The day before yesterday was a cruel and beautiful day. Temperatures rose to 50 F and the sun was ablast. The perfect day for going out there in the garden. But the garden is still nowhere to be seen. You walk on/in this snow and one step you’re on top of it, two feet taller, …
Category Archives: solar
Solar Hot Water: Going Ahead!
After too many estimates but wonderful and very instructive conversations with installers, we have committed to going solar for our hot water. We got our shade report that tells us that our solar effect of 95.35% qualifies us for the State rebate (minimum requirement is 75%). Our solar fraction is 73.1% which means that solar will provide that …
Solar Surplus Countdown!
We figured we need to overproduce (produce more than we consume) about 100 solar KwH by August 13th, which will be a year from when our solar system was connected to the grid and we started producing. If we make it, we’ll have broken even. It will be a challenge, since as of next week our …
Interview with Moi
As the solar system was being installed on our house, in August 2011, my friend Rob from 360Chestnut came by to film the process and to do an interview with yours truly. and
Snow on Solar Panels
I took this image two days ago. By now the snow is mostly all melted away. Two things catch my eye here. One: the panels, being black and smooth, shed the snow pretty easily. Two: the rest of the roof was still covered in snow, indicating good insulation. This is a screenshot of our production …
Riot for Austerity – Month 37
This is the Riot for the month of November 2011 for the three of us. Our first year’s averages were calculated here, our second year’s averages can be found here. Edson fixed the calculator: all go tither to crunch those numbers! Gasoline.  Calculated per person. We drove to NYC and back for Thanksgiving. I walk Amie to …
Riot For Austerity – Month 35
This is the Riot for the month of September 2011. Our numbers were pretty stable here on the ole homestead. Mostly just the 3 of us. Our first year’s averages were calculated here, our second year’s averages can be found here. Edson fixed the calculator! Gasoline.  Calculated per person. A trip to DC in it for DH, …
Follow our Solar Harvest!
You can follow our solar harvest online, second by second. Check it out!
Solar PV Up (and not yet running)
Three days and a swarm of people and the solar array is UP. But not up and running, yet. We still need the town to inspect the electricity and the building, NSTAR to approve the interconnection, to install the monitoring system, someone to commission the system, and us to be trained in its operation and maintenance. Another week …