Learn about Solar-Ready Wiring

When building or renovating, solar-ready wiring means making the building ready to receive a future solar photovoltaic (PV) array, by installing the necessary wiring conduits, structural supports, and electrical equipment that makes the later solar installation easier and cheaper. Planning for the roof penetration for the wiring, wall penetration for the outdoor safety disconnect switch, and extra spaces in the breaker panel for the solar energy circuits.

Get the advice of a seasoned solar installer and invite them to do an assessment and describe what you need to make your building solar-ready. They may charge for this advice, or they may do it for free in the hope of getting the deal to install your solar panels later. Either way, check with the installer's references to see that their customers are satisfied with their work.

If you are building new or making major renovations, and you know you will want a solar PV array later, now is the time to put in a small extra investment to save a bunch later.

Knob-and-tube wiring was a form of electrical wiring technology for buildings, common from the 1880s to the 1930s in North America, in which copper wires, insulated with woven fabric, were stretched between ceramic knobs, and passed through the wooden parts of a house in the protection of ceramic tubes. This kind of wiring is still found in a few older houses today, but it doesn't meet current electrical codes for homes, and often needs replacement with newer wiring systems when renovations are undertaken.