We offer our account of converting to solar power as encouragement for other non-technically oriented people who might themselves be thinking about plunging ahead into this new world of panels and batteries, inverters and charge controllers. If we can do it, so can others. We hope that explaining our process will both demystify the undertaking and also present some helpful information.

A QUICK RECAP

By the fall of last year, after a certain amount of confusion and some false starts, we had located two companies that we thought might be able to help us “go solar” even though we ourselves were not even remotely technically inclined. We arranged for proposals to be drawn up for an off-grid electrical system. We wanted the system for business use as well as for our home. In addition, it was important to us to be able to disconnect completely from the grid for philosophical reasons. This we explained to both companies. Part one of our story ended temporarily as we waited excitedly for the proposals to be drawn up. “Temporarily” turned out to be longer than we expected, but eventually we got back on track.

ONWARD BOUND

At last our two proposals arrived. Each company had done a bit more than asked, but only one presented us with a system, which disconnected us from the grid. We felt the person from that company had listened to us most accurately. This was important to us because, not being able to rely on our understanding of technical aspects of the system, accurate communication was going to be critical down the road. Because neither company was local, we would be relying to a certain degree on communication by phone if we ran into any difficulties. We wanted to be sure of being accurately heard and responded to clearly.

Fortunately for us, the good communicator also offered the lowest price. Excitedly, we sent off a deposit.

By now it was quite late in the fall, winter with its many cloudy days was closing in. We had heard from others who had been using solar power for years that, in Maine, November and January are the most difficult months to get through. We determined that perhaps we would be better off to wait for sunnier days to begin this new way of living, so we requested that installation be scheduled for first thing in the spring. Our panels arrived; we stored them in the basement and waited.

IF YOU HAVE A WELL

Meanwhile, we understood that our old, albeit working, water pump was not the best choice for solar power. Traditionally deep well pumps start working with a high and sudden demand for electrical juice, not a good thing for a solar system. We needed a “soft start” pump. In order to have the correct size pump, we also needed to know what the water level in the well was, that is, how far from the surface the water was generally located. This was an interesting problem. Because it was completely buried, we were not even sure where the well really was.  The only clue we had was something humming underground next to the driveway when the pump ran. The idea of having a backhoe dig up the driveway in search of the pump was a bit daunting, so when spring came, we started the job ourselves with a hand shovel. Bingo, we found the pump, nestled among large, small and medium sized rocks right where the humming sound had been. Having located it amidst all the rocks, we called for that backhoe to finish the job. Then we called the pump folks.

Our pump was old enough to have been installed with metal piping instead of the lightweight plastic material used today. We weren’t sure exactly how much piping we had, maybe a lot. Small rigs can pull quite a bit of light weight piping out of a well, but metal is heavy. If a rig can’t handle the weight, the motor fails and there is a chance that the pump and piping will end up at the bottom of the well. If a well is hundreds of feet deep as we believed ours was, that could turn into quite a problem. We needed a big rig.

Time passed as we waited to hear from a friend of the pump folks who had the right equipment to do the job. More time passed. Frustrated, we contacted a local operator with the appropriate equipment. It’s hard to know which story to believe when the whole field of discussion is the completely unknown territory pumps are to us. We asked neighbors for advice, got recommendations and in the end believe we were treated fairly by everyone. The company that ultimately removed the pump and piping did a fantastic job of bringing it up between the surrounding trees without damaging either trees, driveway or nearby flower garden. Although we had asked them not to, the company also determined our water level and charged us $40 for doing so. We had wanted the original pump people to do this job, but in the general confusion, the charge slid by us unnoticed until too late.

BURYING THE LINE FROM PANELS TO HOUSE

In addition to changing the pump, we needed to dig a trench from the location of the solar array to the house. The power line from the array would go in this trench so it needed to be relatively straight. More rocks to consider. We called for the backhoe again, and again we were impressed with what a skillful operator can do. Our trench went through a stonewall, a large perennial garden, under shrubs and very close to a tall tree. All survived in good order. The job was done amazingly neatly with minimal damage. Truly. Horror stories aside, with the right sort of skilled people, this kind of thing can and does happen regularly.

