Min. Order: 2 pieces Air conditioner High pressure side Low pressure ... Min. Order: 2 pieces US In Warehouse R410A R134A R22 2pcs Air ... Min. Order: 1 pieceIt's inevitable: More do-it-yourself solar panels will be available, this time in your nearest Lowe's. Lowe's is now carrying solar panels from Los Gatos, Calif.-based Akeena Solar that feature built-in writing and racks and an installation technique that aims to simplify the steps and shorten the time it takes to put solar panels on a rooftop (see video from Akeena). Lowe's is selling the Andalay at $893 per panel, available at 25 stores in California. Akeena said handy homeowners could install the panels themselves if they don't want to hire people to do it, but they might still need an electrician to connect the rooftop system to the home's circuit. The announcement brings home what Akeena and some other solar companies see as the future of residential solar market. Instead of hiring contractors or roofers, homeowners could install solar panels themselves and save on labor costs (see An Ikea for Solar? and Getting Solar Energy Cheap and Easy).

A number of startups are developing this kind of do-it-yourself solar energy systems, including Armageddon Energy (see video). Meanwhile, companies such as Dow Chemical are working on solar cell-embedded roofing materials, which will require strong insulation to protect the cells from moisture and other weather elements (see Dow to Roofers: Our Solar Shingles Are Coming). Other big-box retailers such as Home Depot already sell solar panels and related parts, though they sell them along with installation services and even financing. Whether homeowners would embrace the do-it-yourself idea is uncertain. A solar energy system remains a bulky appliance, and erecting them on a roof isn't as easy as plugging in your big-screen TV. Akeena announced an impending launch of Andalay in late 2007, and followed up with another press release in early 2008 to say it would buy microinverters from Enphase. Akeena began selling Andalay systems in May this year. Petaluma, Calif.-based Enphase formally launched its first microinverter product in mid-2008 (see Enphase Energy Seeks New Converts).

The startup says its microinverters could better monitor the power output of each panel, and they could harvest more energy from the panels as well. The use of microinverters allows Akeena to design a simpler solar energy system. Each Andalay panel has a microinverter attached at the back for converting the direct current from the solar panels to alternating current for on-site use or for feeding the grid. Most of the solar energy systems installed today use centralized inverters. Using microinverters allows Akeena to eliminate some of the high-voltage DC wiring that would otherwise be necessary to bring the electricity from solar panels to a central inverter, which typically sits in a box next to the house. Akeena has designed panels with electrical connectors on the side of each panel, so that plugging them together should be even simpler than the version available on the market now. The new design is undergoing testing at Underwriters Laboratories. Photo of an Andalay solar panel installation via Akeena Solar.

Andalay AC Solar Panels (“Photovoltaic modules”) and system installation accessories are in stock though collateral lags. Plug and play AC panels enable near do-it-yourself installations once the permitting and interconnection process is simplified. When I saw the Akeena Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKNS) announcement, “Akeena Solar’s Andalay AC Solar Panels Now Available at Lowe’s Home Improvement Stores”, I checked with the public relations folks and discovered one of the select 21 Lowe’s stores stocking Andalay Solar was nearby. ac condensing unit contactorSo Friday evening, December 12, 2009, I went shopping at Lowe’s (NYSE:LOW) for solar and a very necessary set of LED icicle lights.drip pan air conditioner attic After wandering about Lowe’s and finding no solar joy in the Electrical aisle, I decided to ask an associate. car ac repair spokane wa

I was directed and then lead by the Lowe’s associate to the Energy Center located in Building Materials two (2) aisles down from Electrical. And there they were. Andalay AC (Alternating Current) solar panels ready for experienced contractors or ambitious do-it-yourself (DIY) homeowners to purchase and install. The Andalay AC panels had a retail price of $893 or about $5.10 per Watt (W) for the AC panels uninstalled and sans sales tax. Andalay accessories included things like Splice Kits, mounting Roof Kits, Extension Cables, an AC Kit, and Monitoring Unit. As an engineer, I’m disappointed the Andalay AC Datasheet is just a combination of a Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (NYSE:STP) photovoltaic (PV) module with Andalay mounting system and Enphase Energy M190 Microinverter Datasheet specifications. It’s easy to forget this is an AC panel when the wattage rating is in DC (Direct Current). However, by integrating the microinverter, the AC panel eliminates the central inverter and the complex design and matching considerations of the traditional string module architecture.

