Solar Goes DiY with ACPV System Installations

Overview
Project: Minerick Home
Location: Houghton, MI
Date Commissioned: November 2012
System Size: 36 modules
Module Manufacturer: NESL
Array Capacity: 8.2 kW

Rob Minerick has done his share of do-it-yourself projects at his home in Houghton, Michigan, but he’d never installed a PV system in his life. And until he became familiar with ACPV systems, he never knew how easy it could be.

When Rob and his wife, Adrienne, were considering adding solar to their home, they knew they would face some challenges. Covered in trees, their 1.5-acre property looks more like a wooded reserve than an optimal PV site. They knew they would need a system that could maximize the area’s modest irradiation.

The Minericks considered their options: a rooftop system with central inverter, ground-mount PV with trackers to follow the sun, and lastly, a microinverter-based system to optimize energy output from each individual panel. Then Rob discovered AC modules with integrated microinverters.

“I thought it looked like a smart solution,” he recalls, “and with two kids I really appreciated the safety advantages. The main reason I went with microinverters was safety. But reliability and efficiency were also high on the list.”

ACPV systems contain no high-voltage DC on the roof, and the NESL panels with SolarBridge microinverters carry an end-to-end 25-year warranty. Independent studies by NREL have shown up to 12 percent efficiency improvement for microinverter systems, and manufacturer testing in shaded scenarios yield up to 25 percent gains over central or string inverter systems.

With the SolarBridge microinverters integrated directly onto the modules, installation of Rob’s system was fairly straightforward. The Minericks installed it all themselves.

“The hardest part was putting in the ground-mount system,” Rob said. “Although the Unirac system was very easy to install, it was just a little tough digging the holes, as the ground consisted mostly of large rocks and gravel. After that the panels were easy. We were surprised at how fast the panels went up, in a little over a day – with just my wife and I doing it ourselves.”

With 36 modules, the Minericks’ 8.2kW system has the potential to supply all of the family’s electricity needs.

The Minerick ACPV system is the first in the neighborhood, but it probably won’t be the last. Perched on a bluff overlooking the area, the system is a bit of a landmark.

“People ask me about it all the time,” he remarks.

Rob watches the system’s performance every day from the NESL monitoring system, also powered by SolarBridge.

“We’ve been thrilled with the system, very pleased with its performance.”