We recently had our first extended power outage since installing the solar system almost a year ago. Nothing major, just an evening blackout after a windstorm came through. But it was a great test of the backup system.
Continue reading “First Power Outage”
Last month marked the half year point since our solar system went online, so I thought I’d take a moment to share some numbers and report on how things have gone in general. All in all, we couldn’t be happier–the only significant issue is that our utility company, Central Maine Power, is going through a complete billing system meltdown. Let’s just say I’m glad I keep careful records of our power usage, because they sure don’t! Continue reading “Six Months In: Results so Far”
While it was tempting to kick back and relax after the solar system was up and running, I knew it’s important to keep an eye on things and fine tune the charge controller and inverter settings for optimal performance and reliability (OK, I’ll admit I patted myself on the back the first night and cracked a celebratory brew). That’s especially true when you’re dealing with a battery bank, which is easy to damage if you’re not paying attention (particularly flooded lead acid). Continue reading “Monitoring & Maintenance”
Commissioning was definitely the most fun part of the process–OK, a little nerve-racking, sure, because you don’t know until you flip those switches if you really did everything right. Continue reading “Commissioning the System”
