Roof Photovoltaic systems design is growing in-demand, especially for commercial projects. These systems allow consumers to get cost-effective, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly options for their facilities.
These systems are now installed in all sorts of commercial areas including schools, offices, production houses, hotels, etc because they help cut down on operating costs, maintain a good brand identity, and get long-term benefits.
However, commercial roof voltaic systems design consideration is a major factor that determines the overall outcome of your project. Let us have a quick look at design considerations you should keep in mind for roof designing.
Commercial Roof Photovoltaic Systems Design Consideration
Following are some of the most important things you should keep in mind while working on a roof solar panel installation in your commercial project.
- Duration of Project
- Roof Size
- Site Assessment
- Consumption Demands
- Roof Type
- Inverter Sizing
Duration of Project
You wouldn’t want to start a solar panel installation project without considering the total project time available. It will not only leave your project incomplete but will also question your brand credibility and reliance. Thus, you should start by assessing the time frame you need to complete the commercial roof solar power project.
On average, these installations take about 20 days for residential buildings. However, the commercial installations are a bit faster because they include bigger system sizes. Maximizing your system sizes will help you meet maximum power requirements in minimal time.
It is wise for commercial site installers to create a possible timeline for the project, and check the updates of each milestone accordingly.
This extra planning can help create more precise designs, maximize efficiency, and keep things under your initial budget. The cost matters for commercial installations because it is inversely proportional to the profit you make out of the project.
For instance, imagine making total revenue of $1000 with expenses of $800. Earning a profit of $200 will not do you well in the long run.
Moreover, the longer these projects take for roof installations, the more you will spend on equipment and labor. Thus, it is best to choose the most time-efficient designs to complete commercial roof installations quickly.
Roof Size
The size of your commercial roof area matters the most. More area gives installers the freedom to add more solar panels and get more electricity out of it.
Similarly, a smaller roof area makes it difficult for installers to add multiple plates. However, there are other methods like placing multiple photovoltaic systems design on the roof end or placing them in opposite directions.
It is best to plan and choose the right panel sizes to keep your solar panel installation simpler. Keep in mind that the average sq. ft of each side on the roof is an easy way to determine your total solar panel area available.
Moreover, ensure you meet the government guidelines and policies while you upgrade your commercial projects for solar panel installations.
Site Assessment
While the roof area has a huge impact, assessing the site availability and location can vastly differ because the energy yield depends on the sunlight intensity and duration. For most cases, warmer regions get around 6 hours of sunlight a day.
Contrary to this, cloudier areas get only 2 to 3 hours of sunlight a day. The energy yield in both these sites is fairly different. Thus, always keep the site and location in mind while completing commercial roof photovoltaic design installation.
You should aim to install the solar panels in a way that they get maximum sunlight exposure throughout the day. Moreover, ensure that you consider weather issues, chances of natural disasters, and other factors in mind during site assessments.
Consumption Demands
The average energy required by the customers and visitors in your commercial vicinity is a major factor worth considering. It is important to provide surplus compared to the needs so that the users do not have an issue.
Moreover, you can use the surplus amount and sell it to the authorities through the Tariff programs.
Several steps matter in determining the consumption demand. For instance, always calculate the Watt-hours per day for each section of the commercial project. Splitting the commercial project into sectors helps get precise results.
Next, it is important to assess the watt-hours per day needed from the PV modules. You should multiply the requirement for each section you calculate with 1.3 times (energy lost each day).
Roof Type
Some roof materials are unsuitable for installing solar panels and can impact the design of the photovoltaic system in the long run. Thus, it is best to consider the material in the beginning. Roof materials like composite shingles in residential complexes are quite popular among experts.
That said, experts do not like commercial roof solar panel installations on Spanish tiles. It is not that these installations aren’t possible, but they are quite time-consuming. Therefore, commercial project workers need to choose the most efficient roof options for their solar panel installation projects.
Inverter Sizing
Inverters are essential for systems that need AC output. However, choosing the right inverter size is more difficult for commercial applications as the inverter support shouldn’t be larger than the total watt requirement of a commercial project. This makes it harder to choose the right inverter sizing for commercial projects.
However, choosing specific commercial-grade solar panel inverters is a good option for large-scale applications.
Bottom Line
Coming up with the ideal roof photovoltaic systems design considerations is important for commercial projects. These projects require assessing various factors like the possible inverter sizing, roof type, consumer demands, site assessment, and total project time available to run things efficiently.
We have lined out vital details in this guide, and following them will help you with commercial roof solar panel installations easily. However, we suggest connecting with a solar panel expert to make a more informed decision.
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