Solar Panels Installation
Ok, so now that you learned the basics about solar panels, figured out how many you need and found the place your going to purchase your solar panels system, it's time to get those sun soaking puppies up up and running.

There are a few different options when it comes to installation and you can choose to do it yourself if you feel comfortable or pay someone to do it for you which costs depending on the size of the job. You can have the solar panels installed:

- With a ground mounted system if the area gets enough sunlight and clear from obstructions.
- Mounted on the roof, which requires holes through the roof and mounted into the rafters
- With thin film solar panels that are literally glued to the top of your roof

 What is solar insolation?
The amount of electromagnetic energy (solar radiation) incident on the

surface of the earth. Basically that means how much sunlight is shining

down on us.

Why is knowing the insolation level useful?
By knowing the insolation levels of a particular region we can

determine the size of solar collector that is required. An area with

poor insolation levels will need a larger collector than an area with

high insolation levels. Once you know your region's insolation level

you can more accurately calculate collector size and energy output.

What units are used to express Insolation levels?
The values are generally expressed in kWh/m2/day. This is the amount of

solar energy that strikes a square metre of the earth's surface in a

single day. Of course this value is averaged to account for differences

in the days' length. There are several units that are used throughout

the world.

The conversions based on surface area as follows:
1 kWh/m2/day = 317.1 btu/ft2/day = 3.6MJ/m2/day

The raw energy conversions are:
1kWh = 3412 Btu = 3.6MJ = 859.8kcal

Is my region's insolation level low, moderate or high?
The following scale is a basic guide for insolation levels. Although a

value of 5 is not considered very high during the summer months, as an

average annual value this is very high. You will see that in central

Australia, which is a hot, sunny place, the annual average insolation

is 5.89.

You may compare you location to the following two extreme locations.
Average annual insolation levels:
Central Australia = 5.89 kWh/m2/day - Very High
Helsinki, Finland = 2.41 kWh/m2/day - Very Low

Click on the links below to view insolation levels for your region.
-- Solar Insolation Levels In North America
-- Solar Insolation Levels In South America
-- Solar Insolation Levels In Canada
-- Solar Insolation Levels In Europe
-- Solar Insolation Levels In Asia
-- Solar Insolation Levels In Africa