Solar Energy Panel Installation

Purchase an aluminum or stainless steel solar panel mounting kit with mounting feet and rails. Find the rafters supporting the roof using the stud finder. Mark the location of the rafters on the roof. Also, mark the location of each solar panel so the mounting feet supporting the rails can be placed over a rafter. Mark the place of each mounting foot. Use a laser sight or a chalk line to ensure the mounting feet are in straight lines.

Apply a layer of roofing asphalt about 1/4 inch thick on the areas where the mounting feet will go. Hold a mounting foot in place and drill a pilot hole through a mounting hole into the roof. Secure the mounting foot with a stainless steel lag bolt. Drill pilot holes for the remaining mounting holes and screw in lag bolts. Repeat this process for the other mounting feet.

Cut the rails to the correct lengths so they can be bolted to the mounting feet. Allow them to slightly protrude past the edges of the solar panels. Bolt the rails to the mounting feet with the bolts provided and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Clamp the edges of the solar panels to the rails where they protrude past the edges.

Install the conduit running from the interior of the house up the wall closest to the solar panels and to the edge of the roof. Thread a power cable rated for the solar panel current through the conduit. Inside the house, connect the cable to a switch rated to interrupt the solar panel current.

Install one of the solar panel plugs on the roof end of the cable. Run the solar panel cables with the plugs along the rails and connect the plugs together following the instructions of the manufacturer to get the voltage you want. Plug the interconnected solar panels into the cable running to the house. Connect a multimeter to the switch inside the house and test your installation.