Free Electricity

(Photo at Renewable Energy Innovation article about a solar PV system on a beach hut, 2009)

In case you’ve wondered, our solar photovoltaic system has been installed and operating for just over a week. We didn’t choose the low bidder. We chose the third from lowest bidder. Cheap up front is often costly in the long run.

They have been standouts as installers. The mounting brackets are sturdy enough to cope with our wind exposure, anchor directly to roof supports, and don’t penetrate roof tiles. Cables come through neatly, also sneaked under specially made grooves so as not to penetrate roof tiles, and are nicely run and labeled.

Apparently we have been unusual customers. Nobody else has specified bird blocker to prevent birds from being able to nest under the panels and cause hot spots that burn out part of a panel. We’ve had plenty of discussions about technical details such as special panels in our system to perform better with an east-west roof than standard panels. We plan future addition of a microwind turbine for winter when solar PV doesn’t produce much at this latitude. The installers like the look of the wind turbine we suggested and are going to put one on their office. We kept a steady stream of cold drinks, ice cream and other frozen treats available.

Over the years various pets couldn’t tolerate this much heat. For guinea pigs we used to have, long ago we got a portable air conditioner for the rare occasions when it got too hot for them. After the guinea pigs were no longer with us, during one heat wave we had a dog who was elderly and ill. Now we have another dog who overheats easily.

This week, as the UK sets new heat records, we can run everything electrical at once (including the air conditioner if we wish) and still not use anywhere near all the electricity we’re producing. Watching the monitoring software makes us smile, and we don’t even have a south-facing roof. As I mentioned, it’s east-west, less efficient.

Neighbors on each side have asked questions about our system and mentioned they’re thinking of installing a solar power system themselves. So have a few friends. We’ve shared specifications and pricing for our system. We already planned this before our utility prices more than doubled this spring, and saving money wasn’t our main reason for it. We wanted the stability of having our own power if the distribution grid wobbles. But with energy prices so high, the cost of a solar PV system doesn’t look as daunting as it did a year ago and the payback period calculates as shorter.

If I had a business with its own premises, I’d certainly be considering a system for the business too. It makes sense!

Us doing this doesn’t solve the climate crisis. You doing this wouldn’t solve it either. But if more and more of us take these types of actions, our collective effect can make a difference.

Let governments catch up with us. We’re done with waiting for them.