Solar Power System Installation Manual - Essay Example

Redesign project Solar power system installation manual Important instructions To the installer Please read these instructions and consider every point given herein in order to ensure an effective and safe installation process. The booklet contains not only the installation instructions but also the safety precautions that will not only ensure a steadfast solar panel but a safe process for the installer and a safer use duration for the client. However, while the document provides a procedure for the installation process it does not guarantee the quality of the work. Any liability arising from the installation process is therefore an onus of the hired installer. Please ensure the use of installation equipment provided by the company only. Mixing such pertinent equipment as nails and reverting materials among others may compromise the safety of the installation process. For a safer installation process, only an experienced professional and not any other person who may obtain the manual must do the installation. Warning/ Caution Never, stand or walk on the glass panel. Such actions may result in the instantaneous breakage of the panel thereby jeopardizing the equipment besides potential risk it presents to the installer. Protect the sheathing from any source of wetness at all costs. Failure of such during the installation process may cause leaks therefore do not work during stormy weather. Do not cut or attempt to modify the mounting systems. Ensure the use of the equipment provided by the company and replacing damaged equipment. The modification of such important equipment may compromise the safety of the work environment. Points to consider when selecting the installation position The point of location is one of the most critical contributors to the effectiveness of the solar system. The installer must therefore consider several factors that contribute to both the effectiveness and the safety of the installation process as listed below: Do not locate the systems near salt-water locations. The installer must maintain a 0.3 meters radius from such locations. Salt water corrodes the surface thus reducing the use of the systems. Inspection of the roof support system is vital and the installer must ensure that the roof is strong enough to endure the weight of the panel. In inspecting the roof support system, the installer must check to ensure that the support is durable and will therefore last as long as the panel lasts. Inspection of the roof is equally important and the installer must ensure that the roof is capable not only of supporting the panel but also expose the panel to adequate sunlight. The condition of the roof should promise the longevity of the panel any repairs to the roof must take place before the installation as subsequent repairs may disrupt the use of the panel. More importantly, the roof must prove the ability to support the weight of the panel and provide ease of wiring. Please note: Install the panels at approximately twelve inches from the ridges of the roof. Additionally to ensure the effective usability of the panels, do not install the solar panels in either windy or stormy regions as such are not the best weather conditions for the use of the panels and may also pose serious risks during the installation process. PV Modules Wiring is essential during the installation process and presents potential risks to both the installer and the users of the solar panels. The installer must therefore ensure that: The wiring process is in accordance to the dictates of the National Electrical Code. In this, the government outlines the quality of wires to use and the equipment to use during wiring. Failure to comply with the provisions is a criminal offense. Note that the solar panels produce electric current with any minimal exposure to direct sunlight at any time and thus presents potential shock risks to both the installer and anybody else. The installer must prevent any contact with naked wires during the wiring process and discourage the presence of anybody not directly involved with the wiring process. In doing this, ensure that the tools are properly insulated to prevent the risk of electrocution. Ensure that the meter volts, amps, continuity and resistance of the cables measure a DC and AC of up to 600V and 40A. Connect a minimum of 10AWG ground wire. Run the wire to bond continuously with each module and rail in the array. Follow the specifications of the National Electrical Codes strictly at every level of the wiring process since the code details the precautionary measures and the conditions of the process. The manufacturer of the panel distends itself from malfunctions arising from non-compliance with the regulations. Noncompliance is an onus of both the client and the installer. Materials and tools required for the installation process All the materials required for the installation of the panels come with the product package. Installers prefer to use their own tools the manufacturer does not therefore provide the tools. However, the company provides a specification of the tools. Check the package for the following materials and tools where necessary: Ground wire, Ground Rod Electrical tape, Flexible metal conduit (to protect electric cables), Cable ties, Pencil, Cordless drill, Socket drivers, Phillips driver bits and a Drill. Also find Screwdriver set, Needle nose pliers, Lineman’s pliers, Wire cutters, Hammer, Chisel, Crimping tool, Knife, Tape measure, Extension cord, Chalk line, Gloves & safety helmet, Rope Tool belt Ladders Safety Harness, Compass, Calculator, Solar insulation meter and a Digital multi-meter. Installation work: Getting the roof ready Use any applicable method to locate the roof rafters. After successfully locating the rafters and trusses, use the chalk to