Well, the 'process' is still proceeding. We got the word that the building permits were submitted to both the city and NV Energy and expect a 4-6 week wait for approval. We'll keep ya posted Enjoy! Opa Fritz and Oma Bettina
Showing posts with label solar power. Show all posts
Showing posts with label solar power. Show all posts
Monday, July 13, 2015
Friday, July 3, 2015
Going Solar - Pt 2
Last week we posted about having solar panels installed on the roof by Solar City and after getting our electric bill yesterday I think perhaps it may be a good move. We pay our bill using an equal payment plan provided by NV Energy whereby your bills are averaged out during the year and you pay the same amount every month. Then, once a year the energy use is re-calculated and your bill adjusted accordingly. It's a great program and makes budgeting a lot simpler. I have noticed though that our electrical use has been creeping steadily upwards for a couple of reasons plus hotter than average temps have been increasing the demand for air conditioning.
The salesman did say that this whole thing would be 'a process'. Whenever someone says "it's a process" that's code for, "This is a lengthy procedure - don't expect to have everything done in a week or two." And I know how that works, so the key here is to just be patient and take each step as it comes.
The second step in this 'process' came yesterday with the Site Survey. A technician comes to the house and accomplishes a variety of tasks:
-He took pictures of the electrical meter currently installed on the house (eventually it will have to be replaced - more to come on that)
-He took pictures of the the modem/router! I guess this is to verify the homeowner really does have Internet connection, which is needed to relay status details of the system once it's installed
-Took pictures of the water heater!!! I can understand this if it was run on electricity as that is big power draw but ours is gas. He said, "That's standard, we have to do it for every house." hmmm
-Went into the crawl space above the house. We don't have an attic or loft so he had to get up in that tight fitting area and take measurements and check for structural suitability
-Went into the crawl space above the garage. The attached garage is separated from the house by a firewall. Because of the differences in framing between the garage and house they may need to shore up the framework in the garage.
-Lastly he spent about 1.25 hours up on the roof taking detailed measurements of the entire swath of real estate up there to include the pitch of the roof on the house, the garage, the slight overhang above the stoop, any interrupted spaces like where the HVAC unit sits (newer homes have the HVAC units mounted on a slab at ground level, but all the older homes here in Da Hood have roof mounted units)
Okay, so this was Step 2, the Site Survey, total time spent at the house about 1.75 hours
Step 3 is another visit by the salesman in 2-3 weeks going over the results of the Site Survey.
It's a process
Enjoy! Opa Fritz and Oma Bettina
The salesman did say that this whole thing would be 'a process'. Whenever someone says "it's a process" that's code for, "This is a lengthy procedure - don't expect to have everything done in a week or two." And I know how that works, so the key here is to just be patient and take each step as it comes.
The second step in this 'process' came yesterday with the Site Survey. A technician comes to the house and accomplishes a variety of tasks:
-He took pictures of the electrical meter currently installed on the house (eventually it will have to be replaced - more to come on that)
-He took pictures of the the modem/router! I guess this is to verify the homeowner really does have Internet connection, which is needed to relay status details of the system once it's installed
-Took pictures of the water heater!!! I can understand this if it was run on electricity as that is big power draw but ours is gas. He said, "That's standard, we have to do it for every house." hmmm
-Went into the crawl space above the house. We don't have an attic or loft so he had to get up in that tight fitting area and take measurements and check for structural suitability
-Went into the crawl space above the garage. The attached garage is separated from the house by a firewall. Because of the differences in framing between the garage and house they may need to shore up the framework in the garage.
-Lastly he spent about 1.25 hours up on the roof taking detailed measurements of the entire swath of real estate up there to include the pitch of the roof on the house, the garage, the slight overhang above the stoop, any interrupted spaces like where the HVAC unit sits (newer homes have the HVAC units mounted on a slab at ground level, but all the older homes here in Da Hood have roof mounted units)
Okay, so this was Step 2, the Site Survey, total time spent at the house about 1.75 hours
Step 3 is another visit by the salesman in 2-3 weeks going over the results of the Site Survey.
It's a process
Enjoy! Opa Fritz and Oma Bettina
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Going Solar
Toys and Stuff is going solar. Yup, we took the plunge to have solar panels installed on the roof. I had been tracking the progress of solar energy development for years now and especially the last few years. While the cost of solar panels has come down significantly they're still pricey for the average do-it-yourselfer. But there's another way.
