Our solar array passed inspection on the first try last Wednesday, and today Austin Energy installed our solar photovoltaic meter and net meter, which replaced the traditional power meter. With net metering, our electric bill will reflect the difference between what our solar array produces and what we consume over a month's time. This is advantageous since power is sold to Austin Energy for less than what they charge for it. In temperate spring and fall months, we should see a credit.
Richard Perry, our project manager with SRE, dropped by on his way home to walk me through how to turn on the system... just in time for the sun to go down. Let's hope for a sunny day tomorrow so we can watch the meter run backwards!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Solar Installation, Days 3-4
On Wednesday and Thursday, the final elements of our solar system were installed. The completed system was tested and briefly produced power before being taken offline until the Austin Energy inspection.
The solar array looks great! The installation is very tidy, especially after the ends of the rails were trimmed, and I like how the design frames the dormer.
The back of the house has a long conduit run from the panels to the inverter and meters at the alley. DC power cannot run through the building envelope per code, so our brilliant suggestion to run the conduit through the attic was not possible. Had we gone with microinverters - an inverter per panel - the AC power could've run through the attic.
The panels are wired in series as two strings of 10 panels. The wires come to a transition box, then extend through the conduit to the inverter. Next is the photovoltaic meter, the disconnect switch, the main service panel for the house, and finally the electric meter. During the brief test, we watched the meter run backwards! The other box you see contains equipment that will allow us to monitor our solar production once we're up and running.
The solar array looks great! The installation is very tidy, especially after the ends of the rails were trimmed, and I like how the design frames the dormer.
The back of the house has a long conduit run from the panels to the inverter and meters at the alley. DC power cannot run through the building envelope per code, so our brilliant suggestion to run the conduit through the attic was not possible. Had we gone with microinverters - an inverter per panel - the AC power could've run through the attic.
The panels are wired in series as two strings of 10 panels. The wires come to a transition box, then extend through the conduit to the inverter. Next is the photovoltaic meter, the disconnect switch, the main service panel for the house, and finally the electric meter. During the brief test, we watched the meter run backwards! The other box you see contains equipment that will allow us to monitor our solar production once we're up and running.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Solar Installation, Day 2
It's miserably rainy outside. The crew showed up this morning, got some work done, then decided they need to hold off until tomorrow. They tell me it's really close to being done, though!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Solar Installation, Day 1
In June, Timothy went to a neighbor's house to hear a presentation from a solar installer. That meeting sparked the Mueller Megawatt Project, with more than 30 households in our development collectively investigating solar systems. Over the next few months, we heard from five installers, who began vying for the lowest group installation price. One neighbor developed a sophisticated financial model that predicted five-year payback periods in many cases. I hired an arborist to talk about our neighborhood's trees and their growth potential. Timothy created 3-D models to help us understand the visual impact of solar and to show where panels would be shaded by our dormer or the trees out front. We obtained quotes from three different vendors and agonized over the decision. Finally, with two other households, we submitted applications to the Austin Energy solar rebate program through Standard Renewable Energy.
The next day, Austin Energy pulled the rug out from under us. During the month of September, the solar rebate program received $4.5 million in applications for the last $700,000 remaining in the fiscal year 2010 budget. Before the fiscal year had even begun, AE had already issued letters of intent for $3.3 million of the $4 million budget. Our chance at a rebate of $3.75/watt and a five-year payback period slipped away, as AE suspended the rebate program, returned all pending applications, and ultimately dropped the rebate to $2.50/watt.
After pleading our case to City Council and urging an increased budget for the solar rebate program to no avail, many neighbors just shrugged their shoulders and walked away. With only $700,000 remaining in the budget and no guarantee of an ongoing rebate program, Timothy and I decided the reduced rebate was still our best chance at obtaining cost-effective solar. We resubmitted our application at the first opportunity, on November 1. With a three-star rating in the Austin Energy Green Building program, our house met the new energy efficiency requirements and quickly received a letter of intent.
