Forum Discussion
Almot
Oct 07, 2013Explorer III
"Solar installation crews" - yes, they exist, plenty. Most solar shops will have some crew that will be happy to install your $2000 residential system on the roof for another $3000-4000. The store in Sacramento that I bought my panels from, sells residential kits and installation services if I read their page correctly. http://www.bluepacificsolar.com/.
Solar Blvd will probably have some contractors as well.
The problem is, they don't know much about small systems (1000W is considered small in residential systems, and 500W is "very small"). They don't know anything about RV layout and RV roofs.
I recall on that list of DIY projects that I mentioned earlier, there were owners with big motorhomes that chose to pay to free-lance "installer". Not in Northern Ca, I think. Check the list anyway.
If you won't find anybody, you can do it step by step, with some hired labor and some thinking of your own. Get a blueprint with location of roof rafters, manufacturer can email it to you. See how many panels and what size you can mount with minimal shading, with or without hitting the rafters. Decide on the parts and buy them - panels, wire, mounting hardware, controller. Then hire somebody for lifting, drilling, cutting and pulling cables. You will have to tell them the connection type, i.e. series or parallel, and the route, i.e. via fridge vent or whatever. Add fuses, disconnects, inverter and inverter wiring, if any.
RV shops reportedly do simple inverter job with varying degree of success, but at least you can go back to them and have them re-do it if it doesn't work as it should.
With panels there can't be a situation when it "doesn't work as it should". If panels work at the warehouse, they will work on the roof. It's easy to check the panels at warehouse or when you bring them home. If controller doesn't work, the store will send you a working one. Good controller brand will work, 99 times out of 100. If cable is thick enough and there is any sun in the sky, you will get whatever your flat mounted panel is capable of.
Solar Blvd will probably have some contractors as well.
The problem is, they don't know much about small systems (1000W is considered small in residential systems, and 500W is "very small"). They don't know anything about RV layout and RV roofs.
I recall on that list of DIY projects that I mentioned earlier, there were owners with big motorhomes that chose to pay to free-lance "installer". Not in Northern Ca, I think. Check the list anyway.
If you won't find anybody, you can do it step by step, with some hired labor and some thinking of your own. Get a blueprint with location of roof rafters, manufacturer can email it to you. See how many panels and what size you can mount with minimal shading, with or without hitting the rafters. Decide on the parts and buy them - panels, wire, mounting hardware, controller. Then hire somebody for lifting, drilling, cutting and pulling cables. You will have to tell them the connection type, i.e. series or parallel, and the route, i.e. via fridge vent or whatever. Add fuses, disconnects, inverter and inverter wiring, if any.
RV shops reportedly do simple inverter job with varying degree of success, but at least you can go back to them and have them re-do it if it doesn't work as it should.
With panels there can't be a situation when it "doesn't work as it should". If panels work at the warehouse, they will work on the roof. It's easy to check the panels at warehouse or when you bring them home. If controller doesn't work, the store will send you a working one. Good controller brand will work, 99 times out of 100. If cable is thick enough and there is any sun in the sky, you will get whatever your flat mounted panel is capable of.
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