mark the roof in order to indicate the locations for fitting. Maintaining a 0.3 meters radius from the nearest roof ridge, mark three locations 16inches from each other in a square pattern to indicate the location for the placement of the panels. Mark and clearly layout the vertical lines on which the solar panel lies. Ensure that the lines are clear enough to prevent any further confusion during fixation. Laying out L Feet Drill holes into the center of each rafter. Owing to the absence of the lag bolts, apply sealant into the holes thereby sealing the L Feet onto the rafters or trusses where necessary. Secure the L Feet on the roof using lag bolts ensuring that the L feet faces outwards thereby forming a square enclosure as shown in the figure. Installing rails: attach the rails together before mounting them on the L Feet. This requires accurate measurement of the size of the L Feet. Mounting rails on the L Feet After constructing a strong, secure rail on the ground, it is time to fix it on the L Feet a process that secures the entire system on the roof. The sizes should fit perfectly allowing for bolting. Mount the rails on the lower hole in the L Feet for a lower and more aesthetic system. However, this is only applicable in cooler climates. Install the rails on the upper hole to maintain a maximum airflow below the panels to cool the system in hotter regions. Installing the modules Most of the modern day modules have standard J-boxes and presumably, this package has such too. In such a case, the package is thus pre wired to facilitate ease of installation. In case it is not, the installer will have to wire the modules manually before installing them. Installing the first module, Fasten the safety bolt and plunge nuts at the aligned lower end of each rail. This prevents the lower end clamps from sliding out of the rail during installation. Tighten the flange nuts and center-align the modules as needed. Test to ensure they are tight enough by ensuring that the spanner cannot turn any further. However, allow a half an inch between the rails ends and the end of the clamps. Other modules: Place the second module face down on the first and connect their module cables before closing the J box. Turn the subsequent module face up. Using the T bolts, flange nuts and mid clamps, fasten the sides of the second module. Align the module and tighten the flange nuts. For a neat installation, trim off the excess sides of the rail. However, take care to avoid cutting into the roof. After the secure installation of the panels, recheck to ensure that there is no loose flange nut or bolt since such occurrence may weaken the component of the system. Carry out the recheck exercise after every stage to ensure that the progressive stages of the installation process are secure enough. System grounding It is the last procedure; ensure that the wiring of the house is complete and done in accordance with the dictates of the National Electric Code. Use quality wires with specifications that best suit domestic consumption. Using smaller wires may result in melts while using bigger wires may strain the system possibly resulting in malfunction. The installer must therefore that the wiring is effective and compliant to the National Electric Code. Additionally, system grounding comes only after the completion of the installation of the modules. As stated earlier, the panels begin producing electric current with the available minimal exposure to sunlight. The completion of the installation of the modules signifies such thereby requiring an immediate system grounding. Use at least 10AWG wires for the grounding process. After the completion of the grouped ground wires, connect them to the junction box placed on the rooftop only after the completion of the installation of the modules. The ground extends to the DC disconnect and further to the inverter. Ground the inverter to a ground rod and install a protective earth wire to all of the rails to prevent short-circuiting. Ensure continuity of the grounding cables to ensure efficacy. Install the inverter as per the inverter instructions. MEMO To: Teacher Date: August 2, 2013 From: Student Subject: Redesigning document Abstract I chose to reorganize the document, Solar power system installation manual, just as the name suggests, it is an instruction document detailing the process of installing solar panels on roves for domestic consumption. Produced by a solar panel manufacturing company, the document includes all the essential procedures that the company believes may help achieve a safe and effective installation of the solar panels. However, in my view the bulleting was poorly organized and did not carry as much information as is necessary in ensuring a safe installation of solar panels. The developer of the bulleting uses very complex words most of which are relevant to professionals yet the document should be useful to any user of the solar system. Additionally, the developer used several graphical images of the process, which is a helpful inclusion, but the graphics are not necessary in most of the cases. I eliminated much of the pictures leaving those that best complement the texts thereby making the document communicate more effectively. Information content The original document is very long a feature that makes it boring to read possibly denying it any form of efficacy. As the document reveals, installation of a solar panel systems is a simple three-staged process. The document is therefore very wordy thereby complicating the process unnecessarily. Additionally, the primary audience of the bulletin is professionals with prior knowledge of the installation process; they therefore do not need a detailed document that repeats most of the vital information messages. In my redesign of the bulletin, my first prerogative thus became to