New to Solar? 65 PV Plant FAQs to Solve Your Doubts – PART 1

In recent years, thanks to strong support and promotion of the solar energy industry worldwide, along with a series of subsidies and support policies, the number of home photovoltaic users has steadily increased, leading to a surge in the number of photovoltaic “trendsetters” across the country. Wanhos Solar has compiled 65 common questions about solar power stations and addressed each question in three articles. We hope to help more people understand and properly utilize solar energy, ensuring that power stations can safely and healthily increase energy consumption and generate income for every household. Of course, this is also for our own safety! New to solar? 65 PV plant FAQs to solve your doubts! Read on.

A: Wire mesh is not recommended. This can cause localized shadows on the modules, creating hot spots and impacting the overall efficiency of the photovoltaic power station. Furthermore, since qualified photovoltaic modules have passed the hockey puck impact test, mesh is generally not required.

A: We recommend choosing system accessories certified by a nationally approved certification body. The models, specifications, and manufacturers of key components and raw materials should be consistent with those of the certified products. Furthermore, the specifications, models, and technical parameters of all system accessories should match the overall system design. Generally speaking, the components require a warranty of at least 20 years, and the inverter requires a warranty of at least 5 years.

A: The power generation monitoring data and meter readings from a distributed PV grid-connected system are not necessarily identical. If the same electricity metering equipment with identical accuracy is used at the same grid connection point, the resulting data should be identical. However, the monitoring equipment used in PV grid-connected systems is often the system construction company’s own equipment, while the metering equipment is often installed by the power company. Therefore, the resulting data may differ slightly depending on the specific situation. Electricity bills and subsidy payments are calculated based on the metering equipment installed by the power company.

A: Each grid company will cooperate with its energy regulatory department to carry out metering, information monitoring, and statistics for distributed photovoltaic power generation within its grid coverage area. If the photovoltaic system is equipped with a corresponding monitoring system, power generation can be monitored online. The monitoring system can also monitor key equipment parameters, power quality, and environmental parameters online.

A: You can use a power quality analyzer to test power quality at the power station’s connection point to verify compliance with national standards. If it does, the photovoltaic grid-connected system is operating stably. Generally, protective devices will cut off power in the event of a photovoltaic system failure, preventing damage to household appliances.

A: After a grid outage, a household distributed photovoltaic power generation system will generally shut down and be unable to generate power normally. However, in some extreme cases, islanding may occur. This means that after a power outage, a household distributed photovoltaic power generation system may continue to operate at a partial load, endangering the safety of maintenance personnel and potentially damaging household appliances and grid facilities. Therefore, distributed photovoltaic systems must have anti-islanding features.

A: State Grid Corporation provides multiple consultation channels for distributed power grid connection, such as a customer service center. These channels provide project owners with information on the grid connection process, explanations of relevant policies and regulations, and grid connection progress inquiries. Applications for distributed photovoltaic grid connection can be made through the local power company’s customer service center.

A: When the cumulative scale of applied projects exceeds the annual guidance scale for the region, the local energy director should issue a notice to cease accepting project filing applications. If, during the validity period of a distributed photovoltaic power generation project filing, the project filing document automatically expires if, without exceptional reasons, it is not completed and operational, the project filing will be invalidated.

A: Registered projects generally cannot be modified at will. If special circumstances arise during project implementation that necessitate a change to the original plan, the original application process must be followed to apply for a change.

A: 1. If you obtained financial services when installing the photovoltaic power generation system, you will still need to pay the bank loan.

2. If your power generation system does not generate enough electricity for your own use, you will still need to pay the normal electricity bill (which is sufficient for a typical household).

3. Ongoing system maintenance costs (generally very low).

A: Grid quality issues such as excessive voltage and abnormal frequency will cause the inverter to shut down. The system will automatically recover once the grid is restored.

A: We recommend choosing modules from reputable brands. They have passed authoritative testing and certification worldwide. This includes salt spray and ammonia corrosion resistance tests, and have excellent low-light performance. The modules can maintain over 80% of their performance after 20 years of use.

A: Large dust pollution sources, strong winds and sandstorms, and heavy smoke around a photovoltaic power generation system can affect sunlight and reduce power generation.

A: The benefits are different. Currently, both the national and local governments provide fixed subsidies for distributed photovoltaic power generation. Therefore, the revenue per kilowatt-hour of photovoltaic power generation is directly affected by the level of household electricity prices. Therefore, the benefits of using fixed-unit electricity subsidies vary for distributed photovoltaic projects installed in different buildings, for different buildings, or for different electricity users. Developers must make their own judgment and decide whether the project is cost-effective.

A: The grid-connected voltage of a distributed photovoltaic system is primarily determined by the installed capacity of the system. The specific grid-connected voltage is determined by the grid company’s approval for the access system.

A: For color, try to choose a color that matches or is similar to the building’s color. Regarding light transmittance, consider the building’s lighting requirements. While meeting the indoor lighting needs and avoiding secondary lighting, it’s also important to fully utilize the building’s space and area. The size and shape should be appropriately selected, ensuring balance and optimization, along with professional technical design.

A: After the distributed photovoltaic system is installed, the grid company will conduct a grid connection inspection and acceptance. Upon successful acceptance, two electricity meters will be installed at the homeowner’s home. These meters will measure the electricity generated by the photovoltaic system and the electricity used by the mains, respectively. The simplest way to determine this is by checking the meter. As long as the meter on the photovoltaic system side is ticking, the system is using electricity generated by the solar panels.

A: The photovoltaic system’s wiring consists of a DC section and an AC section, and these two sections require separate wiring. The AC part must be connected to the grid, with the connection point located at the user’s meter, ultimately connecting to the user’s existing electrical system.

A: The grid company does not charge any service fees for grid connection application processing, system plan development, system engineering design review, metering device installation, contract and agreement signing, grid connection acceptance and commissioning, and government subsidy metering and settlement services.

A: They cannot be replaced immediately. If replacement is necessary, it is recommended to do so in the morning or late afternoon. Contact the power plant’s operation and maintenance personnel promptly for professional replacement.

A: Distributed photovoltaic power generation systems are equipped with lightning protection devices, so disconnection is not necessary. For safety reasons, it is recommended to disconnect the combiner box’s circuit breaker to cut off the circuit connection to the photovoltaic panels and prevent damage from direct lightning strikes that cannot be removed by the lightning protection module. Operation and maintenance personnel should promptly test the performance of the lightning protection module to avoid the hazards caused by failure of the lightning protection module.

So for new to solar, here is the first part of 65 PV plant FAQs to solve your doubts, in next few days we will publish the second part. If you are interested in knowing more or sharing insights with us, please feel free to contact.