Part 1: The Existing Electrical Infrastructure, Where Does Solar PV Fit In?

What goes into a solar photovoltaic system, and how it’s put together?

AC Electrical Installation, Part 1.

The solar photovoltaic array can be divided into several sections. The installation of the panels, the DC wiring, and the AC wiring. The air conditioner is installed in this manner. The AC, or mains electricity, is what powers your home and typically runs at 230–240 volts. This is how the AC system is set up from the inverter and how power is transferred from the PV array. The Inverter is the first piece of equipment you’ll need, and we’ll get into it in more depth when we discuss the DC portion of the installation.

This SMA Sunnyboy is a photovoltaic (PV) inverter.

The inverter is connected to the electrical isolator by a flex cable. A simple on/off toggle for the AC power source.

a revolving separator

While the attic is a common location for installing the inverter and isolator, other possible locations include the garage, the cellar, or a cupboard. After the installation is complete and functioning, you can ignore this step. The only thing that matters when deciding where to put the inverter is that it has some ventilation, so it’s not entirely sealed off and out of sight.

Your consumer unit or fuse box will need power from the isolator. This is the preferred method, as it involves running the wire inside your home. The wire will be entirely out of sight by routing it in walls, floors, or cabinets. This is how a professional electrician would ideally run a supply line to a new outlet circuit or a shower.

This is typically done with flat twin and ground cable, the same wire used in most homes for lighting, outlets, etc.

Gray twin and grounding cord that is flat

Internal cable runs aren’t always an option, whether because of the potential for structural damage to the home or because of obstructions like steel beams or concrete along the cable path. Depending on the layout of your home, we may have to run the cable along the exterior of your property. If we do this, we’ll do our utmost to conceal the cable. We, electricians, hate having to do this and always try to make our job unnoticeable. Make sure to ask how the cable will be fitted when getting quotes from installers; after all, if you hired an electrician to install a socket in your loft, you probably wouldn’t want the cable running down your exterior wall unless there was a good reason to do so. The exterior wire would be shielded from potential damage by an armored sheath.

An armored cable made of steel wire

Your fuse box or consumer unit, located at your home’s mains, would be connected to the cable. The first stop for the wire is a generation meter, which keeps tabs on how much power your setup generates. If you want your feed-in tariff payment, your energy provider will need a reading from this. It functions similarly to the meter you already have from your energy provider, with the exception that in this case you will be compensated for the amount of energy used.

It’s a generational gauge.

After leaving the inverter, the current travels via a second isolator. The isolator can be locked in the off position to ensure the safety of those working on the system. The cable then enters your consumer unit from the isolator. This circuit is wired and protected like any other in your home, but electricity flows in the opposite direction.

A domestic appliance

The electricity created by your PV system will be sent to the consumer unit, where your home’s appliances will utilize it, or, if you are producing more electricity than you are consuming, it will be sent back into the national grid via your electricity meter and the primary incoming connection.

This is an older disc meter with its accompanying main cord.

After the AC electrical installation has been completed, the DC power system will be installed. This system will include the solar PV modules’ inverter and wiring.

Northern Lights, Photovoltaics in Yorkshire

Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, is home to Northern Sunlight, a solar PV firm. We offer our design and advisory services to significant renewable energy suppliers and home builders in addition to designing and installing Photovoltaic Solar energy systems for commercial and residential customers. For homeowners interested in the Feed in Tariff, we provide a one-on-one consultation service and custom PV systems built to order from various components and suppliers.

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