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how long does it take to install solar panels

How long does it take to install solar panels on a roof?

Usually, it requires an average of 90 days to install solar panels on your home. This time is consumed by a mixture of technical and largely bureaucratic processes, like the permissions, the setup itself, inspections, and approval.

The climate crisis and rising power costs have brought solar power to the limelight. On the flip side, there are assured cost savings and even an increase in home value. It would be so natural to decide in favor of installing solar panels.

Technically, finding the material at your home and installing it could be a matter of a couple of days.

 Regrettably, there are other things involved, and it can't be that straightforward. This becomes essential solar panel setup information to get, and thus we put out these processes, steps, and the various durations required.


Finding the Right Company

The obvious first step is to pick a solar company. Selecting a reliable solar installation provider is critical, considering that you're likely to invest tens of thousands of dollars for something that has a thirty-year life.

So far as the time required is in question, it may take anything from a day to a week and determine when you feel confident with one of the installers.


Site Survey

how long does it take to install solar panels

A solar plant isn't a general item. Every home or property may have its own individual solar plant layout. This is since the shapes and areas of rooftops are seldom exactly the same.

The shadow cast by any trees, poles, or neighboring buildings also must be taken into consideration. A big roof needs to find the best location to set up the solar panels it.

 Furthermore, different places in the country have different sun intensities, and the company may like to get a fast evaluation of the available solar radiation in your location.

All this is carried out by a professional that the solar firm will send to your location. After dimensions, shadow analysis, and probably some imagining of the appliances you operate, the expert will choose the site survey information for his company's design team.

Sometimes, if it's a really old house and the roof's quality is radically altered, you might have to have a roof assessment to prevent damage to your roof during installation.

Involving your inquiry and the trip of a site survey executive can take from one to fourteen days. It can be a lot faster than that, but it should not ideally cross this number.


Preparing the Optimum Design

The data gathered about the roof type, shadow, orientation, etc., is utilized by the design experts to prepare the best possible layout appropriate for your roof.

This includes selecting the shadow-free regions that could get your solar panels facing the appropriate direction.

There's also a systematic calculation based on your electricity consumption, which aids you in selecting an adequate number of solar panels.

This part of the journey towards moving solar depends on how busy the selected firm's team is. Regardless, it should take 2-4 days and shouldn't cross a week. After this little wait, the firm will contact you with a technical-commercial proposal.

This proposal will contain details about the required system size, information concerning the elements, the projected cost, and possibly the time necessary to get this up and running.

 As soon as you accept the proposal and its provisions, you enter a deal and comes to your next step.


Permissions

how long does it take to install solar panels

Governing bodies believe they ought to be conscious of how and where solar panels are being installed, and they have an approval or disapproval process for this. The permits are specific to solar photovoltaic.

It can be linked to construction or electric systems. There may be some associated with the homeowner's association of your region.

If everything is ideal, there's absolutely no reason for the plant to be refused permission. Various states and even a few different cities will have their own different guidelines about fitting solar panels.

This part may test your patience somewhat because all you can do is wait.

The good news, though, is that most solar companies have individuals devoted to handling this part.

They can prepare all of the files for you and kickstart the process. In general, the allowing part can take anywhere between a week and a month, sometimes more.


Installation

install solar panels

This is the part where you find the brand new packed solar panels arriving on your premises and ready to get mounted on your roof, able to power up the appliances in your home.

 The installation of solar panels needs setting up mounting structures, cables, inverters, and, needless to say, the panels, in addition to other little components.

Based on the number of panels required, the whole installation process shouldn't take over a week.

 There may be small variations based on just the solar panels' size and how much the solar panels weigh being set up, but it's normally negligible.

 Sometimes, with very small systems and simple roofs, it may even be done daily.


Inspections

The permissions obtained before the preceding step are subject to specific conditions.

By way of instance, getting permission to connect a 5kW plant to the grid and rather erecting a 10kW plant is a sort of foul play that the governing bodies don't want. Additionally, there are other facets of quality and safety.

Therefore, the setup step is hardly the last one and is followed by specific authorities' inspection. This is a bureaucratic measure, and for the most part, you can't do much but wait.

 If you're fortunate, this could be over within a week – but sometimes it can take up to a month.


Grid connection

Unless the panels you're getting installed are in some distant location with no grid, you'd have them connected to the utility grid.

This provides you the flexibility of usage by the net-metering policy. It is possible to send excess power to the utility company and get it out of them when required.

This is useful, especially at nights, or higher intake days, or even low sunshine days.

The grid connection is, thankfully, the last step. Once finished, your solar panels are ready to harness the free electricity and get your house running for nearly zero electricity costs, and to get a gorgeous length of 25-30 years.


Conclusion

At last, we would say that installing a solar plant which could take months. If you're lucky, then it would be two or three.

However, if we think of how the solar panel system will serve you for the years to come, this wait is well worth it.

As far as the question goes off, whether it's a fantastic choice, there's never been a better time to install solar.

 The cost of installing solar panels has dropped considerably, the incentives are promising, and the home premiums reveal a healthy gain.

About the Author David Roberts

I'm a Mechanical Engineer who's obsessed with solar energy and sustainable living.

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