CURSO INTENSIVO DEL DIPLOMA EUROPEO DE ANESTESIOLOGÍA Y CUIDADOS INTENSIVOS: ANESTESIOLOGÍA CLÍNICA: CIENCIAS CLÍNICAS (Spanish Edition) 9798415138685, 8415138687, 9788415138686

Table of contents :
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE

Citation preview

Off-Grid INSTALL SOLAR POWER Solar Energy Without Any Upfront Costs – See How. Be up and Running this Weekend DIY- manual

ISBN : 9798415138685

CONTENT Copyright DISCLAIMER A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR ABOUT THE AUTHOR

INTRODUCTION CHAPTER ONE Why Off the Grid? The Buying in China Syndrome Solar Governments Incentives Solar Power -Turnkey SystemsSolar Power Purchase Agreements CHAPTER TWO DIY or Kits? Calculate How Many Panels I Need? Researching the Markets Is a Solar Permit Needed and Why? CHAPTER THREE Ground Mount Installation Roof Mount Installation CHAPTER FOUR Planning Electrical Extras Ground & Roof Mounts Electric Routes Grounding The System Mounting Inverter Setting up Back-Feed Breaker CHAPTER FIVE Four Reasons Why Finance Solar Why Go Solar? CONCLUSION RESOURCES

Copyright 2022 Al DaCosta All rights reserved Copyright Agreement No part of this publication can be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other mechanical or electronic methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in cases of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non- commercial uses permitted by copyright law. Copyright by itself protects and stimulates imagination, creativity, and respect promoting knowledge and culture. Al DaCosta takes this opportunity to thank you for buying this book, enjoy it, and take something positive from it. Your decision to comply with the Copyright Agreement is deeply appreciated. If there is any part of this book that you wish to use, contact Al at: [email protected] DISCLAIMER The author Al DaCosta presents this book for information purposes only. Installing Photovoltaic electric systems should be done by a properly trained and licensed professional. The author of this book Al DaCosta is not responsible for property damage, injury or loss of life that may result from improper handling of the systems or photovoltaic components. The reader must always take proper safety precautions and exercise caution when working with electrical equipment. If there is any question or doubt in regard to any element of a photovoltaic installation, please consult with a licensed professional. Utility grid specifications and connection conditions are country-specific and must be observed when working with Photovoltaic systems.

If using any of the recommendations and suggestions within this book you are doing so at your own risk, as the content within these pages is only for information purposes. If there’s any part of this disclaimer that you do not understand or need clarifying, please contact me at; [email protected]

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR Solar Power Is Always “On” Most of us tend to think that solar panels only work when the sun is shining, but nothing could be further from the truth. Solar power works all day and, in all climates, even in cool and cloudy regions. The fact is that investing in solar energy is one of the best things you can ever do... ...for your wallet, the environment and needless to say, your health. But right now, you’re probably thinking... “Ok this sounds great, but where do I start?” To help you out I’ve written an all-in-one, comprehensive guide to getting started with solar energy. Solar Energy Without Upfront Costs, be up and running in no time

This book is written for people who want to save on ENERGY. With well-established financial systems that are well proven, and as well for those who prefer a more hands on approach and want to do things themselves. This book contains information that you need to know: Why we need to get off the grid and into solar/wind energy A.S.A.P. Valuable government incentives, programs, and credits which can put thousands of dollars in your pocket. What you need to know about proven financial Programs and solar Turnkey systems. How to get in contact with these companies and select the best programs. Should you use solar panel kits? How they work and where to go for the best kit to buy. What to do if you want to go the DIY route. Learn to work out how many solar panels you need? Easy methods for calculating the exact amount. Do you need a solar permit and why? Is it better to place your panels on the roof or the ground? Factors which influence your decision and where to put your panels for maximum benefit. Technical details like grounding your system, mounting the inverter, and setting up the back-feed breaker. Plus, little known online resources and useful links. With this book you’ll be a solar expert in no time at all. It’s short, to the point with no fluff and has everything needed to start right away. From a point of advantage, knowing what’s involved. CONCLUSION: The meaningless price of this book can save you thousands of dollars and frustration, and will help you to get the best deal possible.

About the Author I left home in Portugal at 18 years old, and settled in England where I lived most of my life. From the age of 7 to 17, I studied in several boarding schools, and Universities, in Portugal, Spain, and France. In England I studied hotel management, and later in life, design engineering for the building industry. The business world has been with me always from my mid-twenties onwards, when I acquired my first small hotel business. The situations I’ve experienced are numerous, the moments of hardship are there, but the successful and glorious moments are also there. I’ve never been bankrupt or failed in any goal I set myself out to accomplish, and I want to pass that on, what I did wrong and well, and what it took to triumph, including meditations and sleepless nights. Now, I want to enjoy my retirement doing what I love the most, sailing and writing, sharing what I’ve learned and passing them on to you, to my boys and grandchildren, and what better way to do it than through books.

INTRODUCTION “The amount of sunlight that strikes the Earth’s surface in an hour and a half is enough to handle the entire world’s consumption for a full year” the United States Solar Technologies Office-

To me, a good patriot is the one that contributes to the development of his country now and for the future, with small actions, everything is made step by step. You might wonder where am I going with this patriotic talk. What you are doing is NOT a small step, but a big one. Ponder for a second and analyze what’s happening right now, in our immediate world. We live in a very active country that is continuously developing and growing. Therefore, there is a constant need for energy. The energy demand is forever growing.

The solution is to build more and more Power Plants to keep supplying the continuously growing thirst for energy. Those cost billions of dollars to build, and the cheapest energy that mankind can produce on a large scale can only come from nuclear. Nuclear is relatively clean energy when compared with solid fuels, the problem with nuclear is that we do not know yet how to get rid of nuclear waste. I read somewhere that we have been paying China to take that active waste. By “we”, it means the Western developed world, but I also read that China is now cutting back. Oops! What do we do now? To give an idea of our problem, that waste is stored in high-grade stainlesssteel tanks that are dumped into the ocean. Those tanks have been holding okay so far, for these past decades, but we do not know what can happen in the future. Now that China has decided some time ago to cut back and eventually stop allowing us to dump our active waste into their waters, it has created a huge problem that is not even mentioned in the mainstream news. To put the problem into perspective, if the Roman Empire 2000 years ago had nuclear energy, today it would still be active on the ocean bed, and most likely we would have to be dealing with that problem. To go Solar or Wind power, or any other clean alternative energy is not only a matter of dollars, it has become a matter of urgency if we want to keep our comfortable and safe existence on this planet. To keep building more power plants is to keep aggravating the problem, and that isn’t the answer. We have denied the problem of Earth Changes for so long, that now we can no longer think that it will be the problem of our children and grandkids to deal with it. The Earth Changes have caught up with us, we have to deal with it ourselves. The lifestyle that we created for ourselves is in serious danger. The writing has been on the wall for a long time. Anyone that still is in denial, go to Switzerland and witness how the effects of the earth changes are affecting the Globe. The Swiss have put date markers on the mountainside as the glacier melts down. When one looks at it, one can’t help but feel worried about how fast the glacier is melting. The only possible answer to solving our energy problem is to do what you are contemplating to do, go Solar or Wind. You might just be doing it for the dollars, and that’s fine too. I’m not going to beat the drum of “rising cost of

energy”, we’ve all already heard that sound. What you are doing is to be patriotic, to your country wherever in the world you are, and to the living planet of ours, therefore to us all included. If all of us could generate in our houses or condos a small amount of energy, even 10%, that would save building more power plants, the surplus of energy would suffice for the development of new and existing industries and commerce. At the same time, it would make us respect more how we use our energy. I am a retired and have worked all my life since I was 18 years old, left my wealthy but cruel strict father, and my mom passed away when I was 13. From Portugal, I ended up in England and recently moved to the US. Ninetyfive percent of my life I worked for myself, had fairly large businesses, and small ones, traveled, and lived in many parts of the world. Made many friends wherever I went, rich and poor, educated and uncultured, always getting on with most people. I could write books on many different topics, and I might just do that. I love to share and pass on what I’ve learned, how I had to adapt to many different circumstances. Starting by sleeping on Las Canteras beach in Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, to owning my first hotel business in my mid-twenties, which I bought without having money to buy it, to sailing through the oceans single-handed, to building houses and being involved in the construction business in Spain, Portugal, France, and England, and now in the US. Recently I developed and patented a new way to build natural disaster-proof houses, but that is another story. You can see how many experiences, moments of hardship, frustration, sadness, happiness, success, and love I can share and pass on to you and my grandchildren, and there isn't a nicer way to do it than through books. For now, in this book, we concentrate on how we together are going to construct a solar energy system. The ins n outs how to go about it and what’s involved. I am certain that you have already done some investigations of your own and are somehow familiar with some, if not most of it. Or you might have read about it without going into it, but you’ve decided that enough is enough. Now it’s as good a time as any to dive into it and build something that will give more money for you and the family to spend on other things.

