Project estimator
Solar project: what the job needs
Rooftop, carport and ground-mount solar. System size drives module count, and module count drives stainless ties, edge clips, home-run ties and bonding lugs.
Answer a few questions
Or describe the project in your own words on the estimator page.
Prefer to just describe it? Tell us about the project in your own words.
How this estimate works
Each quantity comes from a stated rule of thumb applied to your answers. For a typical solar project (250 kW rooftop solar), these are the rules and the items they point to:
- NR-SLT-400 Stainless steel tie, 180 lb, 15.7 in (400 mm)
- Home runs: a stainless tie every 3 ft over about 75 ft per string × 33 strings of 18 modules
- NR-SST-300 Stainless steel tie, 135 lb, 11.8 in (300 mm)
- Module wiring: 4 stainless ties per module × 582 modules (about 430 W each)
- NR-ESS-1 Edge clip, 1 to 3 mm panel edge, top tie entry
- Leads clipped to module frames: 2 edge clips per module
- NR-DRS-13 Heat shrink tubing 2:1, 13 mm (1/2 in), 100 m roll
- String labels and sealing: 1 ft of 1/2 in heat shrink per string
- NR-SC16-6 Copper tube lug, 16 mm², 1/4 in stud
- Bonding: 1 grounding lug per 12 modules, plus 2 per inverter
- NR-SC70-10 Copper tube lug, 70 mm², 3/8 in stud
- Inverter AC output: 8 large lugs per inverter (about 100 kW each)
We add 10% for waste and offcuts, round up to whole packs of 100 and whole rolls, and show a low to high range because real jobs vary with routing, spacing and spec. Your drawings and spec sections beat any rule of thumb: send them with your quote request and we'll price from them.