Following permit issues and the obligatory wait for approval from our property owners association's modifications committee, we weren't sure if we could still have the system installed in 2009 for purposes of the 30% federal tax credit. With installation occurring the last week of December, we'll just meet the deadline.
For peace of mind, our system has flashed roof penetrations, rather than relying on caulk to keep the water out. After marking the layout on the roof, the crew installed the standoffs, the flashings, the rails, and finally the 175-watt Suntech Black Label panels. In the meantime, our SMA Sunny Boy inverter was installed on the side of the garage, with conduit for the DC wires running along the back slope of the roof.
Standard Renewable Energy has been a pleasure to work with and has come through for us with all of the obstacles along the way. The crew working on our house today was efficient and has done a great job. Installation started this morning, and as the sun went down, the last of the panels were secured to the racking. Tomorrow, weather permitting, electrical connections will be finished and the system will be substantially complete, pending inspection by the City of Austin and installation of a new electric meter.
The next day, Austin Energy pulled the rug out from under us. During the month of September, the solar rebate program received $4.5 million in applications for the last $700,000 remaining in the fiscal year 2010 budget. Before the fiscal year had even begun, AE had already issued letters of intent for $3.3 million of the $4 million budget. Our chance at a rebate of $3.75/watt and a five-year payback period slipped away, as AE suspended the rebate program, returned all pending applications, and ultimately dropped the rebate to $2.50/watt.
After pleading our case to City Council and urging an increased budget for the solar rebate program to no avail, many neighbors just shrugged their shoulders and walked away. With only $700,000 remaining in the budget and no guarantee of an ongoing rebate program, Timothy and I decided the reduced rebate was still our best chance at obtaining cost-effective solar. We resubmitted our application at the first opportunity, on November 1. With a three-star rating in the Austin Energy Green Building program, our house met the new energy efficiency requirements and quickly received a letter of intent.
Following permit issues and the obligatory wait for approval from our property owners association's modifications committee, we weren't sure if we could still have the system installed in 2009 for purposes of the 30% federal tax credit. With installation occurring the last week of December, we'll just meet the deadline.
For peace of mind, our system has flashed roof penetrations, rather than relying on caulk to keep the water out. After marking the layout on the roof, the crew installed the standoffs, the flashings, the rails, and finally the 175-watt Suntech Black Label panels. In the meantime, our SMA Sunny Boy inverter was installed on the side of the garage, with conduit for the DC wires running along the back slope of the roof.
Standard Renewable Energy has been a pleasure to work with and has come through for us with all of the obstacles along the way. The crew working on our house today was efficient and has done a great job. Installation started this morning, and as the sun went down, the last of the panels were secured to the racking. Tomorrow, weather permitting, electrical connections will be finished and the system will be substantially complete, pending inspection by the City of Austin and installation of a new electric meter.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Giving Thanks
This Thanksgiving, in addition to being thankful for spending time with family and eating great food, I was thankful for the fluke of an amazing deal for a Danish modern coffee table on Craigslist. The poor guy who bought it off of eBay mismeasured, and it didn't fit in his living room. But it's perfect for ours!
It has drawers that open from either side, and a long, narrow slot for stashing magazines. Finally I can start to see how I've envisioned the living room. Now we just need a buffet/credenza, media console, couple of chairs and end tables, and we're set...
It has drawers that open from either side, and a long, narrow slot for stashing magazines. Finally I can start to see how I've envisioned the living room. Now we just need a buffet/credenza, media console, couple of chairs and end tables, and we're set...
Monday, October 12, 2009
A Little Color
This weekend, Timothy and I made a floral arrangement for the dining room. Finally, there's a small splash of purple in our purple room.
Laika's growing like crazy. At 8 months old, she's almost as big as her big dog friends Angus and Jet.
She's still not sure what to think of all this rain we've been getting, though.
Laika's growing like crazy. At 8 months old, she's almost as big as her big dog friends Angus and Jet.
She's still not sure what to think of all this rain we've been getting, though.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
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