Building the System: Day 4

No work done today. The weather looked iffy this morning and E.F. had to drive to Carteret to pick up some copper wiring.

Building the System: Day 3

E.F. and M. were onsite by 8:45 this morning. Had they not had to wait for a supply shop in Trenton to open they would have arrived even earlier. They took a few minutes to get organized and then started installing the rails on which panels would be mounted.

Before lunchtime they'd carried a few panels up and begun installing them.

Once they found their rhythm the panels were locked down one after another. Their goal was to get the twelve panels mounted on the garage roof today (before tackling the thirty-six that will go on the main roof).

Five down, seven to go.

Just a couple more after this one.

Twelve panels installed -- day 3 mission accomplished.

Building the System: Day 2

Still too wet with the morning showers. Since the forty-eight panels are worth more than our PT Cruiser we pulled that onto the driveway and I spent two hours moving and stacking them in the garage.

Maybe tomorrow we'll get something done.

Building the System: Day 1

The materials for building the system arrived today.

Unfortunately, it was too wet and rainy for E.F., M. and B. to do anything but unload the 48 solar panels, mounting hardware and electrical gizmos (inverters, safety switches, pass-through boxes and a couple other gadgets).

We'll try again tomorrow. E.F. is going to let me help out as much as possible whenever I can. Maybe I'll learn something. I'm at least going to carry a few panels onto the roof, and maybe even install one if he doesn't change his mind...

New Installation Date

The local permit process is nearly complete and V.D. of groSolar is confident that all permits will be in hand by the end of the week. Installation of our system is now on the schedule beginning Tuesday morning (May 26).

Net Metering Interconnection Approved

Today we received in the mail a Section H, Utility Application Acceptance from the New Jersey Interconnnection Application for Net Metering Systems Interconnection Application for Net Metering Systems via our electricity provider, PSE&G (Public Service Electric and Gas Company).

What a mouthful. It means that the state has approved the adjustment of our electric meter to allow electricity to flow both ways. Any excess power that our solar electric system produces will go out onto the power grid. When this happens our meter will actually spin backwards, reducing the amount we will owe for power we take from the grid when our system can't produce power (nighttime, for example).

The letter indicates that we can't connect to the grid and/or generate power until a PSE&G technician has inspected the modified hookup. As far as we're concerned, that's good news -- an extra set of eyes checking things over is rarely a bad thing.

Pennsylvania Gets in the Solar Game

Pennsylvania's new solar rebate program is now open for business.

Here's a link the article from the Philadelphia Inquirer:

http://www.philly.com/philly/busines...ram_opens.html

"Rebates of up to 35 percent are available on a first-come, first-served basis to owners of homes and small businesses looking to offset the cost of buying and installing solar-energy systems."

"... the new state rebate, along with federal tax credits of up to 30 percent, would enable Pennsylvanians to get as much as a 50 percent break on the cost of a solar-energy system."

"The price of an average 5-kilowatt residential unit is $35,000 to $40,000. Experts say that investment will be recouped in eight to 10 years - through reduced energy costs and from selling unused power into the grid and alternative energy credits to utilities."

"Another impetus to going solar now, Rendell said, is the likely event of double-digit rate increases by utilities when state caps are lifted in 2011."

"Saying it was 'embarrassing' that New Jersey and Maryland had instituted solar financial-aid programs long before Pennsylvania, Rundgren said: 'It's about time . . . the state is going to start putting its foot in the water.'"

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To some, a government program to encourage development of solar technology is a boondoggle and a monument to government waste. As somebody who worries about bloated government I can see their points. However, this isn't exactly like "The bridge to nowhere" or a grant to fund research on the favorite colors of various sea creatures. This is more like investment in the Apollo program in the sixties. It might encourage development of technology that will be beneficial in ways we don't even know about. It will create high-tech jobs immediately. If small solar production projects proliferate it will negate the need for at least some investment in construction of the conventional power plants that will no doubt be needed to meet the growing need for power in our country.