The sun is up there, giving us life and endless energy. So, let’s go and take it, it’s our right, that’s what the Universe has given us. It’s FREE. What are we waiting for? Let’s dive into it!!! Before we start. You did not know me until you bought this book, but I want to let you know that if you come to a problem constructing your solar project, send me an email and I’ll do my best to help you, and I mean it. [email protected] You might find it odd that I offer to help a stranger, that’s the beauty of living, we all start as strangers to each other. You bought this book, which I thank you for, but at the same time, you got a tiny little bit of me, of my inner thoughts. I love and respect all people of good intent, respect everything that surrounds me, after all, we are all Universal Creatures. I’m not insinuating that your problems can be solved, but I will advise. I already have friends that call me from many parts, sometimes just for a chat, for advice around the house, or how to plan an ocean-going journey. I just love to help people. Life has been kind to me, the least I can do is be also kind to others. That brings good karma. CHAPTER ONE * Why -OFF THE GRID? * THE BUYING IN CHINA SYNDROME * SOLAR GOVERNMENT INCENTIVES * SOLAR POWER TURNKEY SYSTEMS - With No Cost Upfront WHY OFF THE GRID? What does -Off the Grid- really mean? It refers to being able to supply all the electric energy that your property requires autonomously, without relying on a utility power supplier. When most of us refer to going off the grid, it really means still maintaining a relationship with our energy service provider, it does not mean cutting off ties with Big Brother (the grid). Neither does it mean that if you live in an urban area, you will sell and buy a house in the countryside, and that’s it, you are on your own regarding energy. The same applies if you already live in the countryside. Most of us think more in the situation that we can supply some, preferably all

of the energy to our houses, that is if money is no objection, and the surplus that our system produces, sell it back to the grid. Electricity flows back and forth. When our solar system produces too much the energy goes to the grid. When the solar system doesn’t produce enough the grid supplies the energy. This way you are saving a lot on your power bills and you are never without electricity. Even when there’s a power outage (power-cut) due to a storm and the system is not producing because the sky is cloudy and dark, thundering and lightning, we have enough power in reserve from the battery bank to keep the house going, as usual, it would be wise in these moments to turn off temporarily the electric water heater, as it uses 220 volts and would drain the batteries much faster. If you have a water well, it’s advisable also to turn that fellow off too. The amount of time that the batteries keep you going, depends on the size of your battery bank. From what I understand, and without going into details, President Bush junior, passed legislation that the utility company could buy the surplus power that our system produced. Obviously, the energy companies didn’t buy our surplus power, they didn’t even want to hear of it. In 2006 I approached my energy provider in Wisconsin, and put to them if I set up a solar/wind power system big enough to power my house and my greenhouse, where I cultivated a substantial crop of organic tomatoes, would they buy my surplus energy, and they told me bluntly, “go ahead and install your solar and wind power system, but we are not interested at the moment in buying the surplus energy that your system produces”, they explained that the law as it stood could not force them to buy my surplus energy. When President Obama was elected, he passed legislation that the energy companies have to buy our surplus energy if we offer it to them. As far as I understand the wording changed from “could” to “have to” and that was a game- changer for the homeowners, and many farmers. By then I got rid of my hydroponic business, electricity, and propane went through the roof, and persevering with the greenhouse meant I would be working for the utility companies instead, it became difficult to make a profit with such a crop at these latitudes, faced with the cost of the utility bills. To conclude, the term going off the grid in a Grid-Connected better known as

a Grid-Tied system, it usually means that when your batteries are full, your home is using less energy than the solar or wind system is producing, you have then a surplus in energy production. The electric meter will run backward as the electricity is now flowing, from the house to the grid. The beauty of this system is that the electric company will allow you to draw power from the grid when your system is not producing enough electricity for the needs of your house, and the meter will run forwards as the power is running, from the grid to the house. At the end of the month’s cycle there will be a difference, and depending on the system that you have installed that difference in kilowatts/hour often swings in your favor, and you’ll receive a cheque from the electric company, or your electricity bill will be very small. One point to take into consideration is that your energy provider is the middle man between the power plants that produce the power and the consumer. In many cases there are several middlemen involved, I explain, where one company buys huge amounts of Megawatts directly from the power plants and then sells it to other smaller energy companies, your provider could be one of those. Now, suppose that your energy provider buys the Kilowatt/Hour at $“X”, then they sell it to you at $“X+2” Kilowatt hour so, they make a profit. When you approach most energy providers and tell them that you want to install a solar grid- connected system, and how much would they pay you per Kilowatt that your system produces, rest assured that they're not going to pay you the same as they buy it from the power plant. Most likely they will buy your surplus energy for less than the price they buy at the power plants. I will give you an example with my provider. They charge me at present $0.12 per Kilowatt hour, they possibly buy it for $0.05/ Kilowatt hour (I’m guessing, I don’t know) but for the purpose of explaining this example will do. So, most likely they will buy your surplus energy for less than $0.05 The two main reasons why they pay you less than what they buy it for is: 1) You are only supplying a very small amount of energy. 2) They are responsible for keeping the grid in good order. When a storm comes along and knocks down a few cables, neither you nor the power plants are going to repair the damage and reinstall the grid to good

working order. That’s the job of your direct power provider. So, they make a profit from the energy they buy from the power plants and make a small profit from the power they buy from us. THE BUYING IN CHINA, SYNDROME China is a vast country that in the last few decades has exploded into becoming possibly the most industrial country in the world. That Is a country I have never visited, nevertheless, their accomplishment has to be admired. When you think that in the US alone, I would guesstimate that around 50% of the products sold in any store are made in China. What happens in the US, happens also in every single country on our planet. In other words, the human race has become dependent on China whether we like it or not, that’s a fact. Today we could not live without their industry. A similar situation, but not as globally, has happened only once, in the days of the British industrial revolution. Many parts, if not all, in our Solar project, will be manufactured in China also. Also we still live with the mentality that Chinese products are garbage. Yes, some will be, but today the majority is of good quality. One has to analyze the process that the manufacturing explosion went through. I'm certain that in the beginning when the Chinese government started helping with loans for manufacturing projects, many of those were small and diverse companies, and the quality was not on par with the Western world. They started manufacturing the little and larger items that we took for granted in our everyday life, to the point that they drove many of our companies to closure, or our companies joined forces where they manufacture and we distribute here. The reality is that today we could not start making those products again, it would not be financially viable. As the manufacturing wave kept sweeping through the country and companies started exporting all over the world, many grew into big, strong, and efficient firms. There are many still medium and smaller companies operating over there, supplying us with the cheap stuff. In my research on this solar energy subject, I read several blogs and saw a

few videos where people would point at the product’s label and show the made in China sticker, and describe it as trash, “- don’t buy!” or “don’t waste your money”. I observed that many of the products did not look good, which drove me to assess that the person writing or videoing went for the cheap and it did not perform as expected. Sure, they got upset and annoyed and decided to cash on it on youtube or blogging, by generalizing that all Chinese products are trash. As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. You can buy the same products through the US, or a Western European company, you pay more, but guess what, most likely they are made in China, but there’s a difference. These products come through a US agent that went to China, saw the operation, evaluated the quality, and struck a deal with the manufacturer. These products are manufactured to a high standard. These are the products you should aim for when purchasing items for your system. Buy them through a reputable company, regardless of where they come from, the company already did the groundwork for you. Of course, you are going to pay more for those products, but isn’t it better to have peace of mind, and you have the backing of an established business in your own country, and if it goes wrong, it will be replaced. A quick true story about this point. It happened to a friend of mine in England. This happened a few years ago and my friend Chris wanted to sell fancy and protective covers for android phones, these covers had already been on the market for almost a year. It was still a new thing. That's how far back I’m going, now the market is saturated with this product, but still there are people making money with it. He got on a plane and went to Shanghai with an address of a large manufacturer in the area. After booking in his hotel, resting, recovering from jetlag, and exploring the town for a day, he decided to get to work. Got into a taxi to go to this industrial zone and meet the people there, whom he had spoken to from England beforehand. Not speaking a word of Chinese, he showed the taxi driver his paper with the factory’s address, the taxi driver turned back, and there was a pause. My friend could see that he was thinking, possibly trying to find the English words, after a few seconds he smiled nodding his head saying, no-no. Chris immediately

said. “Why?” Looking around and thinking to himself, this is a taxi. The taxi driver explained. “This too far away, this industrial town, very big, it will cost you too much if I drive you there, take a long time. I take you to railway station, you go in train, it’s better, faster”. When we arrived at the railway station, I was ready to pay, and he said, “You wait here”. He got out and ran to the station, after a short while he came back and spoke. “You go train 52”. Pointing in the direction the train would go, saying “That way, come out at 5 station”. Counting and pointing to his fingers until he got to 5 then he said. “You come out at 5, and get taxi there. Taxi take you to place”. I was amazed by his amiability in helping me, finding out which train I should take and the station I had to come out at. Yes, it was mind-boggling, and it was far. Chris was telling me. It took him almost an hour by train and a good 30 minutes in the taxi, and these are super modern fast trains. He said it was not an industrial park like we are familiar with, it was more like an industrial city, with traffic lights, huge roads, blocks, trains, and busy, busy. He established a deal with the manufacturer, and the quality was good. He sold thousands and made a small fortune just with the phone covers for the next two years. In all that time he only had five returns, but only two because of manufacturing problems, and he still thinks that most likely it was due to the client mishandling the product. He replaced them straight away. Conclusion; Shop smart and go through established firms in your country. Try not to buy direct, jumping into the unknown to save a few bucks. Remember the saying, “Buy cheap, buy twice”. You might be lucky or you might not. I will give you links at the end of the book of established companies in the US for the different parts needed. If you are outside the US, you will have to Google it, compare prices and warranties within your own country.

