While popular household tools such as pliers, angle finders, cordless drills, and so on are needed for solar installations, there are also specialized tools designed specifically for solar installations. Some tools are designed for basic tasks, such as disconnecting solar connections, while others, such as wire crimping die sets, are designed for more complicated tasks.
Working in solar energy today is one of the most exciting aspects because of how quickly the technology is progressing. In recent years, innovation and research have aided the sector in truly hitting its stride, with solar PV efficiency skyrocketing while costs have dropped sharply from where they were ten years ago.
Fortunately for solar installers, though technology evolves, many of the required tools have remained constant. Here are the resources you’ll need to start accumulating solar power.
Solar Panels Hanger
This tool is intended to help with solar panel mounting, leveling, and staging in typical roof mount situations. The tool was designed to act as an extra pair of hands without the added expense of hiring another installer.
Multiple installers can work on different jobs with the solar power hanger, which speeds up installation, ensures the panels are correctly matched, and provides a safe way to stage multiple panels on the roof at once. This tool also has the following advantages:
- Holding panels in place when wiring the array
- Adjustable panel cantilever
- Stage several panels closer to the install point
- Eliminate rail stuffing when staging panels
- Works on any rail type racking
- Make the task of leveling panels easier.
Software Designed For Solar
Residential and commercial solar construction companies may use solar software to plan and design layouts for installing PV panels on rooftops or other locations to maximize energy efficiency. The great solar software also assists businesses in managing solar sales proposals by displaying PV panel design layouts to consumers, tracking material costs for PV system installations, managing energy storage, and producing energy consumption reports and estimates.
The following are some of the advantages of solar software:
- Reduces excess of raw materials.
- Proposal and sales management assistance.
- Calculates the overall energy consumption of future systems.
PV Tester
Photovoltaic (PV) testers are a full electrical test solution for determining the efficiency of photovoltaic arrays. They can measure and analyze solar energy’s I-V (current vs. voltage) and P-V (power vs. voltage). PV testers demonstrate the photovoltaic effect, photochemistry, and electrochemistry using semiconducting materials.
PV testers can save time in the field by using a variety of measuring instruments. Its PV150 has a secure link, allowing you to test energized arrays safely. The solar survey 200R can also wirelessly capture and monitor real-time irradiance and ambient temperature measurements. The 200 datasets collected by the tester can be saved on the PV and downloaded to the SolarCert app, allowing you to generate professional reports for your customers.
The following are the characteristics of a multifunction Solar PV tester:
- Ground continuity estimation using a null test lead.
- PV string open circuit voltage measurement with polarity indication up to 1000V DC.
- Measurement of PV string short circuit current up to 15A DC.
- Individual PV modules or strings are checked.
- Up to 200 records can be stored in memory.
Cable and Connector Tools
Any solar PV system’s arteries and veins are thought to be cables and connectors. The majority of the time, the electricity produced by PV solar panels is used elsewhere. This electricity must be transported using solar cables and connectors.
When connecting various components of a solar PV system, it is critical to use the correct solar cable size. Correct solar cable sizing prevents overheating and energy loss. Overheating can cause a fire, and using undersized cable is a code violation in most jurisdictions.
Solar modules came with a back-mounted junction box that allowed the installer to connect wires to the positive and negative terminal posts manually. This system is still in use, but it is gradually becoming obsolete. MC4 connectors are commonly used in modern solar modules because they make wiring the solar array much easier and quicker.
Male and female connectors are available, and they are built to snap together. They comply with the National Electric Code, UL approved, and electrical inspectors prefer them as a link tool.
You will improve the efficiency of your sales, preparation, and design processes by using the tools described above. The tools are also essential for sustaining competition and allowing the industry to expand. Design software is an important tool in the solar power accumulation process because it affects sales, purchasing, and installation.
