Earth Day 4.22.09

Well its Earth Day Apr 22, 2009. I don’t know if its  going to get a lot of press we are going to do our part and document it right here.

At 10am central I will disconnect our Oncor grid connection and run the home completely on solar pv.  Weather is  going to be sunny and 93′  here in Fort Worth Tx.  so the test of the foam insulation, UV tinted windows and geothermal A/C will pay off.

I will post times and home status below during the day as my time permits. Solar production below is what the home is only requiring electrically from the solar arrays.

Time:   Outside:   Inside:          Solar production:    Oncor grid:

08:30     Sunny 65′    Kit72,Attic64   Shade – 118 watts    Connected

09:45     Sunny 71′    Kit73,Attic73   50%sun- 815 watts   Connected

10:03     Sunny 73′    Kit73,Attic76   90%sun-1015 watts   Disconnected

12:05     Sunny 82′    Kit74,Attic88   100%sun-1751watts   Disconnected

15:07    Sunny 90′    Kit74,Attic93   100%sun-1626watts   Disconnected

17:03    Sunny 92′    Kit75,Attic98    100%sun-2015watts  Disconnected

17:10  We went back on grid before the sun’s angle gets too far to the west.

All in all..things went pretty good today without the grid.

On another subject tho I’ve learned the TXU who is our local REP or Electric reseller of Oncor power hasn’t got there act together with the Net-Metering customers and its 40+ days past the original deadline of March 15th.  This means that in our case all the excess power we pushed back to Oncor/Txu didn’t credit us for our current bill.  Tho we reduced our usage overall approximately 83Kw is in limbo uncredited back to me.  I’m told TXU management wants to make sure they do it right but they knew this was coming last year and already they blew the deadline.

From reading other forums it seems I’m not the only case in North Texas and probably not the last.

Green Mountain Energy tho does have it in writting and is crediting customers Penny for Penny.

Guess Im making a call to the PUC next week to see if I have any ground to file a complaint.

Finally Done

The last of  landscape was completed with the installation of Bermuda tiff sod.  Just Add H2O Did a very nice job around the entire home.  We did do some upgrading with stone edging and large stepping stone walks around the pond and the back patio areas. We also spread top soil over the entire backyard to even things out and give the grass a better chance to grow.  The sprinkler system works very good dumping 20+ gallons per min from the underground storage tanks which actually did empty out on the first day.

Two areas in on the southwest side are still dirt which is for the solar array panels/racks. I might start putting in the piers this weekend once I mark everything out and rent a post hole auger.

I also posted the final pictures of the homes insides on our move in back last Dec.

More updates to come

Moved In !

We moved in to the new home on Dec 12th-14th after we received our final inspection on Dec 10th with flying colors.  We still have a few loose ends to complete inside and out but with the holidays coming we wanted to be settled in.

The pool was completed on Friday the 19th with a blue color tint plaster then we used the well water to fill it. After 34 hours it was full.  A week later, the water is still murky from all the plaster dust and some high winds blowing local dirt into the water.  Acid and Shock were also added to help keep put the water in check but Im still waiting to see clear water.

Landscaping is next on our list. Our first bid came back for sprinkles, sod and plants.  Since its high priced were shopping it out now.

Waterfurnace geothermal units are working great with the cold temps we have had. Last week we dropped into the teens at night and only 28′ in the day. The home was very comfortable with a temp set at 69-70′  any higher was uncomfortable.  The units are quiet tho we do here the T-stats doing a double click prior to turning on a zone.  One unit can heat the area 1 degree in 4min.  Im about to install some power monitors on the blowers to log run times with my WelServer monitor. It doesn’t seem that they run to much and with the foam insulation were not loosing any heat due to drafts.

My next project is our 6Kw Solar PV system install. I did notice some shadows from the home next door so Ill have to see if its going to effect the system more than I’m willing to loose in power. The shadows are from  the low sun during the winter months and since Dec 21st just past this is a good time to see the worst effect.

I made some calls a week ago to our local electrical provider Oncor and asked about a upcoming Solar PV rebate thats going to release in 2009.  I was disappointed to hear the plan would require owners to have the systems professionally install from a list of approved solar installers by Oncor and no DIY.  I was told the plan should release Jan 1st 2009 but could be delayed.  The big problem with local solar installers is that there are only 3 in the north Texas area who are charging 50-100% markup so thats from lack of competition. Im going to try to work with Oncor and suggest they consider all the DIY owners who just need a little help with cost to start rolling out Solar PV.

TXU energy is another story on the other hand.  My first calls to the renewables dept were very encouraging and all tho they are also just getting the program in a draft form mostly because billings systems don’t allow for residential customers to ‘Produce Power’ they will work out the issues.  They don’t have pricing set yet as to what they will buy back my excess power, but in reading what other states are offering customers is anywhere from $.10- $.34 per Kw feed back into the grid.  I frankly would want a higher rate back to me if Oncor isn’t going to help offset my systems cost and I just might have to shop around more or hold out while prices are set if it comes down to it.  I know I’m not going to be producing a huge amount of excess but every little bit helps.