SOLAR GOVERNMENT INCENTIVES Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit or (Solar ITC). This federal tax credit is available to all taxpayers in the US that owe federal tax, and own their system. A portion of your tax returns can be claimed under the program. This will reduce considerably what you owe in federal taxes for the year the installation is done. If you do the solar project installation this year 2022, there is a whopping 26% credit towards the project’s cost. Next year 2023 this credit will drop to 22%, which still is incredible savings. These credits will stop at the beginning of 2024. Take the example; Anyone that invested $10,000 in their solar installation, and took a loan to install their solar project, would get $2,600 this year. Next year 2023 they would still get $2,200. This really means that they could considerably shorten the repayment time or the monthly repayments. This Tax Credit is only available if you own the system. Does not apply to systems on a Leasing program. Read all about it at the end of this book under RESOURCES, click the “.gov” link under the title; HOME OWNER’S GUIDE TO THE FEDERAL TAX CREDITS FOR SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAICS. Notes;

SOLAR POWER - TURNKEY SYSTEMS -No Money UpfrontThere are several systems on the market today where a solar company will install the whole system without you dirtying your hands. One of the choices is through a Solar Financing Agreement with a Solar Energy Installer. One of the most popular options that have become well established in the US is Third-Party Solar Financing and it comes mainly in two options; leasing agreements and PPAs (power purchase agreements).

In both modules, the contractor-developer will design, supply, and install the whole project following your requirements, without you having to be involved in the installation process. Hence why it is called Turnkey Systems. * The Lease module: The customer signs a contract with a contractor/ developer and pays an agreed sum for the use of the system for a specified number of years. In the leasing option, the customer pays the agreed monthly leasing fee. This fee is for the installation of the system and the home owner is the beneficiary of the power the system produces. ● The PPA module: The developer is the one that owns the system, and sells to the customer the electricity generated by the system at a fixed Kilowatt hour rate, which should be and typically is below the rate of your utility supplier. Not forgetting that the developer builds the system on the customer’s property, so he pays the customer a ground rent, which usually is offset against the Kilowatt/hour rate. This is a method of obtaining your solar system without having to worry about a thing or laying any money down. As far as the homeowner goes, life carries on as usual, except that now he’s gaining huge savings on his energy bills. He does not even have to worry about maintaining the system, that’s the developer’s responsibility. You can see why this is a popular way to go about getting your solar system. It also has other benefits to you, as the homeowner. I will carry on explaining. The following information was extracted from the “.gov” site with the link below and it is also at the end of the book under RESOURCES with the title; Understanding Third-Party Ownership Financing Structures for Renewable Energy. https://bit.ly/3rraM6x

Notes;

SOLAR POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENTS (Solar PPA) I decided to dedicate a brief section to this type of financing for your solar system because it has been growing in popularity for some time. Still is not available in all the US, and below I have the list of the states that allow this program. -What is a PPA Agreement? In a nutshell is when a developer agrees with a customer that the developer will design, acquire the permits, supply materials and install a solar energy system at the customers’ property at little or no cost to the customer. I’m sure that a few questions are now flowing through your mind, and I will try to answer them. If you are able to go this route to get your solar system installed, these are some of the questions that you should clarify with your PPA agency, -How much does PPA cost? The table below was extracted from the NOVOGRADAC website, even though it refers to the NC state rates performance in the last few years, I chose to use it because it very much reflects the national average. Most likely it will vary little between states, but it will be close to the table below. You have to look at your utility bill and see what you are paying for kilowatthour, I know that I’m paying in my Wisconsin area, $0.1208 (12cents) per kilowatt-hour. The table below halved it, so it would make sense for me to

install a PPA system. You just have to check if it makes sense for you. But, take the table below as a guideline, the developer should give you a written document specifying all of these questions for you to study in your time and space before signing anything. Solar PPA contract rates Year

Average PPA price KWH

2017 2018 2019 2020

$0.0698 $0.0647 $0.0634 $0.0631

This actually shows that the price average of PPA agreements since before 2017 has been coming down, but is steadying at $0.0631. That means that the energy supplied by the solar system in your property should cost you around half the cost of your utility grid supplier at present. This is a big saving. Once the contract with your PPA installer has come to an end, from that day onwards you’ll have FREE energy, unless you buy him out earlier. Many people get concerned with the system’s maintenance and delay buying out the installation company earlier. Personally, I believe this is a mistake, because a system that has no moving parts to worry about, the maintenance is negligible. -Can you buy out a Solar PPA? This is something that you must make sure that your contract has a buy-out clause. Most companies will want to have that clause anyway. Contracts are usually around the 15 to 20year period. Developers will want to run the system for at least 7 to 10years to recoup their investment and make some profit, from then onwards they will be open to negotiation on a buy-out if you want to. It pays you to do so because you’ll save a lot of money. But... ...Make sure that when the contract comes to an end, that everything has to be in perfect working order. I would even stipulate that any equipment that needs to be replaced within the

following 6 months period after the system’s hand-over, has to be paid and installed by the PPA installer. This avoids him not replacing any equipment that he is aware of that is on the way out, as the handover date approaches. Always remember, the PPA installer is in business to make money, if he knows that you’ll be buying the system after the initial 7 or 10 years. You are making it very tempting for him not to be too choosy with the quality of the equipment he is going to install. I am not suggesting that he would, but why put the temptation there? Do not commit from the start that you’ll be buying out. Your position is that you intend to run the course of the agreement. You would like the buying-out clause in the agreement, just in case. This buy-out step should be done only once both parties have received the federal tax incentives. Here is a link from SAGE, an energy consulting company based in California. This is a good read if you are really contemplating going this route. The link is also in RESOURCES at the end of the book under “Guide to Early PPA Buyouts” https://bit.ly/3onuqOK What States Allow PPAs? Fifteen states have passed legislation to allow and to regulate PPAs and here is the list as of August 2021. Check with your state if you are interested and not on the list; Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington. ***Clarification: As you can see, yes, it is possible to have a completed solar installation system all set up and running without you spending a dime. Obviously to achieve the ultimate FREE system several variants have to be in place. *First, the size of your installation. Set your installation power output slightly higher than your average power usage (on Chapter 2 I’ll show you how to calculate the size system that you’ll need) *Second, the size of your battery bank, a larger bank means more storage, and more storage is more cost efficient. *Third, you need to go for a Grid-Tie system, to get the income from the surplus energy. *Fourth, you need to set the whole system up from the beginning (instead of in stages).

CHAPTER TWO DIY or Kits? Calculate the Number of Panels I Need. Researching the Market Is a Solar Permit Needed and Why? DIY OR KIT? Let’s ask ourselves if we want to go completely DIY, which means making our own panels. Is it worth trying to make our own panels?

In a solar system, the most important item is the Photovoltaic panels, they are the ones that turn the sunlight into electricity. There are many DIY enthusiasts that try to build the panels. I’ve made that mistake as well, even knowing what I was doing still is a big task to undertake. When I had my greenhouse business, I was always trying every possible way to create extra energy. I built hydrogen cells, wind turbines out of small electric motors, and gasifiers, they worked and did give me electricity that was much needed. To make your own PV panels isn’t worth it if you want to build panels as close as possible to the shop-bought ones. No one can do that by buying and making them as economically as possible. That it’s virtually impossible they will work out more expensive and they will never produce the same amount of power, and will not last as long either, that I can guarantee you. Several years ago, I had the crazy idea and bought on eBay a box of hundreds of pieces of photovoltaic cells for very little money, some were broken, some were fine, and some just needed the wiring reset. By the time I repaired, cleaned, and soldered all the connections installed on a panel that I made, it produced electricity and I was happy and proud of my work. It took me a long time to do all that work, then I thought if I had bought at least one or 2 panels ready-made, I could be producing energy whilst I monkeyed around making the other two panels. Looking back, I came to the conclusion that I would never do it again. I only managed to do 2 panels out of all those bits, and they never produced the same amount of power as a factorymade panel. It took me a long time fiddling around with all those bits and having to repair the panels again and again. Every time a storm came along, I was continuously hoping that the panels would stand the weather. Eventually, I ordered some panels and came to the conclusion that it is not worth messing around with all those bits and pieces. A DIYer enthusiast that has some knowledge of electricity, carpentry, and lots of common sense can build a very good system by buying all the components needed, (including the PV panels), designing, planning the system, assembling them, and doing the installation. The end product will be just as good as any professional could do. The work itself it’s not complicated.

I always ask the DIYers that want to do everything themselves, especially on a solar project like this, would you think about building an inverter? A battery? The answer is no, so why try even to build the heart of the system, the most important part? The only part that will make your solar project an efficient system or a dud. When you go on eBay and bid on a lot of photovoltaic cells, and buy them for a few dollars, but only a few are good, most are deficient, cracked or broken. Stop and think, why are they like that? They are factory rejects, or cells of old systems that have been updated, that is why they are broken or chipped. How can you make a first-class job with low or very low-grade materials? Impossible. If money is tight, best to wait until you’ve saved enough, start with one panel, and keep adding as you can afford to purchase the next one, and the next one. You will also need to increase your battery bank as well, so you have plenty of energy stored for heavy cloudy or stormy days. This way even with just one factory panel you will start saving on your utility bill straight away. When I tried years ago to do my own PV panels, the factory ones were extremely expensive then. That price has come down considerably. A solar system kit comes with all the parts, everything is calculated to work together. The system is well calibrated and will last many decades hasslefree, performing as it should. If you start with one or two panels, take special attention to your battery, you can start with a standard deep-cycle lead battery the best choice would be a marine or a fork-lift. You can buy some of those used and still in working order for a good price. If you can afford to go for the ultimate lithium battery. You can also start with a minimalist kit system, especially if you are doing an Off-Grid system, you will need; ● PV panels ● Controller box ● Battery ● Inverter ● Meter

I’ve seen systems without a meter, but even on an off-grid system it is good to know how much electricity your system produces, and be able to keep records. If you are doing a Grid-Tie system, there are a few extra units that you need to connect right after your system’s meter. I go into that in more detail on CHAPTER FOUR. You are really spoiled for choice on the amount of Solar Energy Systems that are available ready for you to install. They are exactly the same “kits” that a professional installer would have if they came to your house. Instead, you are the installer and save yourself a lot of money, besides the satisfaction that you will have once you complete your task. When you buy a whole system (kit) it comes already with all the instructions that you need, exactly as a professional installer would have. Obviously, they will have done it so many times in so many different circumstances that they can do it with their eyes closed, and in a much shorter time, the first thing that they usually do, when opening the boxes, is to get rid of or put aside the instruction’s pages. Those instructions are your friends and you must keep them safe. I hope that you are not like me. When I buy anything that needs assembling, I immediately look superficially at the instructions, put them to one side, look at the unit to be assembled, and start working on it straight away. After struggling for a considerable time, or when I get stuck, then I look at the instructions. Oops! I shouldn’t have done this already, or Wow! That’s the way it goes. I think that most of us have been there. This is different. This is a big project that is dangerous and expensive. So, first, go to a quiet place and go through the instructions as if you were actually doing it, understanding what goes where and when, and what’s needed at every stage. You’ll find that doing it this way will be much easier because you read somewhere about what comes next. Then, you can prepare the work ahead. Being a DIYer, you are good at solving problems and will have the capacity to tackle or come up with a solution whenever a problem arises. When you call any supplier to buy a solar kit, he will be asking you some questions.

