Solar Panels Installation

For eco-conscious people, going solar and driving an electric car are natural choices to align their lifestyle with their goals of contributing to a greener future. If this sounds like you and you already have solar panels powering your home but you charge your car at a station, in this blog, we’ll discuss the advantages of adding an EV charger to your home, and we’ll give you the steps you need to follow to use your solar system to charge your electric car without leaving your house and making sure you’re driving a fully green vehicle. Why You Should Add an EV Charger to Your Solar System Beyond the obvious benefits of the convenience of charging your vehicle whenever you need to and knowing you are driving a car powered with clean energy, using your solar system to charge your EV has other interesting perks: Overall, adding an EV charger to your home is a win-win scenario that offers economic, environmental, and societal benefits to you, the planet, and society as a whole. How to Charge Your EV With Your Solar Panels Without further ado, let’s take a look at the steps you need to take to charge your EV with your panels: 1. Determine the Energy Consumption of Your EV The amount of electricity your EV consumes for a full charge is crucial. This varies depending on the vehicle model, battery capacity, and charging efficiency. You can find this information in the vehicle’s specifications or manual. 2. Determine the Charging Frequency How often you charge your EV and how much energy you use between charges will influence your energy output needs. If you charge your EV daily or have multiple EVs, you may need more solar panels to meet your energy demands. As a rough estimate, it takes 7 to 12 panels to charge an EV, depending on the weather, your driving habits, and your car model. We recommend contacting your solar installer to discuss a potential system expansion if needed or what other options are available for your specific needs.  3. Charger Installation and Essential Considerations It’s important to ensure that the charger is compatible with your solar system’s inverter and designed to handle its voltage and amperage because it will draw electricity from the solar panels via the inverter. Installing an incompatible charger can lead to several issues: 4. After Installation, Follow Up Once you install the charger and start using it, keep an eye on your solar system’s performance to ensure it generates enough electricity to charge your EV. If you notice abnormal energy fluctuations or the charger malfunctions, contact your installer company for further assistance.  Another Way to Take Advantage of Your Panels Installing an EV charger to charge your car with the energy your solar panels produce is a convenient add-on that will not only make your life easier but also help support your eco-conscious lifestyle. However, to avoid damage to your solar system, it’s essential to keep in mind the considerations we discussed above before starting your charger project. If you are looking for a professional installer to help you install a charger that suits your needs, contact us.

Getting solar panels can be a hefty investment, so trying to protect them from damage to guarantee they perform at peak capacity for their lifetime is a natural concern for homeowners and businesses alike. One of the most common protection items for solar panels is critter guards, and in this blog we’ll discuss how they work, the different types available, and why you should consider installing one to keep pesky animals away from your panels. What Are Critter Guards? Critter guards, also known as wildlife deterrents, pest barriers or solar screens, are physical barriers that surround the solar array and prevent animals from accessing or nesting under the space between the panels and the roof.  Why Should You Install Critter Guards? Wildlife damage can be more severe than most people may think. For example, the main threats to solar panels are birds, squirrels, and rodents. They tend to nest under the panels and chew on exposed wires, leading to debris buildup and damage to wiring, resulting in a decrease in the system’s power output and expensive, unwanted repairs. Aside from wild animals disturbing your solar panels, critter guards can also serve as protection against environmental debris such as dust, dirt, pollen, leaves, branches, or bird droppings that can accumulate on the surface of solar panels over time and potentially reduce the amount of energy the panels can generate.  What Types of Solar Critter Guards Are Available? There are two types of critter guards in the market, and which one to choose will depend mostly on the most common animals in your area and your budget: Wire Mesh These guards consist of a flexible, sturdy mesh of light metal installed around the perimeter of the solar panels and attached to them with mounting brackets and fasteners. They create a barrier that prevents animals from crawling underneath. Wire mesh critter guards are effective at keeping out small animals like rodents and birds while allowing airflow and keeping the panels’ temperature stable. (Source) This critter guard option is the most cost-effective, and you can buy it online on sites like Amazon, but it can be more challenging to install if you want to do it yourself. Adhesive Barrier These are light metal strips that are adhered to the solar array with a peel-and-stick heavy-duty adhesive, forming a cage that will keep critters at bay. The metal strips can be cut with a snap or shears and bent at the corners as needed to fit and surround the array completely.  (Source) Adhesive critter guards are easier to work with for DIY installers but are usually more expensive than their mesh counterparts and can’t be reused in your panels if you have to remove the strips for repairs. Protecting Your Investment Is Easy Installing a critter guard for your solar system is a protective step that will save you money and more than a headache if squirrels, birds or rodents choose to make their home below your panels. Proactively protecting your investment with critter guards is easy and will ensure your panels produce energy with no mishaps for decades to come.

