Ukrainian environmental activists have found that living in an apartment building is the second most popular reason people don't want to install solar panels.
However, solar power plants can be installed in 10 steps both on the roof or on the facade of the building to power some of the entrance equipment, and on the balcony for their own needs, reports Ecodia.
It is noted that due to the systematic Russian shelling of the energy system, people are looking for alternative sources of energy and SPP may be the best option.
The authors said that to install a solar power plant, you need to go through 10 steps:
- Determine the purpose (what exactly needs to be powered from SES: lighting, heating system or just charging devices);
- Determine the approximate consumption of devices and the required autonomy (for example, 500 W for 5 hours);
- Give a request to the company to install a solar station (all further steps should be carried out by representatives of the company you have chosen under your supervision);
- The designer must take measurements to determine where to install, depending on the conditions and needs. If, on the recommendation of an electrician, it is necessary to increase the electrical capacity of the house, you must contact the energy service provider servicing the building.
- Specialists must develop project documentation (at least the location of the panels, the SPP connection diagram) taking into account the effective placement of the panels, the calculation of cables and other consumables, protection shields, the calculation of the panel fastening system designed for covering a specific roof, and the system attachment points to the roof, calculation system performance;
- The company must calculate the exact set of equipment, starting from the developed project documentation, taking into account the specifics of the location of the equipment and its availability or delivery time;
- Advance payment and order equipment and start preparatory work at the facility;
- Mount and connect the station;
- Test equipment;
- The person in charge of the company must instruct the customer how to use the system.
Eco-activists stressed that each house should be considered separately, taking into account the specifics of the power grid, the location of the solar power plant and other characteristics developed by the experts of the installer company. You can also install a small station on your balcony and connect it to an inverter (a device that allows you to consume the current produced by the panel), which must be purchased separately. However, due to each balcony glass, the efficiency of the panel will drop by about 4%.
The authors noted that the most effective placement of panels on special triangular mounts at an angle of 30-35 degrees. However, panels can be placed horizontally with less efficiency.
"It is better to install on the outside of the balcony: so that there is no shading and reduced efficiency through the windows," they emphasized.
Environmental activists emphasized that the cost of SPP depends on many factors, namely:
- panel prices,
- mounts,
- additional materials for connection,
- other necessary equipment (e.g. batteries).
They said that the cost fluctuates greatly depending on the circumstances and it is possible to independently calculate it only with a significant deviation.
"For example, installing an autonomous solar power plant for a house of one hundred apartments with an uninterruptible power supply (a device that automatically switches power from the network to the solar power plant during a shutdown) can cost 350-400 thousand hryvnia," the article says.
Such a system is enough for several hours of operation of critical equipment:
- entrance lighting;
- intercom;
- individual heating point
Environmental activists stressed that the efficiency of solar power plants depends on the time of year, battery capacity, the power of the panels themselves, and their angle of inclination. For example, in summer, when the sunny day is longer, the solar power plant will produce energy for about 10 hours, and in winter – up to 5 hours.
“Thus, a 115 W panel can be located on the south side, which is the most efficient in terms of SES, but at the same time on a balcony facade, which will lose up to 20% of efficiency,” they noted.
The authors also emphasized that a solar power plant can power any household device if the power is chosen correctly, and not turn on all the equipment at the same time. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the priority devices for which it is necessary to provide constant power.
They also emphasized that it is possible to install one number of panels first, then install additional ones. However, this will complicate the process of their connection, and the combined system will work with the efficiency of the "weakest" PV modules.
The authors also advised for high-rise buildings to choose lithium-iron-phosphate batteries that last longer and more efficiently.
They emphasized that energy supply companies do not require and do not have the right to require additional approvals for solar power plants installed for their own consumption without generation into the general network, since this is a purely internal economic activity. But it is desirable to receive from the installer a drawing of the location and fastening of the equipment and an electrical circuit for connecting the equipment. To place SES in condominiums, it is necessary to agree on renting a roof.
As EcoPolitic reported earlier, in Poland in the city of Szczytno, residents of one of the high-rise buildings made house energy self-sufficient thanks to solar panels on the balconies and roof.
