Do it yourself?

[Ccm007]

Can I install solar panels myself in Maryland? I have done it before (volunteer event). It's pretty much screws, bolts, and wire connections. I'd have an electrician do the main connect. It seems crazy to pay $35,000 to get $7,000 of panels.

Can I still get net metering, Recs, and federal tax write off?

[sensij]

If you are getting quoted 35k for 7k of panels, I think you should probably get more quotes. Competitive pricing here in San Diego is about $1.50 / W more installed than DIY.

[ButchDeal]

Can I install solar panels myself in Maryland? I have done it before (volunteer event). It's pretty much screws, bolts, and wire connections. I'd have an electrician do the main connect. It seems crazy to pay $35,000 to get $7,000 of panels.

Can I still get net metering, Recs, and federal tax write off?

You can especially with electrician.
You will need permits, inspections, and interconnects.
You are going to need railing, flashing, and inverter in addition to wire, fuses, disconnects, revenue grade meter and more. Modules are a small part of the costs

[organic farmer]

I am off-grid. I did my install myself. Though I am not in Maryland. I imagine that you can do an off-grid install yourself in Maryland.

Then you bring up net-metering. I do not think that you can do that yourself, anywhere. That is highly regulated. Any site pushing power onto the grid is regulated by the state and by the power company.

'recs' I do not know what that is.

I am a farmer, near everything I do is a tax write-off. My solar system was a tax write-off.

Also, there are federal tax credits for solar systems. I took advantage of the tax credits also. If you install your own solar system, you may also take advantage of the tax credits if they still exist when you do your system.

[ButchDeal]

You can do self install in many states grid tie. You can in many counties in MD but not Montgomery (possibly others).
And SRECs can also be had with self installs.

[DaveDE2]

Do some (a lot) research and add it all up. It comes out to a lot more than just the panels. If you want to do it yourself, you can probably do it for about 40-50% of hiring someone to do it but it's going to cost you a LOT of time. DIY is a labor of love and it's not for the timid.

[sunnyguy]

You can get 240w panels for 29c/w and a string inverter for 28c/w racking and bos for 40c/w and permits/plans/inspections for 15c/w so $1.12/w plus labor is possible. Just make sure your utility and ahj are on board first.

[sdold]

Then you bring up net-metering. I do not think that you can do that yourself, anywhere.

Some of us have, it depends on your local POCO and AHJ. Just make sure to check with both before getting too fired up about DIY.

[rsilvers]

Here is MA, there was a legal case that caused the state (union dispute) to send out notices to every electrical inspector that only licensed electricians can plug in panels and inverters and ground the system. So doing the "final connect" would not be the only thing they would have to do.

I interpreted the decision as only for people doing the install for hire. But my town interpreted it as also banning do-it-yourself work, and refused to grant an inspection or permit. Doing it without an inspection would mean no ability to grid-connect.

End result - if I "did it myself" I would still have to pay an electrician to be on the roof. I called more than five electricians and not one of them wanted anything to do with it. I am sure for the right amount of money, they would, but it was killing the money-saving aspect of doing it myself.

[organic farmer]

Some of us have, it depends on your local POCO and AHJ. Just make sure to check with both before getting too fired up about DIY.

Thank you.

I am familiar with my state and I made assumptions about other states. My bad

As an off-grid system, I was not required to file any permits. But it does open the conversation to grid-assist systems.

[ButchDeal]

Thank you.

I am familiar with my state and I made assumptions about other states. My bad

As an off-grid system, I was not required to file any permits. But it does open the conversation to grid-assist systems.

many (most) states DO require off grid residences to file permits. It is still a residence and should be safe for occupancy.

[peakbagger]

DIY can be done and have DIYs three arrays. It all comes down to establishing your competency with your local inspector and making sure there are not any requirements for incentives that the system be installed by an electrician. My first two arrays did not need an electrician but in order to get SRECs, the state of NH required an electrician to sign off on the system. I knew an electrician and he wanted to learn how to do Solar so I walked him through the design and the applicable NEC sections so he was comfortable. I traded him some 12 volt panels I had for his time. The local building inspector required me to show proof of an electrician sign off for the third array.

In NH there was a claim for awhile that only an electrician could handle a panel. That meant once out of the box the electrician had to rig it up in place and bolt it down and wire it up. That didn't seem to last long but I expect that the requirement came up through the union electricians out of Mass.

If on the other hand you go to the AHJ and are clueless and want the AHJ to tell you how to design a system, be prepared to be told that DIY is not acceptable, the AHJ is not a engineering consultant and they legally cant design a system for you although if they are friendly they can be helpful if they want to.

So it comes down to if you are competent and don't mind trading your time for cost savings, you can DIY for less if the AHJ lets you but many folks will elect to pay someone so they don't have to spend the time and have recourse if it doesn't work. Based on my experience it took me two to three times as long to do my install then a pro would do. I did them all myself solo with no help so that also added a lot of time.

By the way with off grid systems, there may be no need for a permit by law but if the system burns up due to design or installation defect, good luck getting insurance to pay a dime. I met several folks in VT that learned the hard way when their systems failed catastrophically and at least two folks lost their homes. One didn't have insurance and the other did and had to fight a major battle to get partial payment for their home (and a subsequent divorce)