The purpose of the site visit is to inspect the location(s) where solar panels will go. We need to assess:
- the condition of the roof (since the panels will be there for 20 years, will the roof hold up?)
- access to roof (for lifting of construction materials)
- obstacles to installing solar panels (e.g. vents, HVAC units, antennas, satellite dishes, etc) - see the images to the right
- shading of the roof - from trees or neighboring buildings
- structural engineering (can the roof support the weight of the solar panels?)
- the location for the power inverter(s) and the location of electrical panels/meters (which will impact the wiring structure and the costs)
All of this impacts both the number of solar panels we can install on your facility and the cost to install them.
" A cheaper way to get solar power installed"
UCSF wanted solar power for its new Mission Bay campus but was daunted by the cost.
So the school found a new way to go solar - get someone else to pay for it.
"It's very simple - we got someone else to take on the headaches, and we get the power,"
said Maric Munn, the school's director of facilities management.
- SF Chronicle - 6/25/08
