So, a month has passed and we are inching closer to power production.  The photovoltaic panels glisten in the sun but, so far, no power flows.   Simon (Remember Simon from Generation Solar?) pulled into our driveway a few days ago.  Swinging out of the van with drill in hand he explained to me that the inspector had been around and had demanded some change be made.  I took a deep breathe waiting for bad news only to find that one of the 4" warning signs screwed to the wall beside the new electrical meter had to be moved down about 20cm.   Ten minutes later and Simon was on his way again.    He expects the final approval to come back within a few days.  Following that we need to get Peterborough Utilities over to hook up three wires, flip a switch and we are off!
 
A system like the one that we have installed costs about $20,000.  When I first started to think about the cost it seemed like a lot of money.  Now that I have begun writing checks I have confirmed it in my mind; it is a lot of money!  More money than I have ever spent on anything other than the house itself, in fact.  The beauty is that with the province's Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program the system will pay for itself over time.  The payback will be about 20 years in the case of our system but that number will come down if we increase the size of the system over time   Most household expenses are just that; expenses.  This installation will pay for itself and, when it has finished that job, it will continue to pay us.  It is an investment in a way that no other household improvement is.   At first I questioned just how I could raise the money to do the job but the answer came from a quick call to my trusty bank manager (That is right, I said trusty!  Dee and I have a rare gem of an account manager.).  Just like many homeowners in Peterborough we have been lucky enough to have a home that has increased in value in the last few years.  The equity that we had earned in our home made it possible for the bank to offer us a number of options when it came to financing the project.  We chose to increase the size of our mortgage to cover the cost.  As we had been slightly overpaying every month the increase did not even add to our monthly payments although it did add to the length of our repayment schedule.  At this point it was all beginning to seem possible.      
 
Now, in some aspects of my life friends might criticize me for being too into gear.  You know, climbing gear, cycling gear, that sort of thing.   When it comes to technical information in all other aspects of my life, I cannot tell a lie, I am pretty much at sea.  I will admit that the system we chose came highly recommended by the folks at Generation Solar.  I wish I could say that I researched all the technical data and came to an informed conclusion myself.  The reality is that, as a retailer, I am absolutely certain that someone out there has done that work already, so all I have to do is find the right people.  After a few chats Dee and I put ourselves into the hands of Simon and JP. If the truth be told we not only contracted out the installation of the system to Generation Solar, we decided to pay them a small fee to take care of all the requisite permits and communicate on our behalf with the province (Ontario Power Authority) and the utility (Peterborough Utility Service).  I was far from confident that I would not completely mess it up on my own! 
 
If I were someone else this would be where I give all the spectacular details of the system.  However, by necessity, I will keep it pretty simple.  It is a pretty typical photovoltaic system capable of producing 2KiloWatts.  The Sanyo panels are arranged (I don't think that is the technical term!) in two 1KW strings.   Because of its size the roof has space to accommodate a 3KW system, but because I had a bit of trouble getting my head around the cost we decided to start with only 2/3rds capacity.  We did, however, choose an inverter (which is the thingamagig that coverts the power produced into something that the utility is interested in buying) with a 3KW capacity.  This way we can fairly easily maximize the capacity of the system by adding another string of 4 panels but without adding any infrastructure.  
 
In hindsight we probably should have just jumped in with both feet and done the 3KW system right from the start.  Because of the nature of the Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program a bigger system would create more revenue and therefore pay for itself even faster.  It also would have saved some costs in the installation, etc.  Hindsight is, well, hindsight; so it does not do me any good at this stage.  It might just do you, my faithful reader, some good.  My advice to you?  If you have a south facing roof and an interest in becoming part of the power generating community get in touch with an renewable energy contractor and start talking about installing the largest system that your roof will take.  These companies are happy to meet with you to discuss options and pricing.  Find a company you trust and let them take on the project.  Keeping it simple made it very easy for Dee and I to become power generators.  If I had tried to do this job myself I would still be scratching my head and trying to figure out where to start.  One of the best things about this program is that all you need is to be a property owner with a south-facing roof.  You can leave the rest to someone else.
 

That being said, a Wild Rock customer two blocks from Dee and I is currently installing a large system himself.  With any luck we may be able to bring you his story!
 
 

Kawartha Nordic BBQ and Silent Auction

Saturday September 13th Back by popular demand, this event is a wonderful gathering of members and friends of the Kawartha Nordic Ski Club. All funds raised are allocated to the KNSC Nordic Legacy Fund to secure nordic skiing in the Kawarthas through our own 345 acre legacy property and new chalet.  Tickets are $50 per person and will be available at Wild Rock Outfitters in Peterborough and at Adventure Outfitters in Lakefield.   We welcome your involvement in the promotion, fundraising and logistics of this event. If you can help with ticket sales, if you wish to donate an item to the auction or if you want to help out on the day of the event, please contact Anne Leavens at anne@wildrock.net or by phone at 745-9133.