Description
Originally designed and installed by Solarkobo engineers, this lead was to relocate the residential system and retrofit its component to a new house.
Considerations for Relocating Solar Panels
Solar panels are often installed according to the dimensions and orientations of one's house. (Read more on considerations that are to be taken into account when installing solar panels here.) To have them removed to a new location would require entirely retrofitting the system on to a property they were not originally designed for. This comes with additional logistics costs alongside the costs of repairing any damages on the roof where the panels had originally been installed.
When designing a system for relocation, in addition to the power audit to determine the power needs of the client, our engineers investigate the following:
Are they earthed? The earthing may have to be discarded and new materials used in re-earthing the panels at their new location. If the new location makes re-earthing an imperative, it may lead to increased relocating costs. Read more about earthing here.
What are the risks of accidents to those who will remove them? If the risk is substantial, harnesses or even a scaffold may need to be hired. This may increase costs.
Also, the state of the roofing is often taken into consideration. Is the roofing damaged, old or fragile? If the roofing is damaged or fragile, removing the panels will be more painstaking and take a much longer time. This may add to the relocation costs.
Batteries, Inverter and Charge Controllers
The original system incorporated the following:
Two 200Ah AGM SolarKobo™ batteries,
A 2kVA Amaze inverter,
A 50A Fangspun MPPT charge controller
A Battery Monitor and
A voltage regulator
They were also relocated alongside the solar panels.
As can be seen below, the original inverter was replaced with a second one of the same brand. Amaze inverters work with a pure sine wave that produce clean, noiseless and completely non-hazardous electricity for appliances that use them.
A battery monitor is a standard requirement by SolarKobo for an inverter and battery warranty. A battery meter or monitor can help users keep track of the battery performance to maximize efficiency. They can also be used to remotely configure the battery system. Learn all about battery monitors here.
The system incorporated a 60A Fangspun MPPT charge controller. The MPPT solar charge controller is the ultimate in solar controllers. Though relatively very expensive and larger in size than their PWN counterparts, they can help users save considerable money on larger systems since they provide 10 to 30% more power to the battery than the PWM and have efficiencies reaching up to 98%. More here.
For battery-prioritizing systems, AVRs are considerations for users that use their systems on auto-mode or charge it with generating sets or depend on grid power from NEPA. It serves to help keep the input voltage at the required level. For instance, when grid power is available and is below 180V, the inverter will not internally bypass to allow charge and NEPA usage simultaneously. So as to make up for the discrepancy, the output supply will be from batteries both while NEPA is present and when it is absent. This increases the chances of the battery bank always been drained and/or overused.
Protection Features
In addition to the protection features provided by the inverter against reverse current, overload and overcharge, the system incorporates extra protection features including AC and DC circuit breakers and surge adapters. They offer additional protection to the client's investment. They also make it easy and safe to disconnect the system from the panels in the case of emergencies like lightning that could damage the inverter or solar panel fires.
SolarKobo helps its clients in Lagos and elsewhere in Nigeria make the best possible choice of all solar products including solar panels, batteries and charge controllers that meet their peculiar power needs and fits their budgets. We also have university-trained engineers who provide the best possible installation services on order.
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