-Which system do you want: Off-Grid or Grid- Tie? -Do you want a complete system or prefer to go in stages? -What are your energy requirements? You will also have questions that are bugging you. -How many panels will I need to go Off Grid? -What’s the cost of a complete system ready to go, versus a starter kit, that I can keep adding as I can afford? But the “First Question” that you have right now in your mind is; how do I start, where do I go, to begin with? I will answer that, and the above questions for you right now. Once you know the answers to those questions then you can decide more clearly what to do and when. Which system do you want: Off-Grid or Grid-Tie? We have already covered these points, but let’ refresh. Off-Grid it’s when you completely turn off or are isolated from the grid. Therefore, you will not receive power from your local energy provider, as you have installed your own energy system. Most of the time an Off-Grid system is associated with where you live or have an isolated building, and there is no possibility of connecting to the grid. Grid-Tie, is when you have installed your own energy system, but you will still be connected to your local energy supplier so that you can receive energy from the grid when your system cannot produce enough power for your needs. The advantage of the Grid-Tie connection is that, when the demand for power in your house is less than what your system is producing, usually overnight, or when everyone is out of the house, then the surplus energy can be diverted to the grid instead of wasting it, and it will generate financial advantages to you. When the demand in your household is higher than what your system can produce, the grid will supply the shortfall in energy. This way you’re completely covered. Your system is really earning you money or reducing your energy bills. Do you want a complete system or prefer to go in stages?

This decision depends on several factors. The most important of them is affordability, also you might want to start slow and find out how the system works once you have installed it. Some people start slowly because they want to start with a combined system. A 400-watt panel solar system for the daytime and a 400 watt- wind turbine for day and nighttime. Especially if you live in a windy area, might as well take advantage of the free wind. A Wind Turbine is another option that you can add to your solar system, even a gasoline- powered generator can also be added to the system. All get connected to the control box, which also protects your battery bank from overcharging. Once you set up your solar system the others are just add-on options that can come along afterward. What are your energy requirements? We start by analyzing your current electricity bill from your current provider. It should look something like this; This was my bill some time ago, as you can see, I only used 300 KWH from the utility company at 0.1208 cents, my total bill for energy used was $36.24. The rest are standing charges like Service

Costs etc., which add up to $66.40. In your case, you probably would see anything between 700 to 1000 kilowatt-hours and that would be your energy

requirement. From there you can calculate how many panels you would need to be absolutely off-grid. In my case, some time ago my bill was around 650 to 800 KWH. So, I decided to go in stages and built a system around just a bit over half of what I was using, I calculated everything around 450 KWH. I will explain next how you do those calculations. It is important to understand what a Kilowatt- hour is. It simply is a unit to measure electricity for 1 hour. One Kilowatt = 1000 watts. When you go out and buy a unit that is rated at 1500 watts, that means that it will use in 1 hour 1,500 watts or 1.5KWH of energy. If you look at the bill above, the energy company charges 12 cents per kilowatt-hour, so my appliance rated at 1500 watts would cost me 18 cents per hour.

HOW TO CALCULATE THE NUMBER OF PANELS I NEED. The number of PV panels that you need in your Solar system, depends on 3 main points. a) Where you live, the amount of sun hours varies according to your latitude. b) How many Kilowatt hours of electricity does your house needs. c) The size of your PV panels. When you build a system in stages, do not worry about connecting to the grid at the beginning, you’ll not be producing enough energy yet. Your aim at this stage is to start with a system that will supply as much free energy as possible for your capital outlay. For the purpose of learning how to calculate the number of panels that you need, let's imagine that your energy consumption is 850 KWH as per your energy supplier’s bill and that you are living somewhere in Eastern Kansas. The PV panels will produce electricity even on a cloudy day, as long as there’s daylight, they will produce some energy. On a clear day, in the morning and afternoons, it will produce less energy than at the peak of the day. That’s the only light/hours we are interested in, in the amount of Peak

Sunlight Hours per Day. Look at the map below issued by the National Renewal Energy Laboratory and see the average amount of peak sunlight hours per day in the area where you live. For our example we chose Eastern Kansas, and according to the map they have on average 5.0 to 5.4 peak sunlight hours daily.

STEP.1 - Calculate the Average Daily Peak Sunlight Hours. You take the average of those 2 numbers 5.0 + 5.4 = 10.4 10.4 : 2 = 5.2. STEP.2 - Calculate Peak Sunlight Hours per Month. 5.2 is the average daily peak sunlight hours in Eastern Kansas 5.2 x 30 days = 156 peak sunlight hours per month. You multiply by 30 days to match the period in your supplier’s electricity bill. In our example here we have mentioned earlier that 850Kilowatt-hours was the amount of energy used monthly and would be specified in your energy bill. STEP.3 - Calculate How Much Energy Your Solar System Has to Produce. Now, we divide the monthly consumption by the peak sunlight hours per month. 850kwh : 156 = 5.4. That means that your solar system needs to produce 5.4 KWH of energy that you need to cover your monthly usage.

STEP.4 - Calculate How Many PV Panels We Need Now we know that our solar system has to produce 5.4 KWH to meet our monthly needs for the location where we live. Because all the panels come graded in watts output. We have to convert the KWH into Watts. Multiply KWH x 1000. 5.4 x 1000= 5,400 Watts To find how many panels we need, we simply divide our monthly needs in watts (5,400watts) by the size panels in Watts that we are going to install. See in the example below the number of panels needed if we install 200watt350watt-400watt panels. 200 Watt panel - 5400 : 200 = 27 PV panels 350 Watt panel - 5400 : 350 = 15 PV panels 400 Watt panel - 5400 : 400 = 13 PV panels This calculation is based on if you are going to install the complete system right from the start, because in this example we based that our monthly energy consumption was 850 KWH as per the energy supplier’s bill. If you want to go in steps, all you have to do is to look at your monthly consumption in your energy supplier’s bill and decide how many KWH are you going to produce. Start by taking off a quarter? Perhaps half? Of your existing bill. Following the example above, you live in East Kansas and your monthly usage is 850 KWH. If you decided to start by having your solar system to produce a third of your consumption, that would mean that your solar system has to produce 283 KWH or 2,830 Watts. Divide the wattage needed by the size of the panels you want to install. 2830 : 300 watt panel = 9.43. That would mean that you would need to install 9 or 10 panels to produce a third of your existing requirements, using PV panels with an output of 300 watts. Notes;

RESEARCHING THE MARKET I’m certain that you’ve been on Youtube and most likely spent a few hours watching all about Solar Energy, googled and saw many companies that sell kits and many other products. Possibly now, you are more confused than ever with all that information overload. Who to deal with? Where to go? I’m no different than you. I’ve been researching the solar energy market for a very long time. I’ve contacted and dealt with many companies. Because I’m still doing building consulting work in the field of residential concrete disaster-proof homes, and many clients want solar power in their homes. Even if you want to buy your solar system bit by bit separately, which I would not advise you to do, you will end up spending unnecessary funds than buying a kit right from the start, and keep adding to it. There’s a US company that has been catching my eye for a while now, and I would strongly advise you to check them out. I provide this link, so you can do that. https://shopsolarlits.com/1015 One of the reasons I liked them right from the beginning was that when you visit their website and go through their products the price is there on all of them. That’s incredibly helpful when you are trying to work out your budget. The purpose of going online is to google what you want to research and see what’s available and the cost of the items you are interested in, without having to divulge your credentials, when you are not even sure if you are going to do business with that particular company or not. For some reason most of the solar companies’ websites that I’ve visited will want you to sign up, or write down your email, if you want to know the price of anything. You should pay a visit to “Shop Solar Kits” https://shopsolarlits.com/1015 and be the judge, nose around and take note of their prices, and see what they have on offer, with no hassle. I’m certain they will have everything that you are looking for. Every item is priced. You can do your calculations in your own time before you even speak to anybody. Their prices are very

competitive. You will have to look hard to find a better deal. That’s why they are so busy. I believe they have been established only since 2018, but sold already over 10,000 Solar Kits, 1,700+ reviews, also you get lifetime customer support, and that is gold, to know that if you get stuck and need advice, there is someone at the other end of the line to help you out, that’s priceless. Notes;

