Site Survey for Solar PV

Are you a buyer looking for a rooftop for your house or commercial establishment?

Have you ever wondered what makes a solar plant installation successful?
One of the key areas that Solar buyers and vendors take for granted is the Site survey. This
phase is very important in the process of Solar installation as it provides crucial information in
the solar plant design.

3 important factors considered when designing a solar PV system are:

Feasibility Is the system feasible for implementation?

Viability Is it economically viable to implement the system and reap benefits in the
long run?
Needs of the user Understanding the user requirements and needs is of utmost
importance.

A site survey helps understand the above 3 aspects in detail.

You can dramatically increase the output of the Solar PV system by getting the Site survey
properly done.

In todays post we look at what exactly happens in a site survey before solar installation?

Ready?

Lets get down to it.

Site Survey for Solar PV

Site Survey is carried out to help design a proper Solar pv system that suits the users
requirements.
Its customary to begin with to collect all the details about the site before making a final
proposal to the client for a customized solar solution.

How to do A Solar Site Survey?

Things carried out during a Site survey are:

Roof Orientation- to get to know a suitable location for the Solar Panels.
Do a Shading Analysis to analyze the solar irradiance on the solar panels during the day.
This helps in identifying the suitable location for solar panels for optimum output.
Study the roofing details to install the right Solar PV system.
Load Analysis To understand the energy needs of the building.
Solar PV System usability check to make sure the solar panels is easily accessible by
the user and other reasons.
Below is a detailed look at each of the activities carried out during a site survey for solar
installation.

Solar PV Orientation (Azimuth)

This is an important activity undertaken during the Solar site survey to determine the direction
the roof Solar PV system for receiving maximum sunlight during the day. It is also called Solar
irradiation. The Solar PV system is usually placed in the South direction when the location is in
the northern hemisphere for maximum solar irradiation.

Shading Analysis for Solar Panels

To get the optimum output from the Solar PV system one needs to ensure solar irradiation is
almost nearly shade free. This consists of analyzing Solar Insolation (i.e. studying the way the sunlight
moves over time in a day). This is done using several Solar shading tools and physically studying the
movement of sunlight. Trackers can also be used to track the sunlight to actively capture sunlight for
solar irradiation.

Also the neighborhood is analyzed and seen that there are no obstructions that create shade
which can hamper the electricity production due to shading issues. Other ways of dealing
with shading issue is by shifting to an alternative location or using Micro inverters (these are
attached to individual solar modules that convert solar energy to electricity to optimize the
electrical output) instead of using a single solar inverter.

Roof Structure Analysis

Since each and every house roof has a different structure, the Solar PV system installed would
vary based on the rooftop dimensions (surface area) and other unique specifications specific to
each. The inclination, direction and even construction material of the roof type is considered
before the solar installation.

If the rooftop is not suitable then ground mounting options can also be considered for
feasibility.

Following are the rooftop details collected to get the most out of Solar PV system to be
installed:

Coordinates of site (Latitude & Longitude) (Optional)

Building ownership (Owned / Leased / Rental)
o Details of lease structure (if leased) (Lease period, No of parties etc.)
Building Roof Height / Number of Floors
o Roof type ( Flat/ Inclined)
o (sheet thickness if available)
Shadow free Rooftop Area Available for Solar/Wind Installation (in Square Feet)
Approximate.
Maximum Load Capacity of the Roof if available (kg/m2)
Load Analysis

Load Analysis is done to understand the current electricity utilization and the prospective
power usage to get a good understanding of the kind of Solar system to deploy.

It is done by collecting the load information of the major energy using appliances and ways are
devised to bring in efficiency into the system to reduce the electricity output from the Solar PV
system.

Following are some of details we collect from the clients in order to understand the power
requirements:

Sanctioned Load from Electricity Board (kVA)

Consumer category (LT/ HT / kVA)
Electricity price exclusive of taxes (INR/kWh)
Average monthly consumption (kWh/Units )
Approximate Daytime Consumption (kWh/Units) (8 am to 5 pm)
Daily Base Load (kVA)
Average daily Power Cuts (hrs/day)
No. of Non-Operational days in a week
Total Non-operational days in a year (including holidays and weekends)
Base load on non-operational days (kVA)

Also collected are the details about the electricity consumption over the year to get to know
the power consumption pattern (as indicated in the table below). This helps in designing the
right Solar PV system that suits your power consumption pattern. The Solar PV system may
not be providing 100% of the electricity from solar but at least 60-70% of the electrical power
needed by the building.

A grid tied or off grid system can be installed based on the user requirements and power
utilization.

Solar PV System Usability

The site analysis helps in having the Solar PV system installed in a site that is most
convenient from the standpoint of usability. Also the location for other things like the
inverter, battery backup, distribution box etc. are considered to have the Solar PV system
installed properly. Also considered is the way Solar PV system is going to be connected
to the existing electrical system.

Financial Analysis
Here things like financial incentives, government subsidies, the ROI and other things are
considered which explain the economic viability of the Solar project.
An important consideration to look at the Net Metering option where surplus power is
supplied to the DISCOM and the DISCOM credits the user for the extra power supplied.

Conclusion

Doing a Site Survey is critical for the successful execution of a solar project as crucial
information is gathered during this phase to enable optimal power output from the Solar
installation.

If you are looking to install a Rooftop Solar system, look no further Lavancha helps you to
get a proper site survey done so that you get the best out of the Solar PV system. Get an
appointment with our consultant today for a Solar site survey.