This is my favorite part of building the house. I have done solar installation for the last two and a half years, and I'm probably going to make a career in renewable energy. To me, it seems like something which can be embraced by all walks of life. Especially with the harnessing of the sun as a direct energy source, it evokes something which is universal and essential. Indeed, I have embraced such existential delusions of grandeur that I made a Latin phrase from the Satyricon the motto of my company: "Sol Omnibus Lucet"--"The Sun Shines Upon Us All." Yep, I'm a pompous snob :).
So, on to the roof porn:
This is a 3.22 kW (nameplate value) system, comprised of 14 solar panels/modules, each with their own micro-inverter. The micro-inverters are the shiny silver boxes pictured above. More commonplace systems use a single, centralized inverter, but this newer technology makes each panel its own mini-system. In this the way, the system is highly modular, more efficient, safer, and uses fewer components. Additionally, monitoring for the system's performance can be easily monitored both from the system's display or through a wi-fi connection and computer. My parents or I could monitor the system's daily performance via computer, which is pretty neat.
Although we did not do solar water heating on the house, I planned for enough roof space to incorporate solar hot water in the future. One day, this house might run completely off of solar energy, but for now, it is going to have net zero electrical bills.
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