IS A SOLAR PERMIT NEEDED AND WHY? What is a solar permit and why is it necessary? We are going to dig deep into solar permits. Before you start doing any work or even purchasing anything, you should contact your local building authorities first, and your utility company, if you are installing a grid-tie system. Let them know what you are about to do, best to have already worked out the size of your system, how many KWH you are intending to produce with the system that you are installing. The number of panels involved in the project. It might not be needed but if the questions come up, you are showing them that you know what you are doing, and have done your homework. The main purpose of your call is to find out if a permit is necessary for your new solar project. The reality is that it varies from state to state. However, to install a solar system even if it is DIY, you are dealing with electricity and construction and what the permit does is to ensure that the project is executed according to local codes. If you are doing your installation through a contractor, you do not need to do

anything, that is the job of the contractor to get the necessary permits. If you are doing the work yourself, therefore you are the contractor, you will have to apply yourself. If you know an electrician that is familiar with alternative energy installations, he could become a valuable asset to your project. You will need an electrician to do the final connections to your breaker panel and to the grid, if you are going grid-tie. Even if you are familiar with wiring a house and understand the codes, the building department likes to hear that a professional electrician is finalizing and overseeing the installation. There are 3 people that will be valuable to you. The building inspector You ask the questions and he will tell you the answers, like, what type of electric cable do I need? (Cables to carry DC current are usually much thicker and more expensive than cables for AC current) What type of conduit goes underground if any? All cables need to be in conduits inside the house, and metal conduit in most cases. Best to check the codes in your jurisdiction. Any other question that you are not sure about, just ask. One of the main sins of DIYers is that they get worried when meeting official people, we all tend to think they are there to make our life hell. I found it to be not true. I built in many countries and many projects, and I always found them to be helpful. Put yourself in their shoes, when you go to visit a customer that is developing a new project, all you want is to cover your back and make sure that everything is done properly and according to code, because at the end of the day you are putting your name to the final approval document. So, when you meet a customer that wants to know how this or that should be done, of course you will help them. You soon realize that this customer wants to do things properly and not take shortcuts, and you in the position of an inspector start building trust with this customer. When I was building in the province of Le Var in France, many years ago, and the building inspector came to make sure that I placed the house correctly in relation to the land’s boundaries, and that the foundations were done correctly following the plans, I asked so many questions and explained in detail what have done, that he wrote down the name of a small booklet that I could obtain for free from the Bureau of Architecture, giving the answers to all my questions. By the way, he found out that I placed the foundations 30 centimeters further North than I should. He told me that he was going to

approve the work, and I can carry on with the building, but he would have to put a note in the report and in the plans on file at the office, and that it should not be a problem as he has approved the slight mistake. If he had been awkward, he could have made me widen the foundations on 2 walls, so I could start building the house down another 30 cm. I am sure that during the hour that he was there with me and answering my questions, and I showed a willingness to help him with the equipment walking through the land. We established a good working relationship. He must have realized that I wanted to do things properly, and for a small mistake he put his name to it and approved it, as it was not affecting anybody or anything. I mentioned this incident to show that official people are there willing to help, but they don’t know our intentions, we might be trying to pull the wool over their eyes. So be friendly, cordial and ask questions that you’re not sure about. Your shyness could be your worst enemy. Your solar equipment supplier. They are also familiar with some codes relating to the solar systems and will steer you in the right path, again if you let them know what you are trying to do, how many KWH you need. Is your land on a South slope, or flat, is the ground rocky, is it clay, sandy, whatever is concerning you. All this information will help him to help you. He can then suggest the best way to proceed, what system will be best for your dollars. Ask about Solar Permits, they’ll be familiar with, you won’t be the first one with those questions Your local electrician. They are the ones besides the inspectors that know and understand the codes relating to solar systems. I’m relating to electricians that install these systems, not all of them do. Most of them work on housing and commercial projects. When you find one that is conversant with solar, most of the time they do not mind if you do the hard work, and they guide you along and tie the system to your house and grid, especially if they are busy with other projects, they will be glad with that arrangement. You can save some money and they can earn extra also.

Because the DC cables are more expensive, try not to put the solar panels too far away from the house. If you live in an urban area, you most likely will need another permit, in many states they want 2 permits, a municipal permit, and a utility permit. If you go grid-tie, a utility engineer will get involved because they need to know the size of your system. They need to check if their equipment is capable of handling the extra power. Sometimes these permits can turn into the most time consuming in the whole project, on occasions the delays can turn into months. More often than not the delays can be because the paperwork is not filed properly or filled incorrectly, or the system is too large. You have to be crafty here, and do a small system to start with, it will be easier and possibly quicker to get your permits, a few months down the road expand it a bit more, and the expansion is only adding extra panels or batteries. Once you’ve decided to go solar, and you shopped around and decided on the size of your system, and the equipment you are going with, ask your supplier to give you the details of every bit of equipment involved as you will need all that information for your permit application. Most suppliers will provide you with all the necessary documentation towards your permit package. Liaise with them, especially in the beginning, if they know what you want to do, they will help you choose the best kit for the money, and usually will help you to put your permits package together. Whether you are doing it exclusively DIY or if you are using professionals along the way doing part of the work. Do not try to do things all by yourself, pick everybody’s brain, ask the questions that are bugging you. Legislation is continuously being changed, and these people are always in the know-how, because that’s their job, they work with it daily. If you are doing right from the start a Grid-Tie system, you will need a “utility interconnection permit”. This is a permit mainly with the utility company, they will want to know every bit of information about your new power system, they will need to change your meter for a grid-tie meter. That’s why to set up a small system to start with is more logical, down the road once you got used to the solar system for several months, and it exists, it’s real, it is already operating, then apply for an extension of the system and apply also to connect to the grid. Even if they take their time, sorting out the

paperwork, at least you already have your system providing you with some free electricity. To be able to use your solar system and still receive electricity from the grid, you will need to install a transfer-switch, they can be manually operated or automatic. In the manual version it means you manually turn the power off from the grid and use your own free energy. When several days come along with cloudy weather, you flip the switch to the grid and it will supply energy to your house, also it will charge your batteries. With any transfer-switch manual or automatic, you cannot have both systems working at the same time, when you switch to one system automatically turns the other system off, and vice-versa. For your peace of mind an automatic transfer- switch is the way to go. This way you have never to worry about the switch, many times you’ll wonder. -Is the switch turned to grid or solar? The way that the system works with an auto transfer-switch is that your system always gives priority to the batteries. All your house runs from the battery bank through the inverter, then straight to the auto transfer switch and from there to your house. If you get a few stormy or heavy cloudy days, and the system is not producing enough energy, the house will carry on being supplied by the battery bank. When the batteries get too low, the auto transfer-switch will automatically switch the power into the house from the grid, cutting the batteries and the inverter off the circuit. Another great advantage with this type of switch is that when it switches to the grid it will also charges your battery bank, besides supplying power to your house. When the batteries get fully charged, it will automatically turn the grid off and connect to the batteries and inverter. It will keep switching from one system to the other until the weather improves In all that process you do not do a thing; you’ll not even be aware when it switches from one system to the other. Should you live isolated and outside the municipal jurisdiction, or it is difficult or too expensive to bring to your property the utility, then you have to go completely off-grid, and do not need to worry about all those permits. Phone your local authorities for advice, just to make sure. If you are completely off-grid, the most important part of the system besides

the panels are the batteries, the more the merrier, you will need to have a large capacity of storing the energy the panels produce. Once the batteries are fully charged and the house is using only a small amount of energy, less than what the panels are producing, then all that extra power has to go to the ground, as you are not connected to the grid. Notes;

CHAPTER THREE Ground Installation Roof Installation Installing your panels is the most important part of your project, doing it yourself will bring substantial savings, plus the rewarding experience that it gives you. You will feel a sense of pride that thanks to your work the family and you are now enjoying clean free electricity. Installing the panels can seem a daunting task, in reality, it is straightforward. If you are contemplating doing the work yourself, it is because you understand and know-how tools work and behave whether manual or electric. In the back of your mind, you know that you can do it. So, fear not! The panels can be roof-mounted and ground- mounted. Before we start working on our project, a few important safety measures are important to follow. We do not want what is supposed to be a fun and rewarding project to end up in sorrow. Common sense at all steps is paramount. When using a drill, a hammer, in windy or sunny conditions, always use a good pair of safety goggles, look for anti-glare, and toughened lenses. A simple but useful tip is to have a strap at the ends of your safety-goggle's arms. I tend to tie an elastic strap or even a strong rubber band that would go round the back of my head holding the glasses firmly on my face. There’s nothing more annoying and dangerous than when you are high up on top of the roof hammering or drilling and the goggles start sliding down your nose. Use gloves whenever using any type of chemicals, even mineral spirits, the skin absorbs all that you put on it. In hot sunny weather, use a hat,

particularly to protect the back of your head. Remember to protect yourself and anyone working on your project. Use face masks N-95, do not breathe concrete dust, it is full of chemicals, also make sure to wash wet concrete from your skin it will burn it over a prolonged period of time. I always got my boys used to power tools, and always stressed to them that an electric saw does not care what it cuts, a piece of wood or your finger, so watch at all times where your fingers go, only taking a split second of concentration loss to lose a finger. I live in the countryside surrounded by a strong farming community, and you can see who the careless risk-takers are. They have fingers, hands, and even whole arms missing. Augers, saws, bailers, combine-harvesters don’t care what they chop off. Sorry, I’m being a bit paranoid, but it all can be so easily avoided when working with powered tools and machinery. Let’s get to our Solar installation. Notes;

