Northern California Solar Site Assessment

This is an introduction to understanding the fundamentals of the Solar Site Assessment. We’ll focus on the location and orientation of your residence in compared to solar radiation.  As a disclaimer, we must state that the this information will help you bypass a professional solar assessment but professional counsel from your local installer is still highly recommended.

Making this decision can be complex and confusing for the average homeowner without some basic understanding of solar solutions and solar radiation. Many homeowners can handle the paperwork themselves. This guide is designed to help Northern California residents looking to invest in solar and take a larger measure of control over their energy production and solar future.

HahaSmart hopes that you will share this information with people in your own network who are interested but afraid of making the initial investments. However, installers are responsible for performing site assessments, obtaining building and electrical permits, handling interconnection applications and of course, the actual installation job.

Peak Hours

Peak hours are the number of hours per day when the solar insolation equals 1000 kWh/m^2, where the energy received during total daylight hours equals the energy received if the sun shines for 5 hours at 1000 w/m^2.

For instance, in the northern hemisphere where the sun is in the southern sky, solar collectors or photovoltaic (PV) modules would point toward the southern sky to maximize energy collection. Using this information, assess where your home is located hemispherically to determine whether this is the best decision for you.

The orientation of the sun’s location from east to west is called “azimuth” (measured in degrees). Daily performance and efficiency from your future “cheap system” is dependent on the fixed mount collectors, if faced true south or 0’ degrees. The sun’s height above the horizon is called “altitude” which is measured in degrees above the horizon.

Percent Shading at Proposed Location 

Calculating detailed solar shading and overshadowing is a problem for most building analysis tools. It is important to a whole range of building performance criteria, from thermal and day lighting analysis through to solar access and rights-to-light. However, to do it properly can take a frustratingly long time.

Solar energy has much more to offer Northern California homeowners. With the financial incentives available in this state, renewable energy is more affordable than ever. This is our attempt to reach as many Northern Californians and spread awareness about the incredible perks of going renewable energy through community outreach and education. Keep these things in mind when selecting a site and performing the assessment:

Be sure that the array is not shaded from 9 am to 3 pm on any day

Be sure that the array is not shaded in any month of the year during the solar window.

Identify the obstacles that shade the array between 9 am and 3 pm

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