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Two weeks ago, I started my job with Nexamp. If you’re curious about how I did it, I wrote a post about the 6 Steps on How I landed my Dream Job in Renewable Energy.
For the next 6 to 12 months my job will be to install solar hot water, solar PV, and geothermal systems before learning about the business development (selling, financing, etc) side of the business. I really wanted to utilize my construction experience to get a really good understand of how the technologies are installed. For the last two weeks I’ve been installing solar hot water systems and I want to share with you how it’s done.
Here is the step by step guide of how solar hot water panels are installed:
Step 1: Put up the ladder. Duh! You have to get on the roof.
Step 2: Trace out the layout of the racks
Step 3:Loosen the shingles where the base plates will go
Step 4: Cut the single away from where the base plate will sit. The base plate holds the rack that holds the panel.
Step 5:Put Caulk on the holes that the base plate will be drilled into
Step 6: Screw on the base plate
Step 7: Put flashing over the plate and under the shingles. This stops water from coming in. This is also why we loosened up the singles in step 3
Step 8: Bolt the L clamp to the base plate. The rail will be attached to the L clamp.
Step 9:Repeat the process
Step 10:Put in rails
Step 11: Bolts rails to L clamps
Step 12: Bring up panels on the lift latter
Step 13: Put panel on rails and attach
Up close of the attachment
Step 14: Repeat Process
Step 15: Install thermal censor and intakes/outputs from the panel through the roof
The two other parts of the complete installation are running the line set through the house. This connects the panel to the hot water tank in the basement. The other part is to connect the hot water tank to the line set coming down from the roof and existing hot water system. This will be covered in future segments.
Hope you enjoyed it! If you have any questions, please let me know.