Meanwhile, although we had the correct pump and now had an almost straight trench, a window of opportunity had closed because of the delay with the pump. The solar folks, very busy at this point, were involved with other installations.

A LAST MINUTE DESIGN ADJUSTMENT

Good thing we went into wait mode. As we waited, we began wondering if the panels were going to block our view. They were to be mounted on the end of a metal pole. There were 12 of them, to be configured in two rows of six each. Now that the snow was gone, we could scramble around outside with a tape measure. It didn’t look promising. After conferring with the designer, we realized the array would be directly between our south facing windows and the view. That was not going to be okay. A new plan was in order.

We ended up with a long, low array and kept our view. Our panels are arranged in a single row on a wood and metal frame. To receive the best light, the frame can be adjusted seasonally by two people working together, loosening bolts, tipping the panels and then tightening bolts. Simple.

Let’s skip quickly over the installation of the various electrical components by saying this is a great job for a qualified electrician, and should be done according to appropriate electrical codes. In our case, we were working with an existing building and simply hooking into an existing electrical system rather than wiring the entire building. Nonetheless, following code is important.

Briefly, we have photovoltaic panels collecting juice outside when the sun shines. That power runs through the buried line into the building and through the charge controller fills the batteries for use when there is no sunshine and supplies us with both direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) as we call for power. The panels supply DC power. Inside the building we have an inverter, which converts the DC into the standard alternating current used in the United States. This connects to the building’s existing wiring. We use the DC to run a particularly energy efficient freezer, a SunDanzer, that is made to utilize direct current only.

MAINTAINING THE SYSTEM

Maintaining all this is usually pretty simple. We keep a box of baking soda by the battery box to neutralize spilled battery acid. We check the water level in the batteries once a month. When doing this we wear protective safety glasses and rubber gloves. We add distilled water if necessary. Every two months, we equalize the batteries. Batteries are not drawn down completely evenly, some lose charge faster than others. If this situation is not corrected, the possibility is some might wear out long before others. This is not desirable. To avoid that possibility, about
every two months, we overcharge the whole battery bank. This equalizes the charge in each battery with that in the others. We make this happen by pushing a few buttons, setting the system to “equalize”. Equalizing can take a few hours and is best done during full sun at a time one isn’t planning to use a lot of power. That’s basically it.

A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE

We should mention the system comes with a set of completely incomprehensible manuals, written in electronic language, replete with pages of strange symbols indicating how to do who knows what. That’s where the good communication between installer and owner comes in very handy. We found the best way to gain clarity about the workings of the system was to write down all instructions step by step, assuming nothing. We drew a few little diagrams of our own as well. These we keep with the manuals. As time has gone by, we have gotten more comfortable with doing the few things the system calls for. A techie would no doubt have a lot of fun exploring what’s possible. We are content not doing that. We got a portable phone so that if we need to call the installer for help, we can stand with the phone in front of the equipment and converse, rather than run up and down the basement stairs between the phone and the various component parts.

SO FAR WE LOVE SOLAR LIVING

That’s the nitty-gritty. The fun part has been working with the system and getting to know what it can do, watching the readouts of power input and usage, seeing what weather conditions generate how much power and what appliances use how much juice. The old days of a passing shadow on the panels shutting down the system are behind us. The current technology is quite exciting. We get a little juice even on rainy days. When the sun shines brightly, we can do just about anything.

To date, the system has been up and running for about three months, a few more by the time you read this. Both home and business applications have worked well. We had been instructed “you can’t run a business using only solar power”. We think that depends on the business. People here have been very interested in what we are doing and enormously cooperative about experimenting and working within the parameters of the system.

We extend our sincere and enthusiastic thanks to all the people who helped make this dream of ours a reality

Copyright Pat Foley, 2008

Pat Foley attempts to live a green/sustainable life just outside of Cornish, Maine. She is the owner of Earthrest, a retreat center operating on solar power which offers gathering space for groups and individuals. The underlying focus of Earthrest is on following Gandhi’s advice to be the change we wish to see in the world. You may contact Pat at \n This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   or (207) 625-4179.