What are solar inverters?

An inverter is any device that inverts DC (direct current) that comes from panels and batteries into AC (alternating current). In a solar installation, an inverter is a centralized device that connects to and manages the performance of the solar panel array; it aggregates the DC power coming from the panels or strings of panels and inverts the DC power into single phase (or three phase) AC power at the correct voltage for delivery into the users electrical system, and provides equipment protection and safety features.

 

How does shade affect the performance of a Solar PV System?

One of the leading causes of power loss in a solar PV system is when part of the panel or array becomes shaded. Each cell produces a certain voltage and amperage, the cells are configured and connected in a combination of series and parallel connections to produce the correct amount of power. If any individual cells performance is degraded by shade, the performance of the entire panel will fall to a point relative to the worst performing cell. Likewise, in a string of panels, the entire string suffers performance reduction to that of the lowest performing panel. A solar installation should be designed in a way such that none of the panels are even partly shaded at any point of the day.

 

How long does it take to install a Solar PV System?

Depending on the size, Solar PV Systems take 4 days to install, on average.  Depending on the size of the system and panels, it can take 2 to 8 days to install.

 

How much roof space does a Solar PV System need?

Depending on installation factors, the required square footage of roof space will be somewhat larger than simply the area of the panels. Based on your need of energy, once our engineering department has determined the required angle, shading factors, etc. we can give you accurate number. If you do not have insufficient roof structure, then we can build external structure to support the system, or increase string on the roof, or put the panels on the poles, whichever is the most convenient for you.

 

Do Solar PV Panels have to be installed on the roof?

No, solar panels can be installed on the roof, on the side of a building, on the ground or on a pole. The most cost effective installation will usually be on a roof, but if roof or shading conditions prevent the use of the roof we can help you review other options. Prefer to do on the roof – cost, strength.

 

Will Solar PV Panels damage my roof?

No, as Great Lakes Energy, we are experts in Solar PV System installation and we do it right that it will not damage your roof.

 

Which Direction should Solar PV Panels face?

In Rwanda, 15° angle is used to capture highest amount of sunlight through daytime. When you apply for a Solar PV System, our technicians will measure the sunlight angle and shade by using solar platform in order to install the system with highest efficiency for you.

 

How long will a Solar PV System last and what is the warranty for the system components?

Solar panel will perform 20 – 40 years and during the lifetime, its batteries replaced periodically. Frequency few to 10 years and depends on the usage. Solar panels themselves are built using tempered glass for durability and safety and are designed to withstand hail, severe wind and weather conditions assuming proper installation. Typical guarantees of a solar panel include 6 months workmanship warranty by Great Lakes Energy, 1 year for inverters and charge controllers and 20 years for panels by manufacturer.

 

What are the maintenance requirements or other costs for a Solar PV System?

For an off-grid system, batteries need to be replaced periodically. You might consider a periodic inspection to ensure that the panels remain clear of leaves, dirt, bird droppings etc. Other than that, unless there is an equipment failure there should be no maintenance required. One important point is periodically maintenance of connection between wires and batteries that they should be cleaned. Great Lakes Energy can maintain the clearance of wires and batteries.

 

What are the benefits of using Solar PV Systems?

By utilizing solar PV cells, home or business owners are able to generate electricity from sunlight for free, save money and avoid the harmful pollution generated by traditional methods of generating electricity. This solar generated energy is used to offset or replace power that would normally be purchased from the utility. Compared to diesel generator, Solar PV Systems are more reliable and economical.

 

How much will I save, how quickly will a system pay for itself?

If you use for 4 hours a day, average payback time is 5 years. This figure shows that Solar PV Systems are economical with regard to Generators. Given the energy needs, we calculate the economic model for you. Overall, the most important economic approach to using Solar Power Systems is the lost or gained productivity for businesses. If a business cannot work due to energy shortage, then the loss of productivity will be high enough to own solar systems. In terms of solar lanterns, the biggest cost saving of having one is reduced kerosene usage. Cost of Kerosene usage in a period is much higher than upfront cost of owning a solar lantern.

 

What are the features of a quality Solar PV System?

The system should have sufficiently sized solar arrays in order to meet all energy requirements. The system should be able to recharge battery after fouled weather. In terms of battery issue, the system should have quality battery, since cheap batteries are cheap batteries, they lose and do not capture energy, and also lose energy through charging. Another factor is the quality and durability of inverter and control equipment.  Reliability of the system increases with higher quality inverter and control equipment. You can either spend enough money and get the right one to efficiently make use of solar power, or buy cheap components and lose the system in a few years.

