In the trenches

When I say ‘home solar power system’ what image pops into your mind?

 

If you’re like many folks I know, it is probably an image of an array of solar panels mounted on the roof of a home. It seems most of the solar panels are mounted on roofs.

 

Sure, some are ground mounted, but unless it is a home with a large plot of land, the roof is the preferred place for the panels.

 

It is elevated and out of the way. The rooftop is often an otherwise unused space and with many homes- out of sight from the ground.

 

The question I have is, have you ever considered how the power the solar panels generate is delivered to the home?

 

Many times, solar installers do a pretty good job of concealing the lines that go from the solar panels on the roof to the home’s main panel so it just doesn’t come to mind very often.

 

The reality is that routing those wires must be done and it isn’t always very straightforward. Sometimes they can penetrate directly down through the roof and through the attic. Sometimes they can be taken over the edge of the roof (or penetrate the roof near the outside of the wall) and then routed straight down to the main power panel area.

 

In some cases, the optimum place for solar panels due to shading might be on the opposite side of the house from the main power panels. This would lead to a longer wire run that might be visually unappealing if the installer ran it around the side of the house to the main panel.

 

Sometimes the right answer might include digging a trench and running the lines under ground to hide them while making the line run as short as practicable.

 

Bottom line, trenching adds costs to a solar installation. The typical ‘examples’ used in nearly every solar advertisement doesn’t include the possibility of ‘extra’ costs like trenching (or main power panel upgrades) because it adds complexity to the discussion (and none of them are motivated to give a more costly estimate…).

 

When you talk to your Tucson solar rep, make sure you discuss where the wires will be run, what it will look like, and if there are any trenches that will need to be dug.

 

Trenching costs can vary widely depending on the kind of ground being dug into, the length, proximity to underground utilities, and many other factors. Many times, the cost is expressed in dollars per linear foot which seems like it can vary between $4 to upwards of $30.

Homeadvisor suggests that the average cost of a 100 linear foot trench is $800, so needing a trench can add a sizable amount to the total cost of the installation.

 

If you’re looking for more information about adding solar power to your home, you might want to hop on over and check out my upcoming book Tucson Solar Insider Desk Guide for Buying Solar- click here

 

Be Good!

Curtis