Site Assessment

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Site Assessment

PIne Island Solar, LLC

What should be done first?

The first and most important thing to do is reduce your electrical usage.
        1. Switch to compact florescent or LED bulbs.
        2. Televisions and other appliances which have remote controls use electricity when they are
             shut off.   Use power strips which can be shut off when the appliance is not in use.
        3. Make it a habit to shut off lights in rooms when not being used.
        4. Replace old appliances with Energy Star appliances.

        5. Purchase or borrow a watt meter which will show how much electricity
             each appliance is using.
        6. Cordless phones use electricity all the time. You could replace some or all of your

cordless phones with standard phones.

Is your home a good solar site?

A site assessment will determine if you have a good site for solar.
The angle of panel installation should be at approximately 45 degrees in Rochester, Minnesota.
You should have no shading from 9 am to 3 pm for all twelve months of the year.
The best direction or azimuth for panels to face is due south.
The picture below shows the solar pathfinder with a large tree shading the site at about 2:30 in the afternoon.

Minnesota has specific requirements for the rebate program.
1. Installations are subject to the requirements and provisions of Minnesota statute (216B.164),  Minnesota rules (Chapter 7835), and according to the guidlines of the National Electrical Code Aritcle 690, and electric utility requiremens.
2. Must follow all applicable building and zoning codes.
3. Fixed-and manual-tilt installations should have an azimuth (direction the solar panels are facing) within 45 degrees of due south (180 degrees is due south).
4. Fixed-tilt installations should have a solar panel tilt angle between 20 and 60 degrees.
5. Participants must demonstrate that the system will not be shaded by buildings, trees, electricty poles, towers, chimneys, etc. using a shading analysis tool and site photos.
     a. Participants are responsible for ensuring an accurate representation of the site.
     b. Installations should be free from shading at all times of the year within a degree range of +/- 45 degrees of the intended azimuth.
     c.   The Program Administrator reserves the right to reject any application if the installation site is compromised by shading from nearby objects.
6. Installations must be performed by professional installers in order to qualify for a rebate.
7. The installer must provide information to the participant about operation and performance considerations relating to shading, snow cover, and maintenance of the system.

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