With green building techniques and materials now fast becoming more mainstream, 21 Lowe’s home improvement stores have begun to sell solar PV panels. That’s right; the same place you pick up your plumbing fixtures and lumber will now have solar panels on the shelves as well to help round out that ‘green’ renovation you’ve been looking to do.
Manufactured by Akeena Solar, the Andalay AC panel is designed to be DIY. Unlike traditional solar PV arrays which require a centralized inverter, Andalay panels incorporate a micro-inverter into each panel; allowing the homeowner or contractor to connect directly to the structure on which it is being installed. This not only makes installation easier, but it also helps address the ’strongest as the weakest link’ problem some traditional PV arrays tied to a centralized inverter can face (when a panel in an array is either shaded or not functioning properly it decreases the overall efficiency of the system).
The Andalay panels also incorporate their own racking,grounding, and wiring; features the company claims reduces the need for separate parts by 80%. Some of the other features of Andalay panels as listed on their website:
- No single point of system failure
- Built-in electrical and ground connectors cannot loosen or be installed incorrectly
- No dangerous 600 volt DC wiring
- Shorter wire lengths are less likely to fail by pinching or abrading
- 70% fewer roof-assembled parts means a longer lasting system
- 25% fewer roof attachment points means greater roof integrity
- 5 – 25% better performance than ordinary DC panels
- Built in microinverter delivers greater production in low light conditions on a per module basis
Nothing DIY About Solar Panels
While solar panels on the surface are fairly simple and straightforward technology-wise, their proper installation and appropriateness certainly is not and as the saying goes, “the devil is in the details”. At $900 a piece Akeena’s Andalay ‘idiot-proof’ panel will still require some proper knowledge and dare I say expertise to install.
Though someone may want solar on his or her home, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it makes sense to put it on there. Site conditions and exposure are two of the biggest factors when determining if a solar PV array is right for a particular home; not to mention angle of exposure and orientation. Most, if not all, homeowners wanting to install solar are not aware of these factors and the few that are most likely are not aware of the necessary guidelines/requirements in order to have a practically efficient system.
In order to address this Lowe’s will have energy centers within its stores that will offer touchscreen kiosks that will enable potential solar panel buyers to find out the solar power potential of their home and location. The store will also assist in providing paperwork for tax rebates and incentive programs as well as offer software that will monitor the energy being produced by the system.
Be that as it may, solar panel arrays are still not a laymen’s game; whether their components are more integrated or not. While the Andalays do offer some intriguing and innovative features, they also have some major drawbacks (see below). A worthwhile and efficient system relies more on it’s proper installation than it does the equipment which is being installed. I’m just not sure if the ‘Joe do-it-yourselfer’ is quite ready to tackle a $20,000+ DIY solar project yet.
The Good: Easier, and possibly cheaper, access to solar panels streamlined for DIY installation. Integrated inverter, racking, wiring reduces installation time/complexity. Fewer roof connections means less chance for damage. Array continues to operate at maximum efficiency even if one panel is shaded or goes down (so claims Andalay)
The Bad: There are known quality issues with Akeena’s Andalay line (mostly with the module frame). Many homeowners and contractors will improperly install, align, and/or connect these PV arrays simply from a lack of proper knowledge and experience. Integrated racking and micro-inverters mean you’re stuck with Anadalay should something go wrong or you want to add to your system. The integrated racking also means owners will be bound by the angle of the substrate on which they’re installing the system. This could greatly decrease the efficiency of the system if the angle isn’t optimum (which it would most likely not be). Just as expensive, and in some cases more so, than a traditional PV system.
The Bottom-Line: While being able to roll down to your local Lowe’s to pick up some solar panels may sound like a great idea, the truth of the matter is the quality and reliability of an investment as large and as long term as a solar PV array shouldn’t be left in the hands of a home improvement store and inexperienced installers.
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