SOLAR ELECTRIC
at Reed Hollow
As you drive up to the store, this is how the solar panel array looks. (Taken early Oct., 2011)
Update on how the system is working for us...
Last year, for the period Jan. 2-Feb. 1, 2011 we used 1242 kWh from the electric company, and the bill was $176.82.
This year, for the period Jan. 3-Feb.1, 2012, we used 661 kWh from the electric company, we made the rest with the solar panels, so the bill was $95.17.
We believe that we will be developing enough credits during the months of March - September when the sun is higher in the sky and out for longer hours, that we will have no bill at all in the winter months and perhaps could even be owed money!
**We got our first electric "bill!" (Nov. 2011) Here it is: And that's a MINUS SIGN before the $39.94! And we had lots of rainy and cloudy days since we began producing. This is great!
**As of 2:40 pm on 10/22/11 we have produced 974 kw. If it just weren't so cloudy and rainy, we'd be up lots more!
**As of 4:44 pm on 10/10/11, the meter is reading 639 KW. At this time of year we average, according to Nat'l Grid, 1100 KW per month. We've been making electricity for 16 days, so we are right where we need to be and many of the days were rainy/cloudy. Just think if we had all sunny days! This is great! The electric meter ran backwards all day and that was with the air conditioner running at the store. This solar electric system powers all the buildings on the property and anything else that we use that uses electric power.
The beginning...
The first step was to dig a trench from the store to where the two inverters would be. Wires were placed in the trench that would carry the electricity from the inverters to an electric meter that is mounted on the side of the store. A line was also put in that will connect to my computer so that I can monitor how much electricity is being produced every fifteen minutes.
HOW THE SYSTEM WILL WORK:
The electricity that is produced will first be used by the store, than if there is extra, the house and other buildings. Then if the electricity being made is more than the property is using at a particular time, the excess electricity is sent back to National Grid and gives us electricity credits.
This picture shows the large footings that were set in the ground for the base of the solar frame array.
HOW THE SYSTEM WILL WORK:
The electricity that is produced will first be used by the store, than if there is extra, the house and other buildings. Then if the electricity being made is more than the property is using at a particular time, the excess electricity is sent back to National Grid and gives us electricity credits.
This picture shows the large footings that were set in the ground for the base of the solar frame array.
Here is a close up of one of the footings.
These things weigh 800 pounds. Good thing we bought the John Deere tractor!
The first board is placed for the frame.
There will be thirty-six solar panels on the array.
The solar panel frame
We wondered about snow build up, but it seems that because the panels are warm, they melt the snow. It doesn't have to be sunny to produce electricity. Daylight is light and if there's light, electricity can be produced.
If it snows during the night and the snow builds up, it will still melt because light travels through snow cover.
If it snows during the night and the snow builds up, it will still melt because light travels through snow cover.
The final wires are pulled through and attached to the inverters (9/16/11)
The company installing the system is Alternative Energy from Plymouth.
The solar panels arrive (9/22/11)
A fifty foot trailer arrived at the end of the driveway and the boxes were taken in by the installation company.
And the installation of the panels begins (9/23/11)
It's amazing how fast this process went.
And the project is complete! (9/23/11)
Even with it cloudy, electricity is being produced and we are up and running! Now I can't wait for a sunny day!
As of 9/27/11
This is the meter that is mounted on the side of the store. The number, 116, is reading how many kilowatts we have produced since the solar panels started making electricity late Friday (9/23/11) afternoon. Now it's been cloudy for lots of the time, so we are thrilled with this amount. Last year in September we averaged 41 kw per day usage, so since we've produced 116 kw in four days of cloudy weather pretty much, we expect that we'll be able to produce lots more on bright sunny days.
The next picture shows how many kws were being produced as I was taking the picture. The sun was not shining.
The next picture shows how many kws were being produced as I was taking the picture. The sun was not shining.
This is when it is cloudy. The panels were at that second producing 3.266 kws.
Here's the reading at about 2:30, 9/27/11--118 kw
The kilowatts produced went up by two in less that fifteen minutes and it still wasn't overly sunny!
4.153 kw being produced as I took the above picture of the total kw produced.
