This is the time of the year when the solar installers get to sleep in a little bit. With temperatures in the low 80's, they start their day at sunrise (about 6:30), and they're done by 2:30. During the summer months, when it's well over 100 degrees every day, they try to start much earlier. Working with lights in the early morning hours, the coolest part of the day, they're usually done by noon.
They spent most of the morning on the roof, installing the rails for the solar panels. They also ran some of the roof wire inside metal conduit, and finished the day, installing the 150 pound inverter in the garage. I added a little extra muscle, while they guided the 5,000 watt inverter onto the bracket. The residential inverter is what converts the DC electricity generated by the solar panels into AC current, then sends it through a meter, and back into the electrical grid. We will have two utility meters. One to measure the amount of electricity we consume, and one to measure the amount of electricity we generate. Hopefully, they will balance out to zero.
Today, the guys will be running wire from the roof down to the inverter, and from the inverter to the outside wall near our electrical panel. The new meter and disconnect switch will be installed near the current meter. I learned that Esmay Electric has 5 crews of at least 2 guys each, doing mostly solar installations. After watching these two guys for a couple of days, it's obvious this ain't their first rodeo, and I'm impressed with their work so far.
When completed, this solar system will be very similar to what we have on the motor home. The big difference is that the solar panels on the motor home are regulated by a charge controller, and the energy produced, goes to a battery bank. This residential system has no regulator per se, as all of the energy is sent to the electrical grid, which unlike batteries, has an infinite capacity.
When the guys pulled the inverter out of the box, I started looking for the dreaded Made In China disclosure, but was pleased to find this label on the box.
This is the time of the year when the solar installers get to sleep in a little bit. With temperatures in the low 80's, they start their day at sunrise (about 6:30), and they're done by 2:30. During the summer months, when it's well over 100 degrees every day, they try to start much earlier. Working with lights in the early morning hours, the coolest part of the day, they're usually done by noon.
They spent most of the morning on the roof, installing the rails for the solar panels. They also ran some of the roof wire inside metal conduit, and finished the day, installing the 150 pound inverter in the garage. I added a little extra muscle, while they guided the 5,000 watt inverter onto the bracket. The residential inverter is what converts the DC electricity generated by the solar panels into AC current, then sends it through a meter, and back into the electrical grid. We will have two utility meters. One to measure the amount of electricity we consume, and one to measure the amount of electricity we generate. Hopefully, they will balance out to zero.
Today, the guys will be running wire from the roof down to the inverter, and from the inverter to the outside wall near our electrical panel. The new meter and disconnect switch will be installed near the current meter. I learned that Esmay Electric has 5 crews of at least 2 guys each, doing mostly solar installations. After watching these two guys for a couple of days, it's obvious this ain't their first rodeo, and I'm impressed with their work so far. 
When completed, this solar system will be very similar to what we have on the motor home. The big difference is that the solar panels on the motor home are regulated by a charge controller, and the energy produced, goes to a battery bank. This residential system has no regulator per se, as all of the energy is sent to the electrical grid, which unlike batteries, has an infinite capacity.
When the guys pulled the inverter out of the box, I started looking for the dreaded Made In China disclosure, but was pleased to find this label on the box. 
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