WOOHOO!

I came home today, after 1.5 weeks of hearing absolutely nothing about the progress of my paperwork or project to find a plastic clip on the sidewalk. I recognized it as the clips the electric company puts on their panels and looked up to the panel to find a shiny new NET electrical meter. I was elated! Then I realized that nobody had notified me this change was being made, and so I hadn't been able to shutdown my servers. That's very bad.

I go inside and am absolutely baffled by the fact that the power has clearly not been off in my house. That's right, they switched out my electrical meter without disconnecting my power. How is that possible? I haven't the faintest idea.

I'd sent off an email several days ago bitching about the project management on this project. The guy was just terrible at communicating project status. I basically never knew what was going on except the three days the crew was here doing the installation, because they kept me well informed and always showed up to work on time, etc.

Anyway, so without any communications at all, I sent off an email to the sales guy several days ago. Nothing. Sent off another email to him and the head of the colorado division. Nothing. Today I sent an email to the sales guy, the head of the colorado division, the project manager and the Operations Manager for Arizona and Colorado.

Then I called Xcel. Xcel verified they'd installed a NET meter for me, and that they believed I was good to go on the solar installation, but the guy that answered the phone couldn't be positive. We agreed it would be better to wait for verification from Xcel and REC before I turned anything on.

Then I got a phone call from Jason Zink the Operations Manager for Arizona and Colorado. He first apologized for all the problems, and said that my complaints were not falling on deaf ears, then walked me through verifying that everything was ready.

Then he walked me through turning the system on. Now...it's 6pm on October 6th so it's unlikely the system is generating enough electricity to even power up the DC side of the system, but still...It's on. Tomorrow morning it'll start generating massive amounts of electricity. SO FUCKING COOL!

And I found another company to come take care of the shade problem, so sometime this week someone will be out to tell me if I get to keep my black walnut tree or not, and hopefully give me some advice on my other tress health also. I really hope I get to keep the black walnut...I hate to have to cut down trees.

So close!

The hole in the wall is fixed, everything is installed. My understanding is that now I just have to wait for the paperwork to get to Xcel, then I have to start pushing them to install my bi-directional meter. Once that is done, I can start actually using all this equipment I paid so much for.

Woohoo! Solar officiall completely installed!

I have fully inspected and approved solar panels! Assuming they patch the hole in my wall on Monday like they said, I am done with REC Solar. Once all the paperwork is turned in, I start the push to get Xcel to come install the bi-directional meter. I was told "it can take as long as 30 days" up until today when the project manager said "6 weeks, but lately they've been a little faster about it". UGH! So it may be 6 weeks before I get to turn my system on...meanwhile it sits there slowly losing efficiency.

I still can't get Tree Pros to even call me back about taking care of my tree. If they don't contact me today or answer the phone when I call, I'm calling their biggest competitor.

This may yet happen!

The inverter is installed, all the wiring is done. The inspection is supposed to be tomorrow. So...assuming the inspection goes well tomorrow then all I have left to do is get Xcel out here to install the bi-directional meter and give me the go ahead to power on, and I'm hot.

Of course...I still have to get someone to look at my tree...I'm having real problems getting these guys out here and that's getting annoying.

Nearing the end!

The person that is going to install my inverter is supposed to be on the way to my house right now. All he's got to do is install the inverter, hook it up, connect the last connection on the panels and then test to make sure it works. Then tomorrow the inspection is supposed to happen. Assuming that goes well, they are supposed to close up my wall and be finished. Then it's a matter of getting Xcel out to inspect everything and put in the new bi-directional meter and then I'm producing electricity from sun light! If my calculations are right, I should be producing about twice to three times what I use. Especially once I've got my new efficient refrigerator and dishwasher and gone through the house with a power meter and switched out all the vampiric electronics.

At least, that's what I have planned...by the end of all this I'll be pretty close to entirely out of money so we'll see.

The solar electric installation is done!

Well, not really. All the panels are in place, almost all of the wiring is done. Just the converter and the wiring that attaches to that and the actually panel interconnections need to be done. Three Days! That's damned quick.

End of Day One:











End of Day Two


End of Day Three:

Solar electric installation underway!

The REC installation crew showed up yesterday morning and started my solar installation. I had a quick walk-through with the foreman and then left for work. I got home about 4pm so that they could leave on time without leaving my house unlocked, and they'd put in all the conduit for the main power, and had all of the adjustable mounting brackets attached to the roof.

Today they arrived just as I was leaving for work, in a hurry because I had to go to an All-Staff required meeting...yes, one of THOSE. I expect they'll have all the wiring and a good deal of the racking structure in place today. Tomorrow they are supposed to be finished, then the final inspection will happen either tomorrow or Thursday.

Nows the bad news...then I have to wait UP TO 30 DAYS for Xcel to sign off on it and allow me to actually turn the system on. That is...phenomenally annoying.

Next step, once everything is in place, is to get someone out to take care of my black walnut tree. I really don't want to cut it down, but I just don't see any choice. So...I'll get an expert out to try to help me save the tree, and if we can't then I'll plant other trees to make up for it. Or maybe just trellis with vines on it so I don't have to worry about the height of the trees, then plan trees further from the house.

Oh, speaking of which, another nice piece of news...the guy who is going to do my fence for me told me that he thinks it'll be fine to put clinging vines on the fence. He says pretty much all of the fencing he's dealt with, even the really old stuff, shows surface damage from weather and plants but is almost always solid underneath. So my plans for the house/yard are moving right along!

The hot tub is full functional and working great. I'm waiting for the hot tub company to finish the configuration of the electronic controls and bring me my top lifter, but those are minor things now that the hot tub is installed and working. Still lots to do to make the shed a more hot tub friendly place, and in fact I may have to get another 2 rows or so of tile put in, but it's coming along nicely.