 

How can I protect my Solar PV System from damages?

The best protection and efficient usage of the overall system is to depend on the size of the system. Through the first installation, watt hours planned by the system should be regarded when you use your devices.

 

How can we protect against lightning damage?

Rwanda receives highest amount of lightning through a year and the amount is 4 times the world average. As Great Lakes Energy, we ground the systems appropriately, and use lightning arrestors and rods in order to minimize the adverse effects of lightning.

 

How much does it cost to install Solar PV Systems?

Cost per installed watt refers to the total system cost, divided by the peak watts of the solar panel array.  We sell solar panels at $5 per watt, but our total cost per installed watt price is about $15.  This includes your batteries, inverter, control equipment, etc.  Installation cost is added to these figures.

 

Can we use Solar PV systems in Hybrid Systems? How can we use it and what are the advantages?

Yes, you can have a hybrid system that uses both solar and generator power at different periods during 24 hours. Switching from generator that uses diesel to solar power takes generally 3 minutes; you should first close the generator and wait 3 minutes to switch to solar power. Switching from solar power to generator does not have a time lag; while using solar power, turn on the generator and wait for it to accelerate and then switch to generator. Having a generator available can improve the cost effectiveness of the system while maintaining high availability and makes it easier to take care of the batteries so that long battery life is obtained.  Battery replacements are the single biggest factor in the life-cycle cost of a Solar PV System. Another advantage of having a hybrid system is that when the solar system is broken down, you can switch to generator and keep having energy. Therefore, although solar is the most reliable resource since sun rises every day, having a generator will be excellent combination. Other than failures, through rainy days (for example 5 days of cloudy days), having a generator is good option. Generator can charge the batteries when the solar power system cannot charge them.

 

How can I measure my Energy need?

Almost every time, dissatisfaction with a stand-alone PV system is because the load was underestimated during the system design phase.  As best you can, try to account for every item that will be plugged in to the system, no matter how small. We can calculate the total use of energy for you by factoring the watt requirements of devices you want to use and how long you are going to use them in a day. Such load characterization that we provide will make the system cost effective and highly efficient, and save the whole system.

 

How can I fix a problem when it occurs?

Since our technicians will provide maintenance, you should give the thorough information about the problem occurred that they will provide you the best service.

 

How will I get spare part and fix the system after lightning?

After lightning, a number of things might happen and our experts are able to diagnose the problem and replace required components.

 

Is Great Lakes Energy the best company to install Solar PV Systems for me in Rwanda?

Since 2005, we have installed Solar PV Systems for a variety of customers and institutions that all of these systems are still functioning. The first reason of high Customer Satisfaction with regard to continuous functioning of these systems is GLE expertise that we install our systems depending on the accurate needs of customers and provide quality products that can last at least 20 minutes. Second factor of Customer Satisfaction is reliability of Great Lakes Energy. When a customer orders Solar PV System, it takes 4 days to deliver the system on average. As we also have standard of quality, both our products and installation are of high quality. The bottom line of reliability issue is that we continue to receive feedbacks from our customers to provide after-sales customer service. Our technicians are available for our customers to answer their questions to guide them. Third factor of Customer Satisfaction is quality-price mixture; we have a standard of quality and on that certain quality level, we provide the most competitive prices in the market. Some suppliers may provide 5-10% lower prices with regard to ours but they do their business at a lower quality level. Therefore, if a customer wants to order Solar PV systems with competitive prices at a certain quality level, we are the right supplier for them.

 

How does GLE contribute to Rwandan Economy?

We are a Rwandan Company, first of all. This means that, any amount of money spent on GLE products will be still circulated in Rwandan Economy.  The reasons for this contribution are taxes paid, employment and Rwandan renewable energy sector. Since our company is registered as a Rwandan business, we pay our taxes to Rwandan government. As we have 10 full-time employees in our headquarters and 147 distributors, who are all Rwandan. Thus, we create a huge amount of employment for Rwandan economy. Thirdly, since on-grid electrification rate in Rwanda is less than 10% of the population, the productivity is low. Our presence in Rwandan economy both elevates the productivity of off-grid population and contributes to development of Rwandan renewable energy market.

 

Will Great Lakes Energy train on-site staff on how to properly use and maintain the Solar PV System?

Yes, whenever we install Solar PV System for our clients, our technicians train them how to protect their system, what they should take care of in order to use it properly and how to maintain it to guarantee full efficiency and prevent damages. Such after-sales customer service also includes receiving feedback and questions from customers to improve their usage of the system.