I was going to go help them with this one because it was large, and because I wanted to see the roof mounting is done. However, other responsibilities kept me in the office, and I didn't help with it, so I didn't get to see it first hand. Here is some information I am finding on it now:
Latitude: all the jobs we're currently working on are between 35 and 37 degrees. This particular one is about 36.15 degrees N latitude.
Size of system/other loads: the house is decently-sized so you would think maybe they have other loads that justify the size of the system. But I believe my crew told me when they got there, they found a 100A main panel, which was not large enough for the solar power system, so they ended up changing the main panel out to a 200A one to start with (which the solar company bought all the materials for). I'm looking at some information about the house now. It was built in 1981 and it's 2541 square feet, all crammed into a house that doesn't look that large from the outside. So if no other loads were added since it was built, it would make sense they would still have the 100A panel. This was missed by the people writing up the blueprints. They must have just
assumed it was 200A.
Shape/orientation: The second story is hidden under a steeply-sloped roof, probably 1:1 pitch from the pictures. The house is situated at a 45 degree angle from the cardinal directions. The front faces SE. Actually, roof pitches are noted on the prints and are generally 7:12 to 8:12 if the prints match what's really there.
View attachment 2563028
Panels/directions: Solar panels are 410 peak watts each. There are 58 panels, (not 48 like I said before). The total system is listed on the prints as 23.780 kWp (I guess in some imaginary world where the four suns shine down from all directions at once).
Front SE-facing roof: 23 panels. Prints say "roof pitch 8:12" and "tilt: 35 degrees."
Front gable above garage: 8 panels, four facing 45° and four facing 225°. Pitch 7:12, tilt 30 degrees.
Rear main roof facing NW: 18 panels, pitch 8:12, tilt 35 degrees.
Small rear gable: 1 panel facing SW, pitch 7:12, 35 degrees.
additional rear roof extension over back porch: 8 panels, pitch 2:12, tilt 12 degrees.
Shade: some trees are visible behind the house in the picture, but those are the closest ones. The neighboring house to the SW is closer. There are similar trees in front of the house, but they're further away, across the street. And of course, the house gables will offer partial shade to each other.
Overall, this one doesn't make sense. This is the most egregious example of an oversized system with panels installed where they don't even provide much power, that we have done. Other systems we have installed with this company make more sense than this, but almost all of them are at least slightly over-sized, in my opinion.