Residential Solar Panels Installation

Observe your roof to figure out the spot that gets the most sunlight throughout the day. The south side of your roof should produce the most power but the east and west sides will work as mounting positions as well. Do not mount the panels on the north side of your home -- you will get poor results.

Talk to a member of city hall to find out what permits are necessary for solar panel installation. Get any permits that are required and follow the city's inspection process. Find the position of the rafters in your roof using a stud finder. Make marks for the rafters and note the spacing between them.

Check the spacing on your solar panel mounts to make sure they match the spacing between your rafters. If the spacing does not match, you will have to attach pressure treated lumber to the rafters using 6-inch galvanized screws to attach your solar panel mounts onto.

Tilt the mounts to match your latitude. For a latitude between 15 and 40 degrees, keep the tilt the same as the latitude. If you are above 40, increase the tilt to 60 degrees. Drill pilot holes matching the hole spacing on your mounts. Install the mounts using the provided lag bolts. Install flashing over the bolts of the mounts using roofing nails to protect against any roof leaks.

Bolt the rails on to the mounts and then attach the solar panels in to the rails. Connect all of the junction boxes together with insulated wiring connecting the negative terminals in a series and the positive terminals in a series. Wire the terminals in to the next component such as a controller.