While talking with TXU it also seems they are very interested in our home as a solar PV site in that if they choose to work with us they will have some  actual real time data  that they can use for promotional use or in help with talking to the state to help pass more of these incentives or rebates with the state of Texas.

This is all new grounds for everyone. Tho California and other states are adopting solar for a few years now every state is still going to work differently plus Laurie and I are very open to helping others if its in a positive way that just makes good sense.

Some picture on move in day.

Details…

Well were about 2weeks out from completion of the home not including outside landscape, pool and some minor details.

Over the last 3 weeks it has been a push of booking 2 and 3 subs at a time with paint, wood trim and electrical along with plumbing. All the finishing touches are about done with the exception of carpet and stained concrete glazing which will be next week.

The pool is also moving along, All rock and tile is completed, Pumps and electrical are done and the concrete salt rock finish deck is currently being formed this week.

I have updated a single gallery of pictures as of Dec 2nd 2008. The home is dusty and still messy but it will be all cleaned by weeks end.

Tile floors/baths

Tile work went really smooth. One day for sub flooring and 2 days for tile installation. The 5 bath showers were also done and river rock under the master tub. Laurie and I are very happy with our color pick and as always it looks better installed than on a showroom table.

Paint, Pool & Solar?

Painting started up this weekend with a lot of workers. Already the trim has just about been completed plus the all wood cabinets were stained. The fumes were pretty strong so Pics will have to wait another day.

We painted the rough outline to the pool yesterday and the city approved it today. We will break ground on Friday with excavation then a bobcat will drill 4 piers to support it. If all goes well next week we should have all the plumbing, steel and gunite completed.

Solar, Last year I started really digging into costs of installing a solar PV – Electric system on a home. I ran into some depressing issues light the fact that Texas had dropped solar rebates state wide years ago and only residences in Austin were eligible for any rebate. Then when we started designing the home in Jan/Feb I looked into it again. Only a couple solar installers in North Texas could be found. The 1st I contacted didn’t really sound interested in doing it due to costs and the second took 2 weeks to get back to me each time I called for pricing or changes plus his costs were just expensive. I did know that we would realistically need about 6Kw to be reasonable with our needs and some to spare. In a nutshell we will have a few 2 Geothermal units and a water well pump for the HVAC needs, PCs for everyone plus another just watching the homes systems, Lighting, TVs and a Pool. I know with my current home Im using 1000Kw in the winter and up to 3Kw in the summer and thats without a pool. Yes the home is super insulated but it has its needs and we dont want a $600/mo power bill or more.

So after months of researching the Net for info I picked a Affordable-Solar out of New Mexico back in May. As time go closer and prices change plus the new Federal Tax break being changed in Oct 2008 for new systems coming online in 2009 we couldn’t wait any longer to place the order. Over the next few weeks I should start getting delivery of the parts and will self install 30 panels, Inverter and monitoring equipment. The homes electrician will oversee my work and do the heavy wiring to interconnect with Oncor Electric and there requirements. So far things tho complicated feel right. One thing were paying a little more for is the fact that its a Battery Backed Grid-Tied system meaning when the power grid fails I will still have power via sun or battery depending on my battery capacity. Normally Solar system that are just grid tied must shutdown in the event that grid power fails even if the sun is shining. We wont have that with this system.

So far I have just about finished my application to Oncor for and Interconnect and TXU Energy Renewables dept about issues that will be coming up and some that wont. Im looking forward to working closely with both companies if things are in my favor… especially pricing for electric service.

More to come.

Brick, Cabinets, Woodfloors

Brick is coming along nicely. Were about 3weeks into all our brick work now with the lower back completed, sides done and the front of the garage. Stone also began on the front which Laurie and I are very happy with. Soon the front door arch will be completed all in stone with a brick arch.

Cabinets by Michael were delivered last week all of which are custom made. All will be stained in a few weeks after the wood trim is completed.

Wood Floors were also installed last week. Since we had a clean flat subfloor over the truss system we didnt need a secondary floor installed. Cherry oak was nailed down and will be hand scraped and stained just before move in.

House Guts

I have not really had time to post over the last 6 weeks on the home since the framing was completed plus Laurie and I got Married on Sept 6th and went to my uncles condo in Cozumel for a week. Im actually writing from there now as our return was delayed 4 days due to hurricane IKE closing Houston IAH airport.

I will also post the pictures later this week.

The last 6 weeks the guts of the home went in. Plumbing and sewer lines from top to bottom, All the electrical and security. I installed all the multimedia plus chases for future needs.

After Gallaway plumbing connected the Geo-Supply water lines from the well, Shane and I ran temporary power into each of the Waterfurnace units and were able test the A/C and air pressure for each room. The temp difference from the return and supply was 18degrees on unit 1 and 28degrees on unit 2. Im very happy so far. We did upgrade one unit before we ordered it so we have dual 5 ton into 5 zones total but might change that to 6 once we test after the Sheetrock is completed and we test again.

