Solar Site Assessments

With the large monetary investment required for solar systems, every effort should be made to get the most electricity production out of the system. There are many factors that come into play here, such as panel orientation, amount of solar radiation and location on the property. While initial site assessments may be done using satellite images obtained online, the actual onsite assessment itself is crucial to ensure that changes or obstructions, such as trees, can be accounted for.

Most solar companies can provide a site assessment service at a nominal fee, but for those home owners looking to really understand this process and do it themselves, workshops can be taken to gain this knowledge. The process is not too complicated and can be learned fairly quickly with the proper instructions and guidance. Even after a short afternoon workshop, a person could gain enough skill and knowledge to perform a site assessment; however, one should ensure that they practice using the tool to really understand how to use it correctly.

There are also a few different products that can be used for site assessments, the most common being the Solar Pathfinder which is a hands-on tool used to detect shading. This device can be used at any time of the day or night as long as there is some light present in the sky. Software analysis is also used to determine overall site suitability. The product's software can also take into account historical solar radiation and weather data for your latitude and longitude, as well as the constantly changing sun elevation angle. Digital photos are taken at the site to provide additional data to the software for accurate shade calculations due to trees, other buildings, etc. There are other products which can be used such as the HORIcatcher and the Solmetric SunEye which both provide thorough analysis through software, although are very expensive which can discourage many potential users. All of the products will provide a detailed report of the findings. The report will help you bring your goals, budget and energy needs together with the unique solar opportunities at your optimal location.

Every site is different and needs evaluation specific to the site - there is never a "one-size-fits-all” solution when it comes to renewable energy systems. As site assessments are the most crucial part of the process, they must be done with time and care, using the appropriate tools and accurate knowledge for the job.