Our new Photovoltaic Solar Panels

This spring we shopped around for the best Photovoltaic Solar Panels for our particular house here in Johnstown. After interviewing three companies, we chose to go with Independent Power Systems out of Boulder, CO.  The primary reason for choosing them was the type of solar modules that they are the exclusive dealer for SunPower Elite, which are superior in technology to others available here in northern Colorado. They produce higher output per sq. ft. than the other brands, which allows us to have 100% of the electricity that we need come from the solar cells.

We just got our 32 solar panels installed this week. Within the next 2-3 weeks electricians will come and install the power inverter (photovoltaic solar panels create DC, which must be converted to AC), and a special meter that allows the solar panel current to flow into the existing power grid. So during daylight hours the power produced by the solar panels is measured as it goes into the grid, then we use from the grid for our electrical needs day or night. The computer controller for the system will be connected through our internet router, so that we and the company can see the performance of our system online 24/7.  If it fails or changes in performance, they will be out here ASAP to find out why, and make any necessary repairs or changes.   

We were able to get the most powerful, efficient cells available that will provide 100% of our power over the year, and will save at least $60/month (compared to our electric portion of our utility bill) for the next 20 years, with $0 down. We lease the entire system, so the company maintains, repairs, etc. the system for 20 years.  Our payment cannot increase for that period of time, even if we use more electricity than our past needs.  We have to pay $7.00/month to XCEL (grid), to be on their system. All of this is based on current (early 2012) federal and state energy rebates and incentives that we signed over to the lease company, as they will own the system. 

We feel really good about the representatives of the company that we have dealt with.  The salesmen, project manager, and the module installer have all been really great people.  The installation workmanship is amazingly well done.  I would highly recommend these guys to anyone. Top notch, professional installers.

If you live in Colorado and are interested in pursuing solar power, I recommend:

http://www.solarips.com/

Nick Williamson
nwilliamson@solarips.com

NABCEP Certified

Cell: 303-319-0664

Phone: 303-443-0115

Fax: 303-443-2173

1501 Lee Hill Rd. #24

Boulder, CO 80304

 

First stack of solar modules on our deck

 

 Installers placing the anchors on the roof, each one firmly screwed to the trusses

Extruded aluminum mounting rails were then fastened to the anchors

 A few modules installed to check the positioning

Installer inspecting the backside of the modules. Note the electrical connectors.

 Connecting the wires from panel-to-panel

Heavy wire mesh was firmly installed on each edge to keep the critters out from under the panels

32 Solar Modules completely installed in 2.5 days

A Long Picture Post - (Cheer!)

Picture taken by Emily A.

Picture taken by Emily A.

Picture taken by Emily A.

Picture taken by Emily A.

Emily on the Johnstown lake's dock, while on a bike ride with Jason.

Jase and Em love to go on bike-rides as much of the year as possible!

Janet and girls have been babysitting a few children each Thursday while their mommies have Bible study.  Here's a picture of "circle time", in which we read books and sing songs together.

Two little babysitting girls.

Lego time!

Picture taken by Emily A.

One thing we really enjoy on Sundays and on weekday evenings (as opportunities come up) is video-chatting with our grand-children.  We do get to "Skype" more often with Charissa than with Quil and Micah.

She loves to smile at us on video-chat!  We have seen her do her roll-over tricks while chatting too!

Janet's special sewing project for Randy and Joy's baby boy.  The bear is appliqued onto the green fabric, and the backing "I Love Grandma" fabric is just wrapped around the bear for the picture.

Another Grandma sewing project--a log cabin quilt in the works!

Jeff's friend Amit took this picture of him at God's Bible School yesterday.

Beth and Linc reading a book together earlier this month.

Picture taken by Emily A.  Check out more wonderful pictures here.

This was the Palm Sunday crowd at our Federal Heights Sunday School.  We have been running 5-10 kids a week otherwise, but the Lord's been helping us every week, for which we are thankful.

Janet's fluffy hair today!

It sure has deep waves!

Janet, Karla, and Linda are three moms in Home Educators Fellowship who have survived cancer.  They each got to share their stories and testimonies of the Lord's goodness to them at Mom's Night Out this month.

Janet, Linda, Sue, and Karla.  Sue is the leader of HEF and Mom's Night Out.

Lincoln with our flower mound.  (You'll notice the saturation difference between this picture and the next.)

 

On April 4th, the Kauses came over for the evening.  Here's Randy, baby Luther, and Rowen visiting.

Janet and Kelly

Jeffrey and Harry

Jason and Quentin

Beth and LeighAnna.  Em was the photographer, and we didn't get any pictures of her playing with L, but she did. =)

Last year our tulips and daffodils weren't blooming until right around Janet's surgery (April 28th), but this year spring came early.  We've really enjoyed all the blossoming trees and, of course all the flowers.

 

Jason and Emily love to play their strings together.  One evening found them on the deck practicing.

Lilac header picture

Spring has been so beautiful, and early, here in Johnstown! Our lilacs are about as full and beautiful as they have ever been. We're supposed to get another touch of winter weather this weekend, so we don't know how much longer the lilacs will look so good.

Spring Break with Jeffrey here

We have enjoyed having Jeffrey home since last Thursday; he will be flying away Easter morning. Late morning on Wednesday, we took off and went to the mountains so that Jeffrey could have some mountain time before heading back to Ohio, and then to Missouri for the summer. We had Lincoln Brown with us, which was a very unusual situation. He usually is babysat at our house or his house; this was the first time we ever took him with us to the mountains. He seemed to have a good time, and we did too.
We ate our picnic lunch at Viestenz-Smith Mountain Park, and spent some time there enjoying the day.




These next two pictures of Lincoln were taken to mimic the pictures of Quil and Micah from last June at the same location! Click here to see one of those pictures. I guess I didn't blog the one of Quil and Micah in the window.


Later we drove up past Drake on Glen Haven Road and turned off on Dunraven Glade Road and hiked awhile on the Dunraven Trail. We ended up at this stream where Jason walked across the log and Emily and Lincoln really wanted to...

but we got him stopped in time!

It was just a little chilly with the breeze, so I wore a hat.

It was a gorgeous day and we were so glad to do something special with Jeffrey. He has spent a lot of time on his spring break studying.