The water reclamation went in a week ago consisting of 3 tanks. Stan Rollins was concerned with moving the new tanks off the truck down our side slopes into the backyard so he used 3 smaller tanks vs 2 large. We have 2 750Gal and 1 500Gal totaling 2000Gallons all connected together with a 4″ line at the bottom. The Geo-waste water and the rainwater lines are also connected at the top of the 1st tank and any overflow will rise to a higher 4″ line and travel down the backyard underground to the creek behind us. All tanks have a sealed porthole on top so irrigation pumps or cleaning can be accessed at a later date.

Last week Comfort Insulation spent about 4 days installing the foam insulation on the outside walls and some ceilings. All of the walls have about 4″-5″ which should be about an R14-R17 just in foam. Ceilings (floor of attic) will also be foamed then an addtl 18″ of blown fiberglass will be put on top giving us close to R45 to R50 Air Tight!! Air leaks are what kills most of a homes heating and cooling energy needs.

Sheetrock is almost completed at this point. Once that is done our walkout basement floor will be stained then cabinets and trim work will start.

Outside were about to have a stone wall installed to hold up the earth where the pool will be and brick should be starting very soon as the 1st 20 of 100+ pallets were delivered.

Electrical & HVAC

This week the electrical was completed after about 3 days of work. M&M did a very clean job with the runs between the breaker panels and the rooms. I did some extras like separate sub panels in the basement, 1 for the living areas and another in the pump room for the pool

As I thought in planning the circuits on paper months ago I ended up with a couple points in the home with 6-8 wall switches like at the front door. I hate anything over 3 switches so were looking into Lutron keypads possible using RadioRA equipment. We have a about a week before the sheet rock goes up to make a decision on that issue.

Rinehart has been working away for about 2weeks now running all the duct from the future Waterfurnace units to each room. Most of the problem with the slow going is trying to fit all the duct into the small chases and get to each room while keeping the duct sizing correct for airflow. So far we had to give up a couple square foot in a two closets and also install some vents in floors but its looking clean.

I’ll be running all the voice, data, audio & video cabling this weekend myself. Im going to over wire some of it base on future needs or changes such as an LCD tv on a porch for the pool area or some security needs.

We are about to make a choice on who will get the Foam insulation contract. Most companies have come back a second time to do the actual measurements and make some adjustments such as foaming a couple A/C ducts that did have to go into the attic and foaming a couple water lines over the garage area in addition to what the plumbers use.

Last I’m starting to interview the security companies for doors windows and a couple extra needs. I wont go into much detail about this subject tho.

Audio & Video. Since my background is strong in this area and I also know it gets pricey I’ll give the contractors a chance for bids tho I just talked to one and when he said hdmi cant run over 50′ and that component is digital HD my jaw dropped. Nothing worse than a Specialist who doesn’t know his business or what hardware is out on the market. I’m just going to do my own for sure now.

Quiet time

Well as of today things are quiet. The plumbers finished up all the rough in work on all floors, connected the city main and also the geo well lines to the home. I had them run 1″ lines from outside all the way in to the basement 1st where I have a main valve handy. The city service then drops to 3/4″ and 1/2″ through out the home and the Geo well water remains 1″ service to all outside faucets and both Geo water furnace units across the home.

We also signed contract with Rinehart Services Co for 2 Water furnace units. A 4 and a 5 ton unit with 5 digital zones controlling dampers for the home plus both units will provide hot water during a/c of which Im planning on installing a second hot water tank for the 5 ton unit and also connecting to a future outside solar panel system for hot water. Possible in the winter Im hoping with a ground mounted system protected by the home facing south I might get enough warmth to help cover the radiant slab heat needs without too much gas backup.

Shane Rinehart of Rinehart Services will be onsite in a couple days to begin installing the ducts starting from the basement mechanical areas into the 20″ floor truss system and hopefully up to the 3rd floor office avoiding the attic space completely. It looks like we can do it, just have to place it and see. If all goes well the geo units will arrive the following week from the factory and be connected. I will run temporary power to each unit and should be up and running in a couple week. Might be a really night place to work in for the remaining construction, Less sheet rock and painting.

Last, the natual gas / wood burning fireplaces arrived. We installed a large unit in the living room and a med 3 glass sided unit in the area between the kitchen breakfast and family room. We went with both gas/wood to save on energy costs if we choose to burn wood more of the time. It might be messy but wood puts out more heat.

We are still entertaining prices on Foam insulation for the walls and attic. Seems the 2 I have talked with on site each recommend something slightly different so I think its going to come down to personal choice and what I feel is most efficient to protect the home from the outside temps. We will meet with another local contractor this week for what I hope might be the last bid tho we still have time.

Electrical should start next week. Im finishing up the electrical plans when I have some time and will be meeting with our Electrician this Friday. Im planning on doing some of the work myself to keep some costs down and will also be running 100% of all the voice, data and video security since thats my gig.

Laurie and I are also expecting our 1st pool & spa bid very soon so we are keeping our fingers crossed.

Some pictures below.

Kitchen Fireplace:

Last of the roofing: