AlisonH
(Taken through the skylight.)
I haven’t mentioned the outcome before over here, but back in September–you know, back when the economy seemed okay, back when we didn’t have thousands in medical bills and co-pays, etc–we decided to go for an old and very large dream of ours: we signed the papers. We were going solar. Bigtime. (Now if the car companies would only fall in line so we can charge a car from the house. Can’t afford a Tesla…)
And then we had to wait for our panels to be manufactured. Others who had tax breaks elsewhere with a January 1 deadline got theirs ahead of us, and we were okay with that. But finally we got word that our panels were ready to be delivered and installed.
…The week I got home after nearly three weeks in the hospital with my total-colectomy surgery. With all those skylights, dead center in one bathroom and above the sink of the other (but with a strategic door at least). Oh joy. Hi guys.
The owner of the company, who knew, told each of his workers they had to knock on the door and ask permission each day before doing anything or making any noise up there, that they were not to interfere in my recovering. I was quite surprised. And each day, they got told thank you for asking, and hey, go right ahead. Work progressed nicely. (I wanted it OVER with!)
It was worth every moment.
My cousin Dan and his family who came over last night–turns out they got the same panels a year ahead of ours.  Cool.
Now, this being California in a drought, if only we could do the same produce-your-own with water. Suppose we could build a pipeline and help out those folks in Fargo?
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I keep thinking that the rain and snow in North Dakota is falling in the wrong place! Now if some of that could be funelled this way … Pipe dream.
Now the solar panels will help with electric bill.
Which reminds me of a joke:
A woman bought a very expensive energy efficient refrigerator. No money down. After about 7 or 8 months she had a phone call from the appliance store asking why she had not made any payments. Her reply: “The salesman told me it would pay for itself in a year and a half!”
Comment by Don Meyer 03.30.09 @ 7:16 pmCool. Rooftop water capture for landscaping — try it, you’ll like it!
Comment by Renee 03.30.09 @ 7:50 pmCool! We would love to go off the grid, but in NH there isn’t enough sunglight. 🙁
Comment by Amanda 03.31.09 @ 3:19 amwhen we build our house I want to incorporate some “green” technology as well. We are building on a south facing slope for the light (and view)as well as (hopefully)putting in a grey water system. However these ideas and others will be tempered by our finances at the time.
Comment by Danielle from SW MO 03.31.09 @ 4:19 amThat situation in North Dakota is awful. Maybe you recall Tropical Storm Agnes in ‘1972? My childhood home in Penna. got 17 feet of water that June!
I wouldn’t mind a bit more sunshine here but I’ll take damp and drizzly over drought any day.
Comment by LynnM 03.31.09 @ 4:44 amI love the idea of solar panels. I do wonder if they truly cost effective though? Let us know how it’s working out.
Comment by Toni Smoky-Mountains 03.31.09 @ 4:48 amRecovery amid construction could have been dicey. I’m glad you had a good crew. That’s got to be your largest FO yet!
Comment by Barbara-Kay 03.31.09 @ 5:43 amCool! We are thinking of doing solar at our cottage – it’s a dream right now, but one we hope to bring to fruition.
Comment by Sandra 03.31.09 @ 5:55 amGood for you! I’d just like to convince the Knight that paper plates are not nice!!
Comment by Channon 03.31.09 @ 6:58 amPerhaps your solar panels will save
you enough for a Tesla-S coming soon!
We can dream can’t we!!
Cool! My parents are putting in Geothermal in their new house that is currently under construction.
Comment by Alicia 03.31.09 @ 12:18 pmYou could use the solar power to run a (small) desalinization system…the pipe would only have to reach the ocean that way, not all the way to Fargo. (OK, so that’s just another pipe dream.)
Love that green power!
I am so impressed with good customer service because it seems more and more rare these days. That story put a smile on my face.
(While you’re playing Mother Nature, could you please send some sunshine to Ohio? Thanks!)
Comment by Momo Fali 03.31.09 @ 6:38 pmLeave a comment
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