Self-Sufficient Solar
By Warren McMillan
Copyright 2011 Warren McMillan
Smashwords Edition
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
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Table of Contents
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This eBook is written to illustrate how we installed a small solar power system in my home. It is intended only to illustrate how we did it and not as a comprehensive solar system installation manual. If you use any information provided in this publication to install a solar system or part thereof, you do so at your own risk. It is incumbent upon you to observe all electrical safety considerations and to ensure that your system, or part thereof, conforms with your local building code requirements. It is highly recommended that you have a qualified electrical contractor check your installation prior to connection of any live electrical source.
...and at the request of our lawyer...
THE AUTHOR OF THIS PUBLICATION MAKES NO WARRANTIES OR GUARANTEES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, THAT THE INFORMATION IN THIS PUBLICATION IS FREE OF ERRORS OR OMISSIONS, AND HE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, EVEN IF THE AUTHOR HAS BEEN ADVISED OF A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND EVEN IF A PARTICULAR PURPOSE IS INDICATED IN THE PUBLICATION. THE AUTHOR ALSO DISCLAIMS ALL LIABILITY FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES THAT RESULT FROM ANY USE OF THE EXAMPLES, INSTRUCTIONS OR OTHER INFORMATION IN THIS PUBLICATION. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR'S LIABILITY WHETHER IN TORT, CONTRACT, OR OTHERWISE EXCEED THE COST OF THIS PUBLICATION.
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The purpose of this ebook is to show you how we installed and wired our solar power system. Completing this project was daunting at the beginning because there is so much hype and misinformation about solar out there. Sifting through all of it in search of the essentials was a time-consuming process. By publishing this book we hope to show you that it can be done (please read the disclaimer). We started with no background in electrical or solar systems. What we know about solar we learned ourselves in the process of installing our own. This book will save you time and, more importantly, help you avoid falling for some scam or spending far too much on a solar system unnecessarily.
When it comes to installing solar systems, the devil is in the details. There are innumerable little details that, if you are not aware of them, can cost many hours and more dollars. Most of these details are small things that might be easily overlooked as you will tend to focus on the big items but they are important because small mistakes can add up.
Wiring is the hardest part of installing a solar system. We did the wiring ourselves and anyone can do this if they have a healthy respect for the power of electricity and a willingness to learn. We established a process by which our complete installation was wired and connections tested without any live power in the system. When the main breaker was thrown to power up the system all panels and boxes were secured with no risk to ourselves. For those who are still not comfortable wiring their own system, we include a section on how to reduce the number of expensive electrician hours to a minimum. If you decide to do the installation yourself (and again, please read the disclaimer) it is advisable to have a certified electrician check your system for safety before you go live.