The Andalay AC solar panel’s combination of PV module, microinverter, and Andalay mounting system enables a true DIY solar installation market in the United States for the first time. Once I was finished reviewing the boxes and taking photos, I bumped into someone from Applied Materials also interested in DIY solar. The AMAT Arques Campus is just a few blocks away. While I did not see an information kiosk during the visit, I decided to revisit Lowe’s on Wednesday. The kiosk was in place at the Energy Center end cap though the solar info was sparse. I heard from an associate the kiosk was just installed on Saturday. However, a five (5) page brochure, “Andalay AC Solar Panels for your Home”, appeared near the panels at the Energy Center to provide a modicum of guidance. The brochure directs customers to choose between working with a Lowe’s Solar Specialist to schedule an in home evaluation and leverage Lowe’s Professional Installation Services or DIY. Skilled electricians, contractors, or qualified DIY homeowners can use the included Andalay Design Guide to determine the components required to build two (2), four (4), and eight (8) AC panel systems in a style as simple and complex as IKEA furniture Buying Guides.

But it’s not as easy as figuring out what to buy, purchasing, dragging the panels home, and installing them. In California today, these small 350 Watt to 1400 Watt PV systems are treated the same as any residential installation. Before the install can begin, an electrical/building permit is required. For example, Mountain View charges a flat $152 fee to homeowners to permit and inspect solar panel installations. I walked over to Mountain View City Hall to get the straight scoop from the Community Development Department, Building Inspection Division. The Photovoltaic Submittal Requirements (newer 10/05/08 version available) describe the PV installation plan (site plan, array mounting design, electrical, and system information) required for permitting. I reviewed a detailed ten (10) page plan for a 3.4 kW (kiloWatt) installation with the person responsible for PV installation permitting and inspections. The Mountain View PV specialist was savvy with regard to centralized inverters.

However, it appears Mountain View has not yet had a microinverter based PV installation. In our discussion, I also learned Solar City has about 90% market share of Mountain View PV installs. Solar City favors central inverters so this explains the lack of microinverter adoption. In addition, the Photovoltaic Installation Guidelines govern how installation work is done in preparation for the Photovoltaic Inspection Checklist. The inspection includes the inverter (again, no comprehension of microinverters yet), roof top including penetrations, general electrical, and strict signage requirements. The first PV contractor or DIYer to install a microinverter system in Mountain View will need to educate the PV inspector and help update the checklist. I contacted PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG) and asked if the interconnection process would be streamlined for small PV system DIYers. In line with company policy, a Pacific Gas and Electric Company spokesperson said: Over the years, PG&E has significantly streamlined the process for our customers to ‘go solar.’

One of those improvements includes working closely with solar contractors on required paperwork to minimize burden to the customer. Regardless of its size, a solar system is an electric generating device that has the ability to feed power back to the electric grid. For the safety of PG&E line workers as well as our customers, we ask that individuals contact PG&E to ensure the safe interconnection of any electric generating device when connecting to the electric grid. California Solar Initiative (CSI) Rebate Per the California Solar Initiative Program Handbook: The minimum system size eligible for an incentive is 1 kW CEC-AC. The Andalay Solar ST175-1 175W Monocrystalline Module has a 157.5 W CEC (California Energy Commission) rating, and the Enphase Energy M190 Microinverter has a CEC Inverter Weighted Efficiency Rating of 95.0%, so an eight (8) Andalay AC panel system will qualify for a CSI rebate with a 1.197 kW CEC-AC system rating. A six (6) Andalay AC panel system falls below the 1 kW CEC-AC minimum by the same calculation at 898 kW.

The CSI Application Process for a photovoltaic incentive is the first step of a solar project. Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) Regardless of system size, a residential Andalay AC solar installation is eligible for an uncapped Federal ITC equal to 30% of the installed cost. For example, if an eight (8) panel system cost $10000 to install, an individual could deduct up to $3000 from their Federal Income taxes for the year the PV system was placed into service. My first impression is the Andalay Solar Power System launch in select California Lowe’s stores was rushed with collateral and marketing programs being rolled out piecemeal. I’m not sure if there was a holiday or contract driver behind the timing, but I’ll reserve judgment until the launch moves onto the second stage. I did not seek out a Lowe’s Solar Specialist in the store, but I did not expect to find one either. What DIY collateral and programs do I expect? If I went the DIY route, I would use a hybrid approach by hiring an electrician to wire a 240 VAC (Volts AC) branch circuit to the home’s electrical service panel and a contractor to install the roof mounts.