GROUND MOUNTED PV PANELS INSTALLATION Why do a ground-mounted array of PV panels? Many customers do not like to put holes on the roof, others feel that for repairs, maintenance, even adding on more panels, it’s easier on the ground. Another point to take into account is the pitch of the roof. The flatter the roof the better, the more pitch on the roof the worse performance. Even if you have a slope in your yard, this can

easily be compensated with the length of the back and front piers of the frame. Starting with the ground-mounted PV panels. Your electric breaker panel, inverter, and other equipment will all be inside the house. Give considerable thought to where you are going to place the panels in your yard, where you are going to run the cable underground from a terminal designated point in your panels’ array to the house where the electronic equipment is. The company where you buy the PV panels, will and should give you a precise step-by-step procedure to install a ground mount. Once you’ve decided where your cables will be buried, and the area where your PV panels will be situated. The 4 main steps to follow when doing a ground mount are these per order of execution. 1- Call “digger’s hotline” or your local authorities to check for buried cables or gas lines. 2- Build the foundations, usually are ground holes for the pier steel pipes that go into the ground. 3- Installing the metal tubing framework, and panel railings 4- Mount and secure the PV panels onto the metal railings. Your supplier will give you all the specific instructions on how deep and wide the foundations should be, and the strength of the concrete. If you’re doing a large installation and you need the ready-mix to deliver the concrete make sure that the truck is not going to drive over water or drainage pipes, septic tanks, cables, etc. those trucks are heavy, and with the continuous vibration of the engine and pumps it could disturb pipework even deep into the ground. Your suppliers should also give you all the specs and a diagram on how to set the metal pipes for the frame. These you should also buy in your area, most likely your solar supplier company will not supply those and even if they did it would cost too much, you can get a much better deal locally. They will give

you the diameter of the pipes because the brackets and fastening clamps will come with the PV panels for that size pipe. One of the tricky jobs you will have to do is to put all the pipes perfectly lined up and plumb inside the holes, before the concrete sets hard. An easy way I used when faced with this problem, where I had several holes in a line and had to cement posts, in your case metal pipes, the same technique can be used. This is just a suggestion, you might have a better way to do it, go ahead and try. Over each hole make a tripod with 2’x 4”x 8’ long wooden boards, where the first two wooden battens cross, use 1 screw, and another screw for the 3rd batten. Then it’s just a matter of hanging the pipe from the tripod into the hole. When the pipe is secure and centered inside the hole, measure 1 foot from the bottom of the pipe and make a mark with black electrician's tape around the pipe. Run a line from the first pipe to the last one making sure the line passes where the pipes and the tripod wooden battens cross. Adjust the tripods gently until they are perfectly lined up with the line. Once the pipes are all lined up above, secure the legs of the tripods to the ground with the aid of a shortboard screwed to the legs and a short piece of rebar hammered into the ground, on each leg, until the tripods are all secured, see sketch below

tripod

hanging

Foot holder When pouring the concrete into the holes just pour to your mark, do the same in all the holes. Whilst the concrete is still runny, plumb the first pipe and the last one, you can use stones on the top of the concrete inside the holes to keep the metal pipes in place. Now, run a line from the first pipe to the last one, as you did earlier on the top. But this time run the line along the ground, it will help if you wrap the ends of the line around a cinder block or a heavy stone and repeat at the other end of the line, pulling to give tension to the line. Bring all the pipes to the tensed line, which should make them all plumb, don’t forget to plumb them sideways as well, use stones if needed. Once the concrete is all set and hard after 12 hours of curing, then you can cut the pipes with a grinder to the specified height as per the instructions, and use the brackets that came with the panels. If your order did not include supporting metal caps, you can make your own, if you cannot weld, have a local welder do the job for you. Follow sketches 1 and 2,

To manufacture the adjustable pipe caps, get a 3- inch square metal plate, galvanized or weatherproof metal. Welded on one side in the center of this plate is an 8-inch-long metal tube slightly larger in diameter that the pipes that go into the ground. Drill 4 holes close to the corners of the plate, these holes will be as far apart as then inverted “U” bolts that will hold and secure another pipe, the railings that will run all along the top of the ground pipes. The PV solar panels will be fastened to these railings. The welded caps can now slide into the top of the ground pipes. To bring them all to the same exact height, slide them up or down on the top of the ground pipe, once in position drill two holes right through both pipes, and bolt together. To keep the adjustable caps in position whilst you drill the holes, use a clamp on the

ground pipe, where the sliding cap can sit on. To make life easy to drill the holes in the right place, and having all the inverted “U” bolts all aligned. fasten the railing pipes to the adjustable caps first. Afterwards, you can drill the holes through both pipes once you have leveled the railing pipe with a bubble level, starting one end until you reach the opposite end, leveling every space between pipes. This way you only concentrate on one pipe at the time. Notes;

ROOF-MOUNTED PV PANELS INSTALLATION The roof-mounted PV panels array should come with all the brackets specific for the panels. This is an easier installation than the ground mount, but more dangerous, so particular attention has to be maintained at all times. There are brackets that screw to the roof, and you will need weatherproof caulking depending on what type of roof you’ve got. Even though they should have rubber washers, caulking is not so significant. Your supplier will give you a plan where to place every bracket, then the racking rails will go on the brackets and just follow the instructions that come with the panels. The main steps to install the Roof-Mount are in these 5 steps working in this order but following always the manufacturer's instructions; 1. Locate and mark roof rafters with a chalk line 2. Install roof brackets, these will secure your rails in position 3. Install racking rails onto the brackets 4. Lift panels onto your roof 5. Mount the panels on the rails One of the trickiest jobs with the roof mount is to find the rafters, and there are several methods. Sometimes it is visible where the rafters are by the nails holding the roof panels, most of the time this does not apply because the rafters are covered with wood paneling and roofers tend to nail according to the size of the shingles or metal-roof panels, ignoring the rafters all together.

The easiest and most effective is with an electronic raft-finder (well worth the investment) also this is the safest in the long run because it saves drilling unnecessary holes in your roof to find the rafters, which in time can cause a leaky roof. You are going to tell me that the hole can be caulked, yes, it is true, but we all know that you are introducing another material where it shouldn’t be, and different materials will expand and contract differently according to weather conditions, eventually, it is a matter of time that inevitably it will leak. If you are going to invest in an electronic raft- finder, get yourself a good one that will show you the thickness of the rafter where it starts and ends. There’s no need to buy the best, but most medium-priced units will show you the approximate thickness of the rafter, and most will even tell you the center of it. Whatever you do, don't buy a cheapo, you’ll waste your money and will frustrate you when working with it. Try also to rent one, most likely you will be able to. Undoubtedly, the raft-finder gizmo is the safest, easiest and fastest. The second method is someone going to the loft, that is if it’s accessible. Once in place under a roof rafter that is going to be used, with a long but thin drill bit, drill right through the center of the rafter to the outside, if you prefer not to drill through the wood, from the side of the rafter drill the hole slightly tilted, so when the drill bit comes out of the roof it will indicate the center of the rafter. Then measure the distances in the center between them. The third method is the last resort, if you don't have a rafter-finder, and cannot go into the loft, then go to the roof and drill a hole. With a stiff wire like a dry-cleaners hanger, bend it in a “L” shape and poke it through the hole and turn it round until you hit a rafter. Take note which direction the wire bit inside is pointing, then measure the same length of the wire in the direction it was pointing when it hit the rafter, and there is your rafter. Allow 3⁄4 of an inch (0.75”) from that point and that will be the center of the rafter. Once you know where the centers of the rafters are, all you have to do now is to mark them with a good chalk line. And, I repeat again, follow the manufacturer's instructions, and work safely. Never forget, the higher you go the bigger the fall. The hardest job on the roof-mount is lifting the panels to the roof. You can hire equipment such as a scissors-lift, a boom-lift, scaffolding, and the most

dangerous is a ladder. Whatever system you are going to use, you must take precautions, for the team and for the panels. First do not allow anyone to be under the panel whilst being lifted, or close by, unforeseen accidents do happen. To protect the panels, cover them with a blanket, even a painter’s floor cloth. By experience, I found that scaffolding is the cheapest to rent, the safest, and most stable. The scissor lifts would seem to be the best bet, I found that they tend to be wobbly once it goes very high, the boom lift is usually a large truck, and on most sites would be cumbersome, besides being the most expensive option. Scaffolding would be a good bet if you put railings on the top, that will protect but also will help bring the panels up. If you have to go higher and need to raise it with more sections, run ropes and tie it down to stabilize it. The working platform of your scaffold should be at the same height as the gutter or the edge of the roof or slightly higher, which will facilitate the transition of the PV panels from the scaffold to the roof. These panels are costly, so to lift them safely up to the roof, build a cradle to suit the size of the panels, see figure below. Secure the panels to the cradle with a couple of small straps, do not ratchet them too tight, and only take the panel out of the cradle once on the roof itself, not on top of the scaffolding. When lifting, one man should be on the scaffolding pulling it up and the second man on the roof helping also to pull.

This is an easy cradle to build, that I’ve used successfully. It follows the same principle as an artist’s easel. Your solar panel cradle will have 3 lengths of 2 by 4 inches on the back where the panels will rest against. The foot of the cradle will be just slightly wider than the panel’s thickness. So, all you make is 3 “L” shaped wooden structures, reinforcing them with metal brackets, also “L” shaped and they are fixed on the outer corner, this way you are not relying only on screws to take the weight of the panels. Now, cut 3 more battens 2 by 4 inches also, with the same width as the solar panels. Screw them on the 3 “L” shaped wooden structures, one goes on the top, another just above the metal brackets at the bottom, and the last one at the front of the lip creating a small ledge. Make the back upright battens slightly longer than the height of the solar panel, because to lift them up you are going to tie a strong rope to the center length, this way the rope does not interfere with the solar panels. Reinforce where the middle and top cross battens join, as this is the point where the rope wraps around, perhaps a metal bracket that you can hammer into shape following the contours of the wooden battens.

Notes;

CHAPTER FOUR Planning Electrical Extras Ground & Roof Mount Electrical Routes Grounding The System Mounting Inverter Back-Feed Breaker Installation Grid-Tie onlyDisclaimer Reminder. Please remember that if you are not a trained professional you should not tamper with devices that are electrically live, as they can cause property damage, injury or loss of life that may result from improper handling of the systems or photovoltaic components. For your own safety and the safety of your property you should contact the assistance of a trained professional to help you do the connections. PLANNING ELECTRICAL EXTRAS I write this section in the event that you did start small with your solar system, avoiding the possible headaches applying for your permits, and large financial commitments. I call them electrical extras, because even though your system is small on the costliest components like the PV solar panels and the batteries, but the Controller Box, the Inverter, the Auto-Transfer Switch, the Meter Box, the Wiring, they will be there forever. As your intent is to keep expanding the system in the future, buy them already with the end product in mind, with the right capacity to handle the energy production that you are aiming at. This way as you expand you will not need to replace anything, all you will do is to keep adding more PV panels and more batteries, the rest of the

equipment already has the capacity to handle the sudden increase in amperage. Notes;

GROUND & ROOF MOUNT ELECTRICAL ROUTES On these electrical mount setups, I will be repeating some steps that I have already covered, so I just mention them without elaborating too much. Ground Mount Electrical Route Main Steps All the exposed cables under the array of panels must be kept organized and running together as much as possible by clipping them with zip-ties or other secure clipping method, to the metal frame, making sure they are properly secure against strong winds and frequent ground and panel maintenance. If concrete trucks or heavy machinery is used on site make sure they will not run over buried gas lines, septic systems, plumbing pipes, that could get damaged. The wiring diagram will tell you the size and type of wiring and conduits required, how deep the trenches or holes should be. Run all the wiring from the panels to a weatherproof junction box that will be connected to the conduit that goes underground to the house. Make sure the underground cable is not too far from the Control Box in the house, which protects the batteries from overcharging, regulating the voltage and current coming from the solar panel to the

batteries. The length of cable can cause the voltage to drop. Besides the cost of a long cable and conduit. Do not start digging without calling diggers hotline or your local authorities, to check for buried cables or lines. Roof Mount Electrical Route Main Steps Use the attic as much as possible to run your cables, this way they're out of sight and are protected. All the exposed cables under the array of panels must be kept organized and running together as much as possible by clipping them with zip-ties or other secure clipping method, to the metal frame. Making sure they are properly secure against strong winds and not in the way of roof maintenance. Do not allow any cable under the panels or on any other part of the installation to touch the roof. This way snow or rain can run freely and the cables will not gather debris like leaves and dust. Make sure that the panel cables under the array are accessible, and they should all meet outside in a weatherproof junction box that is connected to a metal conduit. The outside weatherproof Junction box should be placed on the same side of the house as the controller, batteries and other equipment will be located. This way you ensure that the supply cable will have the shortest possible run, to avoid loss of voltage. Codes change slightly between states, check for the code in your area, if 12V DC cables need to be encased if they run indoors. I’m certain they will need to be in a conduit if they run down the wall, unless you manage to run them inside the walls, in between the wooden studs where they will be protected. The supply wiring from the exterior junction box on the roof must remain in a conduit run until it reaches the inverter.

If possible, mount the metal weatherproof junction box on the conduit penetration metal roof-flashings. GROUNDING THE SYSTEM Grounding the components of your solar system is a must. It will reduce the risk of anyone getting an electric shock, help to protect the system against power surges, and the buildup of static- electricity. If ever a circuit would fail, grounding would allow the fault current to escape safely. If you have a ground mount system automatically all the solar panels and framework will be grounded, the same applies to all the metal boxes or any metal appliance bolted on that frame. If you attach an electronic unit to the frame, with a plastic casing, you have to find the ground wire of that unit and wire it to the frame, unless the unit specifies that there’s no need to ground. If you have a roof-mount system, you will have to ground the framework with EGC and GEC Grounding Conductor, which is the green or bare copper wire that connects the racking hardware, metal enclosures, and EMT conduit together. Run that grounding conductor all the way down the house wall with proper ground cable clips, to a copper metal rod that you will have to drive into the ground. If you use a cable roof penetration flange panel, where you will fix the weatherproof metal junction box, make sure that you run a ground cable from the frame to the roof metal flange, that will protect the junction box as well. Notes;

MOUNTING THE INVERTER How do I choose the right solar power inverter? Your inverter’s rating must be the same or higher than your solar power

system in watts for it to be right for your system. This is the correct way to measure an appliance. If your solar system is 2000 watt, you'll need a solar inverter with more than 2000 watt. The Inverter can be installed in different ways, according to the type of solar system installation you have. An inverter can be wall mounted indoors or outdoors. If you have a ground-mount structure you can install the inverter on one of the down steel pipes that go into the ground holding your PV panels. Install the inverter right under the solar panels, in a well-ventilated area, you will then run an AC underground cable to the house. It will be cheaper, it will not lose voltage and the codes will not be as strict. If you are installing more than one inverter, keep them apart, do not position them close to each other, as one inverter can suck the hot air from the other. When installing an inverter outside make sure that it is protected from sprinklers or rain or direct sunlight. Install it at 3 feet from the ground or higher, ensuring that rain splatter will not touch it. Take special attention to the brackets holding it, some manufacturers advise to use thread lock bolts on the holding brackets. If you are installing the inverter outside on one of the steel ground posts, that’s if you have the height, you can build around the inverter a box made of small louver panel doors, allowing for ventilation, and would protect it too. If you don’t have the height on the ground steel posts, and you would prefer to have the inverter outdoors, you would have to install it on a dedicated post, which can be a treated wooden post. To protect it, do a much larger cabinet with louvered panel doors painted white, to reflect the sun’s heat, and make a roof large enough to protect the cabinet from rain, avoid using metal or shingles as these materials get hot with the sun, unless you insulate them inside. If you leave the bottom part open for extra ventilation, use a tight wire mesh to close the opening, that will stop birds and creepy-crawlers nesting inside, if you use the mesh also on the inside of the louvered panels, that could help too. Inverters get hot, you must carefully follow the manufacturer's clearance and mounting instructions so it can cool down effectively. They run on “insulated-gate bipolar transistors modules or IBGT. These

solid-state semiconductor modules consist of many electronic switch devices in parallel. They tend to heat up when underload for very long periods of time. Inverters when placed indoors need to be installed in well ventilated rooms, if not, they will get hot. There have been cases where an inverter set on fire, because they were installed in rooms with poor ventilation, just relying on the manufactures cooling fin. Inverters with integrated disconnect switches must be mounted less than 2 meters (6.5 feet) off the ground. The exception to this is if the system design contains another switch that meets AC disconnect requirements of the NEC (National Electric Code). SETTING UP BACK-FEED BREAKER (Grid-Tie Only) The installation of a Back-Feed breaker applies only to Grid-Tie solar systems; they will require a breaker-unit that connects your solar system to your main circuit breaker panel, enabling your system to send the surplus power that your system generates into the utility grid. Notice that your Solar System Back-Feed Breaker has to be connected on the opposite side of the utility company’s Main Breaker on the live busbar, but not in front of each other, they have to be far apart, so place your BackFeeder breaker on the opposite end from the Main Utility Breaker. If for any reason the utility’s Main Breaker was situated at the bottom of the bus rack, your solar system breaker would be at the top of the bus rack, and on the opposite side. Observe the picture below and notice where your solar system Back-Feed breaker is connected in the -live busbar- in relation to the utility's Main Breaker. 96 Watch this youtube short video; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLsU8tpeP1I But before we start, I would like to go over how the breaker panel is setup, and the NEC 120% rule. The National Electric Code (NEC ) has a very specific rule that dictates the maximum size breaker you can use to connect your solar PV system,

commonly known as the 120% Rule . The code states the following: “When two sources, one a primary power source and the other another power source, are located at opposite ends of a busbar that contains loads, the sum of 125 percent of the power source(s) output circuit current and the rating of the overcurrent device protecting the busbar, shall not exceed 120 percent of the ampacity of the busbar.” The equation simplified; Bush-bar capacity in Amp x 120% or (1.2) - Main Utility Breaker Example; Our breaker panel is rated for 200A, which is the busbar rating. The Utility main breaker is usually rated the same as the busbar rating or panel rating. Our calculation would go as follows: 200A x 1.2 = 240A. 240A-200A = 40A. Which means no breaker in the panel can exceed 40Amp. Generally speaking, most homes and residential solar panel systems require a 200 amp panel, maximum.

It is wise for a DIYer to call a professional to assist in these last moments specially regarding connections, and make sure that all is well and installed to code, before you make an appointment for inspection. I will detail how you hook up the Back-Feed breaker.

1) Make sure that you use the same make and model breaker as the ones installed in the panel 2) If you are working on a concrete or earth floor, step on a rubber mat or a wooden board, or wear rubber-sole shoes. 3) Open the door and shut off the Utility Main Circuit Breaker. 4) Remove the protection panel. 5) Check the wire connections to the breakers with a multimeter to make sure that there’s no power at all in the board. 6) If there’s a circuit breaker on the bus bar stabs that you want to use, for your PV solar system, remove that breaker(s) and allocate in another position. If there are no more spare stabs available, you can use a tandem circuit breaker. Ensure that both circuits are of the same amperage, and try to pair light circuits with same and power circuit with same. 7) Insert the new Solar Back-Feed breaker and press it into place. This is a double breaker just like the Panel Main breaker or the Utility breaker 8) Screw in position all the solar circuit wires, making sure they are firmly torqued. 9) Turn-on the Utility Main Circuit Breaker. 10) Check with a multimeter that there’s power in all the breakers. 11) Most important DO NOT TURN ON THE

BACK-FEED SOLAR BREAKER until the inspection and interconnection agreement is completed. 12) Replace protection cover. 13) Close the door.

