| Solar Powered Attic Fan: Installing the Rooftop Solar Panel |
From "Solar Solutions"
episode SLR-102 |
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After selecting a solar attic fan kit, homeowner Frank Rothwell and solar designer / engineer Jeff Gilbert are ready to start the installation. Materials: 12-volt DC attic fan
40-watt solar panel
DC-powered thermostat
20 ft. of 14-gauge electrical cable
4 Z-shaped bracket mounts
Rubber butyl sealant
Various sizes nuts, bolts, screws and washers
- Before beginning the installation, due south should be located (using a compass if necessary).
- For this home -- with its flat pitch roof -- a flush mount is all that's needed. After determining the installation angle, it's time to connect wiring to the terminal box on the underside of the solar panel. A wiring diagram (figure A) is usually printed on the underside for easy do-it-yourself installation.
- A water-tight connector is added to the outside of the junction / terminal box to keep moisture away from the wiring that will be added.
- Strip the 14-gauge wire and thread through the junction box opening.
- Connect the red (positive) wire to the positive terminal; connect the black (negative) wire to the negative terminal.
- Add the water-tight lid to the box and tighten into place. Tighten the water-tight connector.
- Use hammer to locate rafters. The panel will be held securely to the roof by Z-bracket mounts that will be drilled into the rafters. The Z-brackets will also elevate the panel from the hot roof surface, making it work more efficiently. Stainless steel hardware should be used to connect the Z-brackets to the inside edges of the panel.
- Add butyl sealant under each Z-bracket (figure B) before drilling the brackets into the roof (figure C).
- Run electrical cable from the panel along the roofline to the end near the gable vent.
- Secure wire to the roof at 18" intervals for safety (figure D).
- Run wire through gable vent.
RESOURCES :
Solar Living Source Book: The Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Technologies and Sustainable Living
Model: 0916571041
Author: John Schaeffer (Editor), Doug Pratt (Editor)
(Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook, 11th Ed)
Real Goods
Website: www.realgoods.com
The Solar Electric House: Energy for the Environmentally-Responsive, Energy-Independent Home
ISBN: 0963738321
Author: Steven J. Strong, William G. Scheller
Chelsea Green Publiishing Company
Solar Buildings
Covers zero-energy building and other solar technologies.
Solar Buildings
Website: www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/
Solar Power System Consulting and Installation (Chesapeake Wind & Solar)
Chesapeake Wind & Solar
Website: www.cwsenergy.com
GUESTS :
Jeff Gilbert
Chief Technical Officer and Co-Founder
Chesapeake Wind & Solar LLC
Website: www.cwsenergy.com
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