Going solar

I have a small solar power system from Renogy comprised of two 100-watt panels, one 80 ah solar battery and a 1,000 watt pure sine inverter. I could easily use three times that, so fortunately I can add on to the array when I get around to it. In the meantime I can run lights and fans, my computer and printer, and chargers of all kinds. 

I studied the manual that came with the solar kit for many months before I dared to tackle the installation. I know absolutely nothing about electricity other than you better get it right. Understanding it even a tiny bit, just enough to follow directions in putting it together, took me about a year. Of course, I kept putting it out of my mind because it was just too unbearably painful, lol. I was probably overthinking it out of my deep-seated fear of electricity. Still, though… I’ll say no more because I might start swearing like a sailor. I don’t ever want to have to fool with it again. Anyway, I built the frame and bolted it to the roof, then my grandson Kalven and his buddy Colton got the panels up to the roof and attached to the frame. 

Getting the right angle is important.

I finally had all components in place, including the wiring and the grounding, but I chickened out when it came to making the final connections because of the previously mentioned electricity phobia. So I hired a handyman for that final step. He even installed a few outlets throughout my tiny cabin, which sure beats the big extension cord I’d been planning to use. The system has been working for a year now, so we must have done it right. Now I wish I didn’t go through all the trouble of getting the panels up on the roof. I plan to move them down where I can keep them free from leaves or snow.

The boys helping on the roof.

Special thanks to my grandson Kalven Thomas and his buddy Colten for getting the panels up on the roof, to Randy and Keith Strickland for advice about proper grounding and for helping me get that eight-foot copper rod into the ground (Can you believe that? Eight feet into the ground!), and to my neighbor Steve Smith and his helper for making that final connection and getting the electricity flowing.