A properly designed system costs what the user can afford to spend on the system, and the load analysis details the energy consumption of each appliance. Site Survey A site survey is an analysis of a specific location for its renewable energy potential. Every place is different, but your system is going to be installed in a specific location. A Solar array needs to be located where it will receive the maximum amount of sunlight. With seasonal variations in the sun s declination, and possible shading from hills, trees and buildings, finding the best spot for the solar array can be difficult, but an experienced dealer is well able to do this for you.
Wind is a difficult resource to survey.
Local experience is sometimes required, or the installation of a small generator at the proposed site, which is then monitored over a period of a year, can indicate whether the site is suited for a larger generator. Checking for vegetation flagging and of locally recorded wind data may also be required to establish suitability of the site. Hydro is the easiest renewable energy source to survey. All that is required are accurate head and flow measurements and some historical data on the seasonal output of the water source. Many dealers combine the load analysis and site survey into one trip to minimise costs.