A couple of years ago I began noticing more and more articles about a company called 'Solar City' and their essentially cost-free offer to customers. They pay for the panels, installation, and maintenance over the life of the product and you end up paying them for the power generated at a lower rate than the local utility company. I had read somewhere that about 80% of houses don't qualify for solar. There are catches. Solar is a rather hard sell for the northern tier states and especially the sun-starved Pacific northwest. Another catch is that not all houses are optimally oriented. While east-west orientation is preferred it's not a show-stopper. Another catch is the design of the roof. A flat expanse of roof is better to install the panels on. An interrupted roof with gables, dormers or whatever makes it more difficult or even not possible. Their aim is not to generate 100% of the power you require, but shoot for about 95%, the residual power still being supplied by the local utility.The last is your credit rating. Here in Vegas they required at least 650 FICO score.
On the plus side is that over the life of the contract you'll be saving a great deal over the local utility company's rates, and having lived here since 1991 I can attest to the non-stop, ever increasing rates pushed on us by NV Energy! That being said we have tried desperately to decrease our energy usage. We started to have energy efficient windows installed. We got the front and side windows done as those received the greatest heat, the rear windows being shaded by the patio cover (the week we had those installed was the same week I got laid off from work during the height of the Recession and we never got the rear windows done) BUT since then we've gotten all Energy Star appliances, including a new HVAC unit four years ago and have swapped out nearly every incandescent light bulb in the house with LED's or CFL's so our bills have thankfully not sky-rocketed through the roof.
I finally took the plunge after talking with a Solar City rep at the Home Depot and scheduled the first meeting with the salesman. I was already sold before he walked in the house so his spiel was basically a matter of going over the finer points. He went through all the details of the contract, went over our KWH usage for the past year, did a basic panel design/layout on his laptop, and ran the credit check. We were in like Flynn!
This whole thing is a process and it'll be a while before the panels actually get installed and the switch-over from the local utility takes place.
Oh, and BTW, all you space fans and those folks following the exploits of SpaceEx (not Triang SpacEx toys but Space Exploration Technologies), Solar City is another of Elon Musk's companies, along with Tesla.
Well keep you posted. Enjoy! Opa Fritz and Oma Bettina
A couple of years ago I began noticing more and more articles about a company called 'Solar City' and their essentially cost-free offer to customers. They pay for the panels, installation, and maintenance over the life of the product and you end up paying them for the power generated at a lower rate than the local utility company. I had read somewhere that about 80% of houses don't qualify for solar. There are catches. Solar is a rather hard sell for the northern tier states and especially the sun-starved Pacific northwest. Another catch is that not all houses are optimally oriented. While east-west orientation is preferred it's not a show-stopper. Another catch is the design of the roof. A flat expanse of roof is better to install the panels on. An interrupted roof with gables, dormers or whatever makes it more difficult or even not possible. Their aim is not to generate 100% of the power you require, but shoot for about 95%, the residual power still being supplied by the local utility.The last is your credit rating. Here in Vegas they required at least 650 FICO score.
On the plus side is that over the life of the contract you'll be saving a great deal over the local utility company's rates, and having lived here since 1991 I can attest to the non-stop, ever increasing rates pushed on us by NV Energy! That being said we have tried desperately to decrease our energy usage. We started to have energy efficient windows installed. We got the front and side windows done as those received the greatest heat, the rear windows being shaded by the patio cover (the week we had those installed was the same week I got laid off from work during the height of the Recession and we never got the rear windows done) BUT since then we've gotten all Energy Star appliances, including a new HVAC unit four years ago and have swapped out nearly every incandescent light bulb in the house with LED's or CFL's so our bills have thankfully not sky-rocketed through the roof.
I finally took the plunge after talking with a Solar City rep at the Home Depot and scheduled the first meeting with the salesman. I was already sold before he walked in the house so his spiel was basically a matter of going over the finer points. He went through all the details of the contract, went over our KWH usage for the past year, did a basic panel design/layout on his laptop, and ran the credit check. We were in like Flynn!
This whole thing is a process and it'll be a while before the panels actually get installed and the switch-over from the local utility takes place.
Oh, and BTW, all you space fans and those folks following the exploits of SpaceEx (not Triang SpacEx toys but Space Exploration Technologies), Solar City is another of Elon Musk's companies, along with Tesla.
Well keep you posted. Enjoy! Opa Fritz and Oma Bettina
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