Solar Pre-wire

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ElectricianJeff

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Southern Illinois
I am bidding a job on a new subdivision consisting of 1250 sf duplex villa's.

The GC wants me to include an option in my bid to "pre-wire" for solar. His feeling is that solar may soon become more economically feasable and this might be a selling point for these units.

I know little about solar other than it has something to do with the sun. :rolleyes: I am looking for suggestions as to how you would approach this.

Thanks
 
hmmm. i haven't done solar, but not sure what you could do for a 'prewire' being the point of attachment is at the service; i would look up the install instructions for some small resi systems online. if the GC wants a selling point, he should have you go ahead and install some type of solar.
 
Well, about the only way to make this feasible is to have the option for a grid-interconnected small solar system, that mostly relies on the grid for power.

I'd spend some time looking into interactive systems to get an idea of what the finished system would look like (meter socket, inverter, solar panels), and then go from there. You'd essentially need to design the system, and then start going through with an eraser removing the panels and conductors and leaving raceways for future use in their place as well.

(No small task, I'd expect to get paid for designing the system, myself. He's going to use your design to hand the other ECs to bid, I imagine.)
 
IMO the only thing you could do would be to leave room near the panel and run a couple of good sized conduits from the panel area up to the roof.

Anything beyond that would be a waste IMO, all the manufacturers have different requirements and the technology is in constant change.

I type this while sitting at a 50 KW solar install on a commercial building.:smile:
 
iwire said:
IMO the only thing you could do would be to leave room near the panel and run a couple of good sized conduits from the panel area up to the roof.

Anything beyond that would be a waste IMO, all the manufacturers have different requirements and the technology is in constant change.

I type this while sitting at a 50 KW solar install on a commercial building.:smile:
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Very true, Bob, and that's about all I would do, too. Though I might not even do the conduits all the way to the roof. Depending on attic space run them in to the attic and then set a box and let the solar guy do his thing.
 
kkwong said:
Though I might not even do the conduits all the way to the roof. Depending on attic space run them in to the attic and then set a box and let the solar guy do his thing.
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I agree, if there is accessible attic space I would stop there.
 
iwire said:
IMO the only thing you could do would be to leave room near the panel and run a couple of good sized conduits from the panel area up to the roof.

Anything beyond that would be a waste IMO, all the manufacturers have different requirements and the technology is in constant change.

I type this while sitting at a 50 KW solar install on a commercial building.:smile:
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How is that project going for you Iwire?
Learning anything? :0)
 
There are several good magazines available that are all about solar and off-grid installations. Google 'em.

electricmanscott said:
Bob already knows everything. ;)
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Together, my brother and I know everything in the world. ;)

Go ahead, ask me something. :grin:
 
iwire said:
IMO the only thing you could do would be to leave room near the panel and run a couple of good sized conduits from the panel area up to the roof.

Anything beyond that would be a waste IMO, all the manufacturers have different requirements and the technology is in constant change.
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Thanks for all the insight and input.

I am going to run with the above. This will be a recessed panel in the garage. I generally run a piece of 1 1/4" pvc up to the attic on these for future expansion (hot-tub, basement finish, etc.). into the garage attic. I will just leave it at that.

Jeff
 
ElectricianJeff said:
I am bidding a job on a new subdivision consisting of 1250 sf duplex villa's.

The GC wants me to include an option in my bid to "pre-wire" for solar. His feeling is that solar may soon become more economically feasable and this might be a selling point for these units.

I know little about solar other than it has something to do with the sun. :rolleyes: I am looking for suggestions as to how you would approach this.

Thanks
Click to expand...
I believe you also need a fancy meter can that can spin backwards...:D :roll:

Seriously, there are several (37, I think) reciprocal states, that have laws stating that if someone connects a power generating device to their home, they can interconnect to the grid system, and "sell" the extra energy they make back to the power company rather than trying to store it in house sized batteries...

About the only way you could know what would need to be done to "prewire" is to order and sit on several of their systems, since like several others have said, the technology is changing almost as fast as computer technology.
 
ElectricianJeff said:
I am bidding a job on a new subdivision consisting of 1250 sf duplex villa's.The GC wants me to include an option in my bid to "pre-wire" for solar. His feeling is that solar may soon become more economically feasable and this might be a selling point for these units.
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Are the roofs pitched? If they are, does each unit have a pitched roof that faces south that won't be seen from the street?I've thought about solar panels on my roof but my roof pitces west in the front and east in the back. I'm guessing this won't work. Seems the panels need to face south to get sun all day long.If the front of my house did face south I think the panels on the roof would make the house ugly.
 
If the builder is serious about offering the "upgrade", you should hook up with a company that sells the equipment, find out exactly what they need for rough in, and find out what you can offer and what to charge for it. Out of 1200 units, one of them is surely going to want the upgrade, and at that point you will look like a fool if you haven't done your homework, don't know what to charge, don't know what you can really offer to install, and, most importantly, have left something out that would make installation easy. Its an upsell - sell it !
 
nakulak said:
If the builder is serious about offering the "upgrade", you should hook up with a company that sells the equipment, find out exactly what they need for rough in, and find out what you can offer and what to charge for it. Out of 1200 units, one of them is surely going to want the upgrade, and at that point you will look like a fool if you haven't done your homework, don't know what to charge, don't know what you can really offer to install, and, most importantly, have left something out that would make installation easy. Its an upsell - sell it !
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I'll bet air terminals are going to be an "add-on" especially in tornado alley.
 
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