10 mistakes in solar energy design

The most prominent  and most important   10  fatal mistakes  in the implementation and design of solar energy :

1. 1-  Wrong sizing  of the system , not taking into account that productivity in winter differs from summer , and that the highest rate of  1  kilowatt panels produces an average of  4-6  kilowatt hours per day  ( approximately )  and that additional precautions must be made for panels due to weather conditions  ( such as clouds and rain )  that lead to lower productivity                                 For hours  or  perhaps  for  a whole day   , to avoid  the system being   under-sized  and failure to use and benefit from it  . .
2. 2-  Incorrect sizing of  energy storage batteries . The daily discharge level of  the DoD batteries ( Depth of Discharge )  must be taken into consideration . The life of the batteries must be determined in advance through the number of cycles used at a predetermined discharge rate , and the discharge device or inverter must be set to turn off the system when the level is reached .                                         Determined  according to the  prior study   ( for example , when discharging the batteries by  50%  or  60%  , or according to the feasibility study ). .
3. 3-  Wrong sizing  of the wires used to connect between the panels , the regulator , and the batteries . The rule says  :  The higher the voltage and the lower the ampere , the thinner the wires will be , and vice versa . The appropriate wire section must be calculated in advance based on the system data , especially by choosing suitable wires for solar energy with insulation .                                           Good and  high tolerance  to heat and humidity , and you can calculate the appropriate wire section through the application of Shams or for large systems .              
   
4. 4-  Installing  bases  for solar panels  made of light iron that can be easily oxidized and exposed to rust , and thus may lead to an inevitable catastrophe and the panels will fall and break , and even human damage may occur , so the bases must be solid , strong and resistant to weather factors  (  rain , wind , humidity ,                                          temperature  , etc.  )  and it is always better  to use bases made of aluminum to serve for a longer life  ( especially in areas with high humidity ). .
5. 5-  One of the  common mistakes  is not paying attention to waterproofing , so the engineer or user must isolate the wires of the panels from the water . It is not correct to cut the cables , make manual connections and weld them with adhesive or any other primitive means .  MC4 connectors ( high quality )  or alternative connectors designated for wires should be used .
   Solar  energy and  make sure  it  is properly isolated  . .
6. 6-  Not  taking into account  the shadow  ,  so  you must  leave  a distance  from  the height  of the object  that causes  the shadow  ,  or  raise  the base of the panels  to the top  in order to  reduce  the  distance  between  the object  and the panels  ,  and you can  calculate  this  through  the application  of Shams  ( currently  the calculation  is not  accurate  in the application,  but  it  will be modified  in the  next update soon,  God willing  ). .
7. 7-  One of the  fatal mistakes  is not installing  DC  breakers and fuses for solar panels and batteries . It is necessary to install a  DC  breaker with a voltage suitable for the total voltages of the panels  ( to protect the system or to separate it manually when maintenance is needed or to add panels )  . Also, between the batteries and the inverter  , DC fuses or breakers must be installed . .
8. 8-  Some users place the inverter or regulator in an open place or exposed to heat , sun, humidity , and rain , and this is wrong behavior , except if the device is designed to work  outdoors  , and these devices  are often intended for large projects and their cost is expensive and not available for simple home use , so it must be                                           The inverter  or  the regulator  is in a  cool place  as much as possible and away from dirt, dust and water . There is no problem if the distance between the panels and the inverter is long , as long as the goal is to keep the device from dust , in addition to taking into consideration the suitable wire section for the actual distance between them  . .
9. 9-  Not  using   earth for the  solar system,  the inverter and charging regulator must  be protected with  a grounding system, and a lightning protection system should be added to all parts of the system  ,  especially solar panels , and especially in areas where the probability of lightning strikes is high . .
10. 10-  Leaving  the system  for a  long time  without  follow-up  and checking  from  time  to  time  .  The user or the person in charge of the system must  check the components of the system from time to time , by examining the productivity of the panels and ensuring the  integrity of the connectors and terminals, and examining the discharge of the batteries and making sure that the actual capacity of the batteries has not decreased , and in                                 In the event that  a decrease in capacity occurs ,  he must carry out an  “equalization” process ( except for gel batteries ,  as  it is not recommended to do an equalization for them at all )  as we explained in a previous article , after referring to the instructions of the battery manufacturer , and in addition to examining the batteries at the float stage  ( when charging is complete )  . And make sure                                    All  batteries have at least the same or close voltages , in addition to removing dust from the inverter and the rest of the components ,  either with a blowing device carefully and with low impulse force , or by vacuuming the dust . .

We hope  that  you  have  benefited  from  the article  and  that  you will  publish it  for the  benefit to spread .