Going Green

By Richard Anthes
How to install a high voltage utility grid tied solar system: This is a solar power system that sends power directly to your electrical utility provider for energy credits. My wife (Mary) and I have wanted to do this for years and finally installed a system and brought it online in May of 2009. It's fun watching my meter turn backwards!

There are about 5 steps to installing your own grid tie solar power system, none of which are necessarily easy. If getting dirty and doing a little grunt work does not bother you, then do it yourself, otherwise hire a professional. You should be prepared to spend $25,000 to $30,000 for the compete installation. You will get about 45% of this cost back in rebates and tax credits, plus your monthly electric bill will be about 60 to 80 percent less for this size grid tie system (23KWH a day).

Step 1:

Find the solar equipment that you want to install. I worked with Wholesale Solar, Inc. (www.wholesalesolar.com) They have complete solar power system packages which includes the solar panels, the inverter, (this changes the DC ouput of the panels to AC for feeding the grid), the mounting hardware and connecting cables, You will need to decide how powerful and what type of mounting system you want. This could be roof mounts, ground mounts, or I went with pole mounts. Wholesale Solar Supplied me with a Xantrex GT 3.3 inverter. I found out that this is a very good one which is important! It has safety features built in that will shut my system down if the grid goes down. This is to prevent my system from back feeding the grid while the utility company does repairs. Your utility company may not connect an inverter that does not do this.

Step 2:

Find an electrical contractor that does not mind working with you to install your solar power system. You must have a certified electrician wire the system. Also you will need to have them draw up the electrical diagrams for optaining the permit. It is important to bring in your electrician early in the planning stages so that you can work together for planning the installation.

Step 3:

Obtain the necessary permits. I went to the planning office to pick up the application and found them to be helpful in filling it out. You will need to draw a plot plan of where you will be installing the system on your property, (they have examples to look at). You will need electrical wiring diagrams from your electrician. They also will request the specification sheets for each piece of equipment, (these are supplied with your system). I had to get an engineering report because my pole mounts stood taller than 6 feet. Finally, you will need a cost break down. I think the permit is based on a percentage of this.

Step 4:

Install your solar power system; this is where the dirty work begins! Since I used pole mounts, I had to find someone with an auger that was 18 inches in diameter and could go down 6 feet. Wouldn't you know he hit hard pan at about 3 feet down. When he got through that he hit water. I had to keep pumping out the holes as I worked on them. Next, I rented a concrete hauler and moved 2 1/2 yards of concrete by wheelbarrow (concrete weighs 6000lbs. per yard). Next, I rented a trencher and did my own trench work (minimum 18 inches deep to meet code). Finally, work with your electrician to install the conduit and wire the system. You will need to have the building inspector check each phase as you proceed.

Step 5:

When you pass final inspection from the building department, you can apply for connection to the utility grid. This is called an interconnection agreement for net energy metering. The utility company removed my old meter and installed a digital meter that allows electrical current to flow in both directions.

On a bright sunny day "It's fun watching my meter turn backwards"

Many thanks to Rich and Mary Anthes for sharing this step-by-step story about installing their grid tied solar power system and turning the meter backwards!