Seet: Solar Works – So Why Not?

A Solar Works installer carries solar panel mounts up to the roof of the Nicholas Seet residence in Los Alamos. Courtesy photo

The completed 15 Panel Solar Array installed at the Nicholas Seet residence in Los Alamos. Courtesy photo

By NICHOLAS SEET

Los Alamos

Last year I installed a 15 panel, 1300W, solar array to replace my home’s electrical load. The reason was not because I was upset with my $50-$100/month electrical meter charge from the Los Alamos DPU, but because I was running out of “green” things I could do in the face of relentless global warming

And in my fantasy-land I was imagining plugging my all-electric vehicle and solar-water desalination system into it. We’ll see if that dream ever becomes a reality, but here is what actually happened.

The first thing I needed to do was to identify the solar installer. After visiting neighbors and Project Y, I was disappointed to find that previous vendors had left town or did not offer financing for their products. A co-worker suggested the very spammy looking Shine New Mexico Roof Check, and just for the fun of it I filled it in. I was skeptical that they would ever call me back and that their quote of zero down and only twice my current utility cost for energy independence would be accurate, but sure enough, both became reality.

In October, I was visited by a friendly solar estimator from Albuquerque’s Solar Works Energy. 

Jonathan brought an iPad, which had a Google Earth view of my property and estimated that I needed 15 Panasonic solar PV panels, and a Solar Edge Single-phase Inverter to fully offset my electric utility charge, next he found a location on my roof, away from trees and vents, that could fix those panels. 

He gave those measurements to an engineer who would supervise the installation. Finally he gave me two financing options, I chose the one from Solar Mosaic, which had a 20-year (the life of the panels), zero down financing, and a monthly payment of only twice my electric utility bill. With the cost of the panels financed, and the credit from my over-production of energy from the city, and a tax rebate for solar, this should be a very low cost way for me to get out of the use of fossil fuels in my home.

Another month passed by and then December came with its snow and holidays. I was thus quite surprised to get a call from the Solar Works installation team that a fleet of trucks was enroute for the installation of my panels. 

There were 10 men climbing ladders, carrying up solar panels, mounting racks, cinder blocks and cabling. A few hours later, the installation was complete! I was told to shut the system down pending approvals from the city and the state. But it was done, I was fully energy independent capable, just leaving my natural gas heaters and gas-cooking range.  

I bothered DPU to hurry things along from my end; they had never even heard of Solar Works, but eventually the meters were approved, my existing meter will be replaced with a bi-directional meter, and then I will be able to produce my own clean energy and then some. 

At this coming Wednesday’s Board of Public Utilities meeting, the Board will vote on a contract for 15 MW of renewable, firm energy from NM solar and wind farms, for a mere $36.67/MWh (much cheaper than what we’re paying now, and what will probably be charged by the CFPP.) This would go a long way toward our carbon neutrality goal.

You can read more about it here: http://losalamos.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4298425&GUID=6ECA4BFD-42DE-428A-B08F-5E2D5654D049&Options&Search&FullText=1&fbclid=IwAR1MHGwdtdjcXWYh5EDj3M1SNN76TQ21p4iFAi-1bIG-A605i5UeQ0ZGQrI

If you support carbon-free power for Los Alamos, join RenewableLosAlamos.org, the Northern New Mexico Climate Reality Chapter, and tell the BPU and Council that you support the Power and Renewable Energy Credit Sales Agreement with Uniper Global Commodities North America. Email them at BPU@lacnm.us, and CountyCouncil@lacnm.us, or go to the meeting and give it a thumb’s up.

Search
LOS ALAMOS

ladailypost.com website support locally by OviNuppi Systems