Solar Panels are Installed

The selected vendor, SolarCity, installed the 4.5 KW system, which is sized to supply all of our electrical needs -- building up credit in sunny times, that we will then use in those less sunny times.

Given this is our "last house," the math on the investment was easy, particularly as the rebates -- an immediate 24% back from the local utility and then a further 30% tax rebate at the end of the year -- basically halve the price.

Mounting racks are set up

Panels are prepared

Then mounted


Panels are angled at just 5% for aesthetic reasons, so they cannot be seen from the street -- resulting in a slight reduction in efficiency. Also the boxy item is one of three skylights, its sill raised to ensure the panels are not seen when looking up,

Now the house is really green!

A Tyvek-type house wrap, chosen by our builder because of its breathable and "self-healing" properties, in that if penetrated accidentally, the hole self-heals.

So, externally, the stucco guys are next, but they will wait until the interior wall board is hung next week, so there is no risk of wall vibration while the stucco sets.

Also, bathrooms are now being tiled and the site prepared for the hardscape elements -- patio, barbecue area, fountain pad and fire pit pad.

The final roof goes on

Using a product that mainly been used in commercial applications but is now being used on residential for it's low maintenance, long life and cooler roof attributes. The thermoplastic membrane is laid on top of fireproof decking that is part of the process.

"The Duro-Last flashings and deck sheets are custom prefabricated, which makes for easy installation.  Approximately 80-85% of the roof seaming is completed in a controlled factory environment at one of the Duro-Last plants, ensuring high product quality. In addition, there are no hazardous chemicals, vapors or messy kettles to deal with during installation."

http://www.duro-last.com/generalContent/residential.asp

This product also ensures watertight sealing around those many solar panel legs.



Now wall boarding can start this week and the stucco guys have already started preparing the exterior walls.