So, you’re thinking about joining the many South African homeowners who have invested in solar panel installation? Solar energy will help you save on your monthly electricity bills and combat climate change, but what needs to happen to get those solar panels on your roof? Along with understanding the solar panel installation process, being familiar with your circumstances, like the age of your roof, can help you be a more informed solar consumer. Keep reading for a quick overview of the recommended steps to prepare your property to be powered by sunshine.

Solar Panel Installation: Choose A Solar Installation Company

An installer can help you with your entire solar installation process and give guidance on what decisions to make. Begin by researching qualified, insured installers online or asking for recommendations from people who have already gone solar. When reviewing your contract, make sure you understand the terms and conditions and do not hesitate to ask questions.

We, at Alumo Energy, have been conducting solar installations for many years and would be happy to help you with your solar installation.

Solar Panel Installation: Assess Your Needs

To begin with, you should assess your property’s needs and determine your energy consumption. While Alumo Energy will be able to help you do this, it’s always best to begin prepared. Consider what kind of appliances you will be running and when, and how much electricity you will need to maintain your way of life. You can also review your utility bills to gain a better understanding of your monthly and annual energy usage. Your energy needs will determine the size and capacity of your solar energy system.

This is a good time to do a home energy audit to see whether you need to make any energy-saving home improvements so that you can get the most out of your system. If you are unsure how to do this, you can use an online tool to assess your energy needs or consult with one of our Alumo Energy employees to help you with this assessment to determine your long-term energy needs. Remember to consider any recent or future changes to your home that may affect your usage. For example, you may have just bought new energy-efficient appliances, or you could be planning to buy an electric vehicle that will need charging.

Check the Insulation Levels

Heat loss through the floor, ceiling, and walls in your home could be very large if the insulation levels are less than the recommended minimum. When your house was built, the builder likely installed the amount of insulation recommended at that time.

Given today’s energy prices (and future prices that will probably be higher), the level of insulation might be inadequate, especially if you have an older home. Your water heater, hot water pipes, and furnace ducts (especially if located in an unconditioned space, such as an open crawl space) should all be insulated too.

Inspect Heating and Cooling Equipment

Inspect heating and cooling equipment, such as air conditioners and heaters, annually, or as recommended by the manufacturer. If you have a forced-air furnace, check your filters and replace them as needed. Generally, you should change them about once every month or two, especially during periods of high usage or if your home has poor indoor air quality. Have a professional check and clean your equipment once a year.

Lighting

Energy for lighting accounts for about 10% of your electric bill. Examine the light bulbs in your house and consider replacing inefficient bulbs with a more efficient choice. When shopping for bulbs, consider the brightness of the bulbs. Also look for ways to use connected home devices or lighting controls such as sensors, dimmers, or timers to reduce lighting use.

Appliances and Technology

The appliances and electronics you choose and how you use them affect your energy use and costs. Examine the appliances and electronics in your home and estimate their energy use. Consider strategies for reducing the energy use of your appliances and electronics.

You might consider the following:
– Unplugging an item when it is not in use to prevent phantom loads
– Changing the settings or using the item less often
– Purchasing a new, more efficient product.

Set your goals by understanding why exactly you want to invest in solar power. Are you hoping to lower your utility bills? Are you hoping to become independent from the national energy grid? Are you wanting to decrease your carbon footprint?

By defining your goals, you will help your solar installer narrow down the solar power system options and guide your own solar investment decisions. Depending on your goals, there are several different types of solar energy systems to choose from so it is best to be as specific as possible to get the perfect solar-powered system to cater to your needs and wants.

Solar Panel Installation: Make Sure Your Roof Can Support Solar Panels

It can help to know when your roof was installed or replaced, but if you don’t know and can’t ask the previous homeowners, your local government should have a record of when it issued the building permit (It can often save you money if you install solar at the same time as a roof replacement).

Solar Panel Installation: Determine Your Home’s Solar Potential

Aside from your roof’s condition, your home’s solar rooftop potential depends on your geographic location, the position of your home concerning the sun, how much shade you have, and the PV system you and your installer choose. These mapping services and tools can help you find out how much sunlight will reach your solar panels, along with your potential cost savings from going solar, but your installer can assess this for you too.

Note that online tools estimate your solar potential using remote data sources, like satellite data. For a more detailed determination of your solar potential, work with an installer.

Solar Panel Installation: Evaluate Your Finance Options

You can buy or rent a PV system. You can either purchase a system outright from Alumo Energy, rent a solar system with the option to own after a period of time orobtain a solar rental. When you own a system, you receive solar tax credits and incentives, but this is not the case when renting.

Renting a system can go one of three ways: You can rent a system from a company like Alumo Energy for a fixed period after which, for a nominal fee, you can own the system, or you can select an evergreen rental where you pay a fixed monthly payment for the use of your PV system, or you can enter a power purchase agreement, meaning you’d buy the electricity your system generates based on a set price per kilowatt-hour.

Design Your Solar Panel System

Chat with us at Alumo Energy and we can help you design the perfect solar power system suited to your needs, wants, and home. We can provide you with a detailed system design as well as the projected energy production estimate based on your location and system configuration.

Solar Panel Installation: Obtain Permits And Schedule Inspections

Give your installer the information they need to obtain the permits and arrange the inspections that your local government requires. The PV system installation generally takes only a few days, but it can take weeks to months to get the necessary permits and inspections, and it largely depends on the local regulations in your area.

Conclusion

We, at Alumo Energy, are solar energy providers. We offer solar installation, solar and battery solutions, as well as backup battery solutions tailored to your needs. We are committed to a greener future and so we have made it our mission to educate, inspire, and enable South African families to be more energy efficient in their homes.

We source premium technology from both local and international suppliers to ensure the best solution for your home. Our team is full of expert engineers, a dedicated client service, a professional back office, and an in-house implementation fleet.

We provide an end-to-end solution for your solar power problems and needs. Solar installation and design, system maintenance, technical support, and reminders about updates, load shedding and changes in solar power are some of our services offered.

Check out our website or contact us for more details!