Solar Energy System Design and Installation
Net Zero Renewable Resources, LLC 802-875-3654
We just participated in the second annual autumnal equinox event at WAAWWE farm market in Gassetts, Vermont. We made some new friends, and got re-acquainted with some people we met last year. Thanks to all who stopped by to say hello!
For those of you that may be reading this blog, southern and central Vermont just got hammered by Hurricane Irene. Our neighbors measured between seven and nine inches of rain in less than 24 hours. We were trapped on our road for a day while the road crew from the Town of Chester and neighboring communities worked tirelessly to restore the washed out roads (they are still at it along some stretches of highway). All of our neighbors were without power for nearly three days, and we just got our phone service back after two days out.
Many of you may be wondering if there is some backup power source that does not require frequent trips to the gas station. There is! We can help you set up a battery backup system that will run your critical loads for a period of time without running an external generator. If you add solar panels, you can have an almost unlimited amount of electricity for helping you through times when the grid is down. Let us know if we can help you with such a system. We would love to talk with you about this.
Remember to help out your neighbors in whatever way you can during this difficult time. And if there is a way we can help you, please let us know.
Check out our projects pages on our website. We have added information about some of the projects we have completed, including solar hot water, roof-mount, and pole-mount PV. Check it out and let us know what you think.
So, you are interested in “going solar,” but don’t know how the make the best decision as to when to start and what to install. Is now the best time to install a solar energy system, or would later be better? Should you go with solar electricity, or solar hot water. What about wind? And how does the cost for all this factor into the decision?
If you are like me, you want to make a wise and prudent decision. And with money as tight as it is, getting the most from your investment is critical.
The balance point is recognizing that your money is unlikely to increase in value the longer you hold on to it. Investing in a solar energy system now will pay dividends for years to come through free or reduced costs for energy. Or, it may mean the difference between having electricity or hot water or not, if things get really bad.
Because we are a small business, we understand the need to conserve energy and reduce costs. We look for cost savings to pass along to you, and strive to provide the highest quality system at a cost that is more than competitive with other solar energy providers.
Let us know how we can help you.
If you are planning on installing a grid-tied PV system in Vermont, I strongly recommend submitting the application for a Certificate of Public Good (CPG). It has taken the state well over 30 days to approve the last three applications I submitted – actually, only one of four I have submitted have been approved. Two of these were submitted at the end of May, and are still pending. The one that was approved was submitted last year, and took about two months for approval. The last one has been under review for three weeks.
I understand that, as of January 2012, the state will have 10 days to process applications, but in the meantime, it is taking a long time. And, if there is no CPG, there is no installation. So, start your application today, and let us know how we can help.
Since we are living “off grid,” we aren’t able to send extra electricity we generate to the electric utility. So, what do we do with extra power? Right now, we are able to run an air conditioner, dehumidifier, and several other appliances when the sun is shining. I’m planning on adding a DC water heating element to my hot water tank so that when the batteries are full, the extra power will be stored as hot water, thus reducing the use of propane for the tankless hot water heater.
What are you doing with your extra power?
One of the things I enjoy most about being in the renewable energy business is meeting people and making new friends. We just finished an installation for a couple in New Hampshire, and their friendliness and hospitality made the job easier and more enjoyable. I have found that most people that are committed to renewable energy have a great outlook on life and are wonderful people.
If you are considering developing a water resource to generate electricity, there are a few things you need to consider and action to take:
You may have heard that the government agencies only have jurisdiction on “navigable waterways.” Common sense would indicate that most of the small streams in the hills of New England would not meet the “navigable waterway” definition; however, common sense is not making that determination. The federal government decides what constitutes a navigable waterway, and several court cases have led to the determination that almost any body of water is navigable. Therefore, any surface water that flows is subject to the state and federal laws governing their use.
So, if you are planning on developing a surface water resource to generate electricity, you might want to start by making a few phone calls to the local, state, and federal agencies that may have a stake in making your project feasible. If we can help in any way, please contact us.
We just completed our first PV installation for the 2011 season, a 2,300-watt grid-tie PV system. It was nice to get back to work like this, and we made the most of two kind-of sunny days to complete the installation. We got a bit of sunburn the first day, but it was cloudy enough to not be a problem on the second day.
We learned a few things on this installation. Working on a roof with little to no extra room around the edges is hard. We had to be extra careful when installing the last two modules, since we didn’t have much to stand on. But we got it done safely, and we think it looks pretty good. What do you think?
We ran the generator yesterday evening for a couple of hours to charge the battery bank – the first time we had run it since early January. The culprit was a combination of a string of cloudy days with little solar exposure, and a number of power-hungry appliances that had to be operated, like the washing machine, vacuum cleaner, and gas oven. That, combined with a light table for starting seeds and an incubator for starting chicks, caused the batteries to get quite low. However, if I had known today was going to be as sunny as it was, I may not have run the generator. But, you just never know what tomorrow will bring. At least we are set for a few more days.