Solar Power

When we first considered installing solar panels on our barn, the thought was just to power the house. That installation went so well that we decided to add a similar system to the roof of our cattle handling facility so we could power that area of the farm. We will have lights, cameras and my favorite thing . . . an electric gate!!! This system will produce far more than we use and can also be sold back into the grid. I’m thankful that we’d purchased our panels before there was a tariff imposed on imported parts.

Not that all our panels were imported, but the cost of domestic panels has skyrocketed since there are not enough domestic manufacturers to supply what was a growing industry. Also, domestic manufacturers depend on imported materials that are also affected by the new tariffs, so our phase three, is now on hold since it may be cost prohibitive to move forward. This is happening all over the country. . . . thus, a booming industry is grinding to a snail’s pace for now. Hopefully things will change.

Solar Installation Steps

• Site Assessment Precise Measurements, Shading Analysis via Solemetric SunEye. Equipment Options Presented.
• Acceptance of Design and Contract: Meeting at Your Home to Sign the Contract. Initial Equipment Payment Due.
• Permits and Applications: Completing Application for in our location: TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) Green Power Providers Program and Other Regulatory Steps.
• Installation & Connection: Delivering Materials to Location, Installation and Wiring. Super long underground trench for conductors back up to the house. Receiving ordered panels took a little longer this time due to the impending tariff. Big solar companies cleaned out warehouses of all the panels!
• Final Connection: Coordination with your local power provider and (in Tennessee) TVA Distributor. Solar Meter Installation and System Commissioning. Final Payment Due.
• Monitoring: Providing Access to System Performance via the Web on Pika Review.

Our Solar System’s Specs

• 10.2 kW grid tied solar system.
• Est. first year production 14 ,74 4 kWh.
• Savings over 20 years with solar $44 ,780.86.
• Panels- 34 x Peimar SG300M High Efficiency Monocrystalline (300 Watts), European-made 300W high-efficiency (18.44%), monocrystalline solar modules.
• Peimar makes an amazing solar module that has the best warranty out there- 20 years full manufacturing and 30 years on power production.
• Inverter- 2 x Pika Energy – Pika Energy Island X7602, Maine-made, battery-ready, inverter system.
• The Pika Energy Island X7602 is a game-changer: install it now and operate it like a regular grid tied inverter and then down the road you can add batteries with no extra equipment.
• Mounting- Everest Solar, Crossrail Full-Black Mounting System, German-engineered, California-made super-strong stainless and aluminum mounting.