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SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION

Photovoltaic (PV) power systems convert sunlight directly into


electricity. A residential PV power system enables a homeowner to
generate some or all of their daily electrical energy demand on their
own roof, exchanging daytime excess power for future energy needs
(i.e. nightime usage). The house remains connected to the electric
utility at all times, so any power needed above what the solar
system can produce is simply drawn from the utility. PV systems can
also include battery backup or uninterruptible power supply (UPS)
capability to operate selected circuits in the residence for hours or
days during a utility outage.

The purpose of this document is to provide tools and guidelines for


the installer to help ensure that residential photovoltaic power
systems are properly specified and installed, resulting in a system
that operates to its design potential. This document sets out key
criteria that describe a quality system, and key design and
installation considerations that should be met to achieve this goal.

Once a system design has been chosen, attention to installation


detail is critically important. Recent studies have found that 10-20%
of new PV installations have serious installation problems that will
result in significantly decreased performance. In many of these
cases, the performance shortfalls could have been eliminated with
proper attention to the details of the installation.

1.1. Basic Principles to Follow When Designing a Quality PV


System
1. Select a packaged system that meets the owner's needs.
Customer criteria for a system may include
reduction in monthly electricity bill, environmental benefits, desire
for backup power, initial budget
constraints, etc. Size and orient the PV array to provide the expected
electrical power and energy.
2. Ensure the roof area or other installation site is capable of
handling the desired system size.
3. Specify sunlight and weather resistant materials for all outdoor
equipment.
4. Install equipment according to manufacturers specifications, using
installation requirements and
procedures from the manufacturers' specifications.
5. Properly ground the system parts to reduce the threat of shock
hazards and induced surges.
6. Check for proper PV system operation by following the checkout

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