April 15th
As April rolled around we started our formal workshops in renewable energy. For the past two weekends we have been in intensive 8 hour a day sessions. We are learning about electricity and the designing and installation of photovoltaic solar panels. The first thing before planning a system it is imperative you look at the usage and efficiency of your appliances. In many cases especially if you are going to live off the grid with battery backup or a generator you have to really change your lifestyle. It is amazing how many watts a hair dryer or an iron uses or even a coffee maker. The worst culprit is the clock on your oven or microwave and the phantom loads from things you leave plugged in when not using them. It is truly an eye opener on how much energy you can save just by changing a few things around your house. Okay enough of my preaching. Once we finished our lectures we had a hands on session where we got to build a system on a roof. I actually got to install the panels and hook them to the inverter and electrical panel. Amazing after we got it completed it actually worked.
We have completed three classes on PV (photovoltaic) for both grid-tied and off-grid. We have one final class in July and then we we take the NAPCEP exam for certification. We are also involved with a different solar non-profit called Grid Alternatives who installs PV systems for low income households. As volunteers we get to actually install a complete system on a home. It will be good experience for us so we will be able to install our own system on our own home or for friends and maybe lead to a job in the industry. We are signed up to do our first install in a few weeks (June 15th) and will know shortly whether we made the list.
I highly recommend to anyone remotely interested to get PV for their home, there is no better time than now. The cost of panels is cheap and all the credits are still available. If nothing else the analysis will let you know how you can become more efficient and reduce your energy costs.