A solar system goes beyond the panels. Solar inverters play a crucial role in turning the energy the panels get from sunlight into usable electricity for your appliances. We’ll give you a full scope of how solar inverters work, which types are available in the market, and our recommended inverter that we use for our clients’ installations. So, What Is a Solar Inverter? A solar inverter (also known as a photovoltaic inverter or grid-tie inverter) is an electronic device that converts direct current (DC) electricity produced by solar panels into alternating current (AC) electricity. This allows solar energy to power household and commercial appliances and integrates the solar system with the electrical grid to feed it with the excess energy panels produce.  Inverters are also essential for ensuring the quality, compatibility, and safety of the electricity generated, minimizing the risk of appliances and equipment damage, and helping maintain the grid’s stability and reliability.  Types of Solar Inverters String Inverters String inverters typically connect multiple solar panels in a row, forming a “string” of panels, and convert all the incoming DC energy to usable AC energy. Due to their lower cost and relatively straightforward installation process, string solar inverters are popular in solar residential and commercial installations.  However, string inverters come with a few downsides. They may not be suitable for installations with significant shading issues, as shading can affect the entire string’s output. A string configuration also makes the whole system prone to a single point of failure, meaning that if one of the panels or the inverter malfunctions, the output of the entire string will be affected.  Using string inverters also limits a system’s scalability because of how the panels are wired together, limiting installation flexibility, especially when panels are distributed across multiple orientations or roof sections. Microinverters Solar microinverters are small, individual inverters installed directly on each panel in a solar power system. Unlike traditional string inverters connected to multiple solar panels in a row, microinverters operate on a per-panel basis, independently converting the DC electricity generated by each panel into AC electricity. We recommend microinverters because they offer several advantages that offset the cost savings of using string inverters. Let’s discuss them in more detail: Source: APsystems The Final Take Despite microinverters being the best option for optimal system performance, choosing between string inverters and microinverters will ultimately depend on your project’s needs and budget. Although string inverters have some drawbacks, they aren’t deal breakers and can perform properly. We hope you leave this article with the knowledge to help you make the best decision for your circumstances. If you have more questions, we can help. Book a free consultation and ask us all your solar questions. 

