dirty.

The Very first Step

There’s a fantastic non-profit organization in the San Francisco Bay Place referred to as GRID Options, who accept volunteers to aid on solar installations. No prior knowledge essential. They present the coaching in a hands-on setting. All you will need to do to qualify to go on an set up is display up for an introductory instruction class at which you’re taught installation security techniques and given some qualifications information on GRID Choices.

I did this in Pleasanton, following which I received e-mails about upcoming installations. I volunteered for one in Oakland and was accepted.

The Website

I drove to the internet site in the early morning for an eight:thirty am begin. There have been about a dozen people gathered jointly, including a supervisor. The residence we had been heading to function on was a two-storey house with a fairly steep roof at the front, but we ended up assured the roof on the other side of the residence, in which the solar panels were to be put in, was a lot less daunting. Considering that I wished to perform with the panels, I volunteered for the roof. Gulp!

Finding Suited Up

3 of us were set to work on the roof. The very first issue we had to do was get into the harness that would be utilized to safe us while on the roof. If putting the harness on was anything at all to go by, I was in trouble by now! Fortuitously, some of my fellow roof-workers worked in the building business and kindly aided me get around the intricacies of climbing into the harness. We hadn’t even commenced however and I was acquiring difficulties currently. Needless to say, I wasn’t precisely overflowing with self-confidence!

Up On The Roof

It was with some trepidation that I climbed the ladder to the roof, then to the top rated of the roof. The very first point we did was hook our harnesses into the security barrier, which created me experience a whole lot safer.The rails that would assistance the PV panels had been by now in area, so the up coming point we had to do was set up the clamps that would hold the panels in location. This was fairly straightforward, and didn’t consider as well extended.

Next came the tough aspect – getting the solar panels up onto the roof, by hand! Two of the staff handed every single panel up to two of us on the roof, and, with the assist of our third crew member, we little by little walked the panel up the front, steep side of the house to the other, less steep aspect.

Dealing with the panels, which measured about 3 feet by five feet, proved awkward on a sloping surface, but we managed to line every one particular up and secure them in location. What this concerned was lowering the panel onto the rails between the clamps, producing sure the panel was directly and a pre-defined duration from the edge of the roof.

When setting the panel in the clamp, we had to ensure that the WEEB (Washer, Electrical Devices Bonding, which gives grounding for the panels) was aligned with the edge of the panel before tightening down the clamp. This proved to be the trickiest aspect of securing the panels, simply because the WEEB is a skinny rectangular strip of metal at the bottom of the clamp that is difficult to retain in location, which meant manoeuvering the panels around right up until the WEEB produced get in touch with with the edge of the panel.

The method was a fifteen panel array, so this took really some time. When we ended up performed with setting the panels in location, it was time to wire them collectively, which, even although there wasn’t a lot place to manoeuver, proved the best assignment of the day.

Beam Me Down!

That was rather considerably that for the photo voltaic panel installation. Whilst we ended up carrying out that, the relaxation of the group had been operating on the ground, setting up the wiring, the inverter and the disconnects. By the time we came down, they have been wrapping up their facet of items.

It felt good to have my feet again on theground, tired but with a genuine feeling of satisfaction at a career properly performed, with no mishaps or blunders – at least, none that I caused! Our supervisor was fantastic, and gave us all the details and route we essential to get the task performed. In reality, I can’t say enough about the employees and volunteers at GRID Alternate options – a wonderful organization with great men and women undertaking excellent function for significantly less lucky folks and for the surroundings also.

This was a fantastic experience for me, and one that I’d advise to anybody interested in finding out the principles of solar on the frontline. I am more than content to go again to my behind-the-scenes involvement, but I learned a great deal, met some wonderful men and women and liked the knowledge extensively and I’m hunting ahead to going on foreseeable future solar installations and learning a entire great deal more.

Commercial Contractor Pleasanton