Instaling solar PV panels in schools
Installing solar power in a school is a relatively bigger project than installing residential solar system. Before you start, calculate power requirements of the school. Solar power is not a consistent source of power. On sunny days, you may be able to fulfill 90 percent of your power requirements from the panels, while on cloudy days, you might only manage to pull 50 percent of the power.
Instructions
1. Determine the entire school's electricity requirement. See the first link in Resources to get an idea of determine each appliance's energy requirement. Use the second link in Resources to calculate the energy required by the school. The formula of figuring out each appliance's power need is amps x volts = watts. List the total watts for all electronic devices and appliances, including lights, fans, air conditioners, computers, and more. Once you calculate the total number of watts, you will have an estimate of the minimum amount of solar power you need to generate to power the school.
2. Purchase solar panels that are to be installed on the rooftop of the school building. Since you are going to have to buy a great number of panels to meet the requirements of a big building, you may want to consider the prospects of availing a federal grant. There are various federal incentives that can help manage the cost of converting buildings to solar power systems. See Resources to check out the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (2009), which provides grants to reduce the cost of solar power installation.
3. Prepare yourself for some physical labor. Figure out where you want to install the panels. Go to the rooftop of the school building and mark the area where the panels would receive a lot of sunlight during the daytime.
4. Use the blueprints of the school building to locate the rafters that support the roof. As you locate each rafter, mark it using a chalk. This will help you figure out where to install the mounting brackets that come with the panels.
5. Take an electric drill and pre-drill small holes in each rafter. Now place each mounting bracket on top of this pre-drilled hole and fasten it to the rafter using stainless steel lag bolts. Make sure all the mounting brackets are perfectly in line. Place metal flashing or a paste of hot tar around the mounts area to prevent potential leakages due to the drilling.
6. Some schools have flat roofs. On slanted roofs, panels are usually mounted to rails that are parallel to the roof angle. For a school with a flat roof, different mounting hardware will be needed to position the panels at an angle to face the southern sun, rather than laying flat on the roof.
7. Secure metal rails along each mounting bracket. Place the solar panels on top of the rails and secure them using bolts.
8. Hire an electrician to take care of the wiring phase after the panel installation is done. The electrician will connect the wiring from the panels to inverters and then to the building's AC circuit breaker panel that provides electricity to the entire building.