minimize the length of the document by eliminating the information I considered repetitive. Besides the repetitive information, the developer of the bulletin does not concentrate on the primary objective of the publication. The material primarily seeks to provide a procedure for the installation of the solar panel systems. However, the developer first deviates from the objective by providing details on security requirements associated with the process of installation. The deviation denies the bulleting the necessary objectivity in communicating the vital information pertaining the installation process. Safety and effectiveness of the use of the system are vital components and therefore worth mentioning, however, the developer of the bulletin overdoes this making the document longer. In my piece, I include the security and safety requirements at the beginning of the document alerting the audience that the equipment is dangerous and require caution when handling. The successive stages of the installation process present relative safety risks to the installers. To include this, I stress the need for caution at every stage of the process a feature that helps minimize the space by eliminating the repeated components in the original document. The information in the bulletin is not equally coherent in communicating the gist of the developer’s message. As a procedure for installing solar panels, the developer should relate the different issues. The developer of the bulletin does not achieve this as the different pieces of information are strewn all over the piece in blocky paragraphs with occasional recurrent pieces of important information. The original work lacks an effective format a feature that makes it difficult for the developer to outline his or her important messages effectively. He uses block paragraphs a feature that makes reading tedious and ineffective. In attempting to provide more details to the installation process, the writer portrays his inability to communicate cohesively as he does not link past information, the current and the future information in a realistic pattern that shows continuity. My piece corrects these mistakes using effective connectors and adds vital information that link the different pieces of information that the developer of the original work tries to communicate. The original document was faulty; the developer does not only exhibits repetitive writing feature but also fails to present the information in the material effectively. Presentation features Most of the original literature’s mistakes arose from its presentation features. The writer uses jargons a feature that denies the document audience. While the document originally appeared professional, the type of information it bears qualifies it as a general read, as everyone requires safety and security when using the solar panels. The use of jargons thus locks out other readers who may not have the professional knowledge in the operations of the solar panels. I correct this feature in my revised version by ensuring that the resultant document has a simple structure and written in simple sentences and in an active voice. This helps understand the document. Being a procedure, the writer out to introduce the ideas chronological thereby providing a logical flow of ideas. This implies that the end of an activity should mark the beginning of another. The author tries to achieve this but in doing so exhibits repetitive features thereby denying the literature a chronological flow. The mistake arises in his inability to divide the material into essential sections that address specific topical issues. The safety and security aspect of the process extends across the entire material. In correcting this, I use specific sections that address vital activities in the installation process. The first two sections of my material address security, features and compliance with the dictates of the National Electric Code. This prevents any other unnecessary repetition of the facts in the body of the material as the writer does in the original work. In lieu with presentation of facts, the writer of the original work uses block paragraphs. Just as stated earlier, procedures require conciseness a feature that is achievable only using short clear points. Paragraphs provide details; they are difficult to read thereby denying the document the seriousness it deserves. My document has a simple structure and presents most of the facts readily and easily in a point form, as is the case in my material. The writer uses graphical presentation as explained above, this helps explain most of the issues covered in the material but the use of numerous images makes most of the images redundant to the blocky paragraphs. Conclusion I believe that the new document is more concise and addresses the issues more realistically than the original work. It eliminates repetition a feature that is rampant in the original work and obviously denies it a potential readership. I incorporate features that make the material readable and readily understood by the general public. The use of simple sentences makes reading easier; the use of relevant graphical images makes facilitates understanding as they complement the information. Additionally, the point form of presentation evident in the piece improves the presentation of the issues involved in the installation of the solar panel systems. In clear division of the work into sections, I eliminate repetitive information and avails the important yet irrelevant information such as security, safety and compliance with the National Electric Code at the beginning of the piece to prevent any form of recurrence in the piece. Work cited Power-Save Energy Co. Solar Power System Installation Manual. 3940-7 Broad St. #200 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 866 297 7192 Read More