 The Unisolar PV panels are first prepped on the ground.
Metal channels which will hold the thin, black PV panel
strips are first cleaned then the PV strips are carefully
unrolled onto the metal channels. The panels are a thin,
sticky-backed film that is unrolled like contact paper.
Here, Steven (who now is a certified Unisolar installer,
although he'll probably never install another system)
rolls out the small air bubbles from under the PV film.
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 When the panel is ready, the roofers, who have removed
a section of the corrugated roofing, are attaching the
metal panel channel to the roof.
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metal channels are prepared and installed; 14 in all.
They are 16" wide and 18 feet long. This array
will produce 1.8kwh of electricity which should be enough
to power our home. Instead of batteries, we're doing
net metering which means that our local power company
will buy back our extra power during the day (our meter
will run backwards) and sell their power to us at night.
By law they must buy it at the same rate they sell it.
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 This Heliodyne 4' x 8' solar hot water panel is self
powered + self regulating and has a 50 gallon storage
tank. It will provide 80% of our hot water.
For back-up we're using a Bosch Aqua Star tankless,
on-demand hot water heater that will boost the solar
heated water up to the temperature needed, when necessary. |
 The roofers muscle the solar water heater into place,
then secure it to the corrugated roof. Not the prettiest
thing in the world, but solar hot water heaters are
among the most cost effective of active solar systems
and are worth the investment.
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 A view from the road with our new hardware in place.
The final color coat of stucco will go on next week.
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 We asked the roofers to attach our weathervane while
they were up there. We painted the lightning bolt California
Poppy orange to match the poppies that will grow in
our yard someday.
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