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Issue #209 December 2007
INTELLIGENT ENERGY SOLUTIONS
Solar-Powering the Circuit Cellar
Part 1: Preparing the Site
by Steve Ciarcia
Start | Getting Started | So, How Do I Describe this Project? | Location, Location, Location | The Solar Panels Are the System | What's Next | Sources & PDF
SO, HOW DO I DESCRIBE THIS PROJECT?
There is a lot being written about solar electric systems these days and Circuit Cellar has a very sophisticated audience. While I don’t think anyone in the editorial department would want to be the guy telling me I have to shorten my article, I don’t see the need to cover basic PV technology issues when so many other sources already cover the details. Also, because this is a professionally installed system (as required by the CCEF rebate program), I’ll avoid describing the placement of every screw and caulked joint typical of user-constructed PV system articles. While I applaud their zeal in getting the job done at a considerably lower cost, I think old age has caught up with me and I’d rather pay others to lug panels up on the roof these days. In any case, at the end of this series of articles, I will list a number of print and online references that provide more general PV background details. What I’d like to concentrate on in these articles are the specific construction of my system and the engineering details of the specific components involved. For example, it’s one thing to say that you are pole-mounting solar panels. It’s quite another thing when you hit ledge a few feet down and still have to deal with a 60-MPH wind.
Finally, I’ve taken lots of pictures during the installation process, but I can only publish a limited number in print. Check the online-posted version of this article for either the inclusion of more pictures or a link to where more are posted.
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