The solar industry is dynamic and diverse, with new technology developments emerging since the establishment of companies specializing in solar energy in the 1980s, thus resulting in a vast number of components and devices to help businesses and households power their daily activities more efficiently. This is especially true regarding solar panels, as several types of panels in the market serve different needs and budgets. Still, two types are the most commonly used due to their versatility and performance: monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar panels.  If you want to go solar and are currently researching the panel options available, then keep reading because we will put monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar panels side by side and compare them so you can make an informed decision. Monocrystalline vs. Polycrystalline Solar Panels Comparison  Monocrystalline Solar Panels These panels are made of monocrystalline silicon, which is the semiconductor material. The key feature of monocrystalline solar panels is that they are constructed from a single, uniform crystal structure of high-purity silicon, which makes them the most efficient in turning sunlight into electricity. Here are the main characteristics of monocrystalline solar panels:  Monocrystalline solar panels (Linquip.com) Due to their high performance and long lifespan, these are the type of panels we use for our installations. Polycrystalline Solar Panels Unlike monocrystalline solar panels, which are made from a single crystal structure, polycrystalline (or multi-crystalline) panels are produced by melting multiple silicon fragments and casting them into molds. These are the main features to look for in polycrystalline panels: Despite the lower efficiency of lower-purity silicon, polycrystalline solar panels remain a popular and cost-effective choice for many solar installations. Technological advancements continue to improve the performance of polycrystalline panels, making them competitive with other solar panel alternatives. So, Should You Choose Monocrystalline or Polycrystalline Solar Panels? When deciding which solar panels to use for your project, the answer isn’t cut and dry. Technological advancements continue to improve the performance of polycrystalline panels, making them competitive with their monocrystalline counterparts. It’s essential to consider your specific application needs, available space, and budget constraints when choosing between one type of panel over another.  If you need extra help to choose the ideal panels, we’re here to help. Contact us to book a free, no-obligation consultation, and our experts will guide you through your solar journey.

Many people ask us about home solar system maintenance, and we’re always pleased to tell our clients that we look after that for them. However, if you have solar panels from another installer and they do not offer care and maintenance, or you did the installation on your own, here is what you need to know. Do Home Solar Systems Need Extensive Maintenance? Before we start with the actual maintenance guide, we need to clarify that solar panels generally don’t need much maintenance. However, homeowners must know what signs they must be aware of and how to perform maintenance work if needed. Home Solar System Maintenance Guide: 7 Steps to Keep Your Panels Up and Running 1 – Cleaning Most of the time, rain will take care of cleaning your panels, but it’s a good idea to do a deep cleaning at least twice a year to remove dust or debris accumulation, especially when it isn’t raining much. If you see an energy production drop, cleaning your panels will likely solve the problem.  Use this method to clean the panels: If your panels are on the roof and you don’t like the idea of going up there, consider hiring a professional cleaning company. 2 – Monitor Energy Production Look at the energy production of your solar panels regularly. If you notice a significant drop in power output, it could indicate a problem that needs attention. If your solar panel system has monitoring software, use it to track performance and identify any issues. 3 – Shade Management Trim or prune trees and vegetation that may cast shadows on your solar panels, as shading can significantly reduce energy production.  4 – Check Inverter Performance The inverter turns the direct current (DC) produced by the solar panels into the Alternate Current (AC) power you use in your home. Regularly check the inverter’s readings and make sure it is functioning properly. If the inverter displays error messages, consult the user manual, contact the manufacturer if you did the installation, or reach out to your installer company for guidance. 5 – Record Tracking Record your maintenance activities, including cleaning dates, any issues observed, and repairs made. This log can be useful for future reference and warranty claims.  6 – Warranty Review Familiarize yourself with the warranty terms of your solar panels. Some warranties may require specific maintenance practices to remain valid. 7 – Other Considerations Owning Solar Panels Is Easy Solar panels are a low-maintenance investment that has many benefits. Although they won’t require much effort to keep them in good condition, you must know how to troubleshoot if needed. If you need further assistance, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