CHAPTER FIVE Four Reasons Why Finance Solar Why Go Solar? FOUR REASONS WHY FINANCE SOLAR Wanting to install a Solar PV panel System on your property, surely it will not be to get a good return on investment (ROI), even though it is on everybody’s mind when taking this step. The 4 main reasons why go Solar, I am sure that will be the ones detailed below. However, many people are not aware of the last reason. The last reason in fact is one of the most important, only for the fact that it will open doors to help you to turn your idea into a reality. 1) Say “au revoir” to the utility Company To get one on the utility company is a very satisfying thought, that all of us want so badly to turn into a happening. So many years paying their charges, and suddenly our bills can be eliminated or almost eliminated. With the Earth changes we are all fully aware that these storms are on the increase not only in strength, but also in frequency. The certain outcome of that will be more power outages (power-cuts) in the years ahead. Having the ability to generate your own power will become a gift from heaven.

2) Selling Our Surplus To actually sell our own surplus energy to the power companies it’s a very motivating thought, even if it will take some time as we will be expanding our system year by year. Even knowing that they will be paying us next to nothing for our Kilowatt-hour we send down the grid. But we cannot hide the joy that it will bring, when our first watts start running the other way. What a beautiful moment that will be!! 3) Government Incentives These steps in reality only apply to the ones that own their system, and I’ll go into it on the next step. Yes! It pays to own your own system. When you take out a loan for your solar system you become the owner of the system and that entitles you to the Federal Tax Credits that Uncle Sam gives you by investing in renewable clean energy. 4) Your Solar System Will Put Money in Your Pocket Let’s say that you qualify and take out a loan for $10,000 to finance your Solar system outright, on a 7-year plan at 5.75%. I’m not an accountant, but I believe that taking into account the interest and capital the total cost of the loan that you will have to pay back is somewhere between &12,000 and $15,000. Let’s assume that you use 1000 Kilowatts hour monthly that cost you 12.08 cents per Kilowatt hour. During that 7year period, your neighbor decided to stay as he is now. His energy bill to the utility company will cost him just over $10,000, that is if the price stays constant. We all know the answer to that one. If you do go ahead and install your solar system, you will have paid only a bit extra than your neighbor has paid to the utility company in the same year period. But you will have earned extra money selling your surplus power to the grid, plus you will have had the tax benefits from the federal government and your state. Remember that you will only get those tax benefits if you own the solar system. That’s the advantage of buying it outright or signing for a PPA.

Guess what? After 7 years your energy is FREE. This year alone you would get a federal tax credit, for 26% which means $2,600 would come your way, on a $10,000 system. That’s one quarter of your loan immediately wiped out. Next year, will be $2,200. That’s another reason why it is crucial to take action, and take advantage of the times we are living in. I heard the saying that numbers are cold. When you look at these numbers, they seem very warm to me. It doesn’t take much thinking whether to have solar or not, even if you are a nay-sayer to the earth changes. The math shows that it would pay you to install it WHY GO SOLAR? You might think that this should have been the very first question at the beginning of this book. You are possibly right to think that way. My reasoning for putting it almost at the end, was mainly because now that you know and understand most of the ins and outs of going solar, I hope that you will be able to make a better judgment Why go solar? Because now it’s the right time to go solar. As it becomes more and more popular the government most likely will stop the tax breaks that one has access to today. If you qualify for a loan, it’s a no-brainer to take out a loan to finance your system, and you should shop around. There are plenty of finance companies giving loans for alternative energy. Why use your own money? Before you commit to any private loan deal check “energy.gov”. This link will take you to the Department of Energy. Their website isn’t much to look at, but scroll down and click on “Contact us” and they have phone numbers that you can call to, if you prefer to have things written down, they have their email address, fax number and a postal address. They are in most states, and I believe their interest rates are very competitive, their loans run usually from 10 to 20 years, and they finance most green energy projects. That means that you could even add a wind turbine to your solar system, this way at night when your solar panels are definitely out, your wind turbine will keep producing power, charging those batteries when consumption in the

household is at its lowest, as long as there’s a breeze. If this interests you, look at horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWT), they are cheaper, less noisy and intrusive than vertical wind turbines, also they are more efficient. I do not provide a link as there are many HAWT turbines on the market, and your solar supplier might even be able to supply it to you. Many people consider that the down side of financing is when you reach the end of your loan’s term and you’ve finished paying for the system. The system has also arrived at the end of its life and will need to be replaced. Well not quite, if you invest in good quality PV panels, you are going to pay a bit more, but they will last well over 20 years, they could go even beyond 40 years, which by that time, even before then, you would not want them anyway. They would be too outdated with new and cheaper technology. The cables and most equipment will be there doing their job for far longer than 20 years, except the batteries might have to be replaced, again with more efficient technology and more economical. Even looking at the worst scenario, you would be able to afford all the bits that might need replacing now and again, with the savings that you are making. Look at your neighbor that didn't bother taking the advantage of alternative energy and uncle Sam’s tax gifts, is now paying far more for his utility bills, and putting up with the power outages due to storms. Most of the Energy companies throughout the world are researching heavily on alternative energies. Soon solar materials will be much cheaper to buy than today, as there will be more demand for it. Today most materials including PV panels are much cheaper and better than they were 5 years ago. I read somewhere that the Dutch petroleum company Shell is in the process of developing a paint that will produce electricity, can you imagine when that comes out? and alongside that, there will be other innovations just as good Notes;

CONCLUSION WHAT WILL YOU DO IF THE LIGHTS GO OUT? Without Heating or Cooling, no TV, no Phone, Candle light only, no washing, no Cooking, next time you open the freezer it could be to throw everything out. -It Will Be Like Camping Indoors-. If after reading this book, and it all makes sense what you’ve discovered and learned, are you going to take action? And start right now? At least investigating the ins and outs of it. Your whole family will thank you, when the lights go out, and your home is all lit-up, whilst everyone else’s is in the dark. It would make you feel good. Unfortunately, storms are more frequent and stronger now. Last time that one went through here, we were nearly 2 days without power, luckily it was Winter, so we emptied the freezer and put everything in plastic containers and in the barn, the temperature was in the 20F (approx., -6C), we didn’t have to worry about losing any food. If this had happened in the Summer, it would have been another story. I assume that by purchasing this book you are planning to set up an alternative energy system. I’m doing the same as you, seriously planning to

do a small solar/wind system in my new house. When I built my solar system a few years ago, I concentrated only on solar. I realized that the ideal setup is solar combined with wind. Even though many people shy away from wind because of the maintenance, once you set up a solar system, there are no worries with maintenance, as there are no moving parts to worry about. This time I’ll go for a bigger system, I only had a 300watts solar and 300watts wind, and it did cause a big dent on our electric bills. It made a big difference having the system, and I learned from it. Then there were not so many regulations as there are now. The idea of writing this book came as I was researching for my own project about the new regulations, and trying to keep up with new technology and tax benefits. I first came to realize how valuable that free extra energy is, many years ago when I used to deliver sailing yachts, (not motor yachts). I delivered one where the owner had a small wind turbine installed just above the transom, even though it was a small turbine but it kept the batteries charged, without having to turn the engine on. I admit the minute the wind picked up a bit that thing was noisy, so I always wondered how noisy a turbine with big blades must be even though they turn slower Recently I did some experiments with squirrel- cage type turbines, known as HAWT turbines (horizontal axis wind turbine). They are much quieter and also very efficient, take less room and behave better in strong winds, especially if you build a stator around the rotor part. I have a simple system that automatically stops the rotor spinning, when in a strong storm. That idea is still cooking in the oven. I share all these experiences and thoughts with you, because I always believe that enterprising people must go through the same process of creativity. The process of sharing ideas, even crazy ideas, might just spark a new innovation in someone’s mind. If you have anything to share that you wonder “would it ever work?” or “this is too crazy”, or “yes! This could work”. Just share, shoot an email, I would love to hear from you. Your comments about this book would be most appreciated if you left a review, even a short one, 2 or 3 relevant words it’s enough. Keep in touch, [email protected]

We can all make a better World for ourselves, our kids and everything that is on it. Each and every one of us are only a little cog on the Universal wheel. All that is expected from each of us, are little and regular steps in the right direction. Thanks once more and good luck with your Solar Project. RESOURCES Here are some of the most used wiring diagram symbols, just in case you feel like writing your own electrical diagrams. Also, some links that you might find useful to explore and save you some time. You will need to incorporate an electric wiring diagram for your solar system with your application permit package. If you really want to write your own electrical diagrams for your solar system, check out this website where you can download free software. So they say, I’ve never used them. https://bit.ly/3HubvJM If there's a charge, do not commit without checking with your equipment supplier, they might include it as part of the deal. Notes;

Understanding Third-Party Ownership USEFUL LINKS

TURNKEY-SYSTEMS:-https://bit.ly/3rnOdPS Going “Off the Grid” May Help with Mental Going “Off the Grid” May Help with Mental Health Issues https://bit.ly/35MQ8W1 SOLAR INCENTIVES by STATE + FEDERAL TAX DISCOUNTS https://bit.ly/35MQc8e Understanding Third-Party Ownership Financing Structures for Renewable Energy https://bit.ly/3rraM6x Guide to Early PPA Buyouts https://bit.ly/3onuqOK Shop Solar Kits https://shopsolarlits.com/1015 My Email: [email protected]

Notes;