In your research before getting solar panels, you’ll find out that not all solar panels are the same and that a tier system created by BloombergNEF classifies panels based on their quality, efficiency, and manufacturer reputation. This article will explore the solar panel tiers to help you identify and choose the best solar panels for your specific needs.  The Ins and Outs Of The Solar Panel Tier System  Tier 1 Tier 1 solar panels refer to high-quality solar panels manufactured by well-established and reputable companies in the industry. These manufacturers typically have a strong track record of producing reliable and efficient solar panels. These are some key features solar panels should have to be considered tier 1: As of 2023, examples of companies that are considered tier 1 are LONGi, Sunpro Power, and Huasun. We at Solar YYC use LONGi solar panels in our installations. Tier 2 Although BloombergNEF didn’t create criteria to classify tier 2 solar panels, people in the industry needed a way to describe the panels that didn’t match tier 1 characteristics; hence, tiers 2 and 3 were created. Tier 2 panels are typically produced by smaller or less established manufacturers than Tier 1 manufacturers in the solar industry. While they may offer competitive pricing, Tier 2 panels are associated with certain risks and characteristics: Tier 3 Tier 3 solar panels are typically considered the lowest tier or category of solar panels. These panels are produced by young companies with smaller market presence and fewer resources than Tier 1 and Tier 2 manufacturers. Here are some characteristics and considerations associated with Tier 3 solar panels: The Choice Is Yours While tier 2 and tier 3 solar panels offer cost savings, assessing and understanding their potential risks is crucial. In some cases, these panels may be suitable for specific applications, particularly when budget constraints are a significant consideration. However, going solar is usually a long-term investment, which is why reliability and performance should be on top of mind when choosing your panels.  In all cases, consulting with a knowledgeable solar installer will help you make the best decision based on your needs and circumstances. If you are in the Calgary area and need to know more about solar panel tiers or any other questions regarding solar energy, contact us to book a free consultation.

The solar energy market is booming, and there are far more solar installer companies to choose from than ever, which can overwhelm homeowners and lead them to do business with a company with questionable credentials. If you are researching to find a solar installer, read on and learn the main red flags you must be aware of when talking with solar companies. 10 Solar Installer Red Flags To Watch Out  1 – Insufficient Experience While every company starts from zero and newer solar installers can still provide quality service, choosing a company with a proven track record and experience is generally safer. Lack of experience may translate into a higher risk of errors or damage during installation. A good rule of thumb is to look for companies with 100 successful installs and above. 2 – Poor Customer Reviews Multiple negative reviews or low ratings in popular review platforms like Google Business Profile or Yelp can indicate a pattern of poor service, installation problems, or customer dissatisfaction. We recommend looking for companies with 4.5 and above online ratings and requesting previous clients’ references to the company directly. 3 – Absence of Portfolio Alongside good reviews, solar companies should be able to showcase their work. Good companies document their installations with photos and videos of the finished projects to prove their skill to future customers, and they’ll happily provide them to you. 4 – Pushy Sale Tactics Getting solar panels is a major investment; you deserve the time to decide, and trustworthy companies respect that. Be wary of installers who employ high-pressure sales tactics, such as offering limited-time deals or insisting on immediate commitments. 5 – Lack of Site Assessment A proper site assessment is essential to determine the feasibility and optimal design of a solar system for your property. If an installer skips or overlooks this step, it may indicate a lack of professionalism and attention to detail. 6 – Lack of Transparency in Pricing and Contracts A reliable solar installer should provide detailed information about the system’s total cost, including equipment, installation, and any additional fees. If the pricing or contract terms are unclear or ambiguous, it’s a potential red flag. 7 – Inadequate (Or Lack Of) Insurance Coverage Good solar companies count on appropriate insurance coverage, including general liability insurance and worker’s insurance. Request proof of insurance before signing any agreement.  8 – Limited or No Warranty A good solar installer should offer warranties for the solar system materials and the installation workmanship. Be cautious if the installer doesn’t provide any warranty or offers an unusually short period.  9 – Unusual Payments Be wary if a company insists on a significant upfront payment. Reputable installers typically offer a reasonable payment schedule. 10 – Extremely Low Prices Be skeptical if a company offers you unusually lower prices than average or tries to lure you with a “price-beat” policy. Companies may be able to offer such bargain prices by cutting down costs on materials or unqualified personnel. Choose Your Solar Installer With Confidence Evaluating multiple solar installers is not easy, but having these red flags in mind will help you avoid falling for a shady company. We’ve also made a questionnaire for pre-screening solar companies that includes the essential questions you have to ask and extra pro tips that will guide you to find the best company to go solar on the right foot.