| August 11, 2013 | Contact | Calendar | The Mix | Archives |
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A pretty amazing week we just had, expensive but amazing. Revision Energy installed 20 solar panels on our roof and I've been doing math ever since. Less than a week and with two totally rainy days, we have already generated over 90 kilowatt hours. Our average monthy usage is about 300 KWh. CMP installed new dual meters, one that measures what we use from them, one that measures what we bank with them. When we make more than we use, the kilowatt hours are credited to us and we have a year to use them.
The system comes with a device that plugs into an electric outlet and into the router and lets us check the output from anywhere.
Now we will add some efficient electric heating appliances, like heat-pumps, to use some of the excess and move us partially off the oil furnace for heat. The roof system came with a $2000 rebate from Efficiency Maine and a 30% federal tax credit. The first thing we will move off the oil furnace will be hot water. We bought a hybrid heat-pump/regular coil hot water heater. Again it came with a $500 rebate from Efficiency Maine and a 30% federal tax credit. We also set up an energy audit for the house that will be paid for with a rebate. Our amazing week included a trip down to Cape Elizabeth to have wedding rings designed by Lisa Gent (thanks to Faith and Deb for handling deliveries while we were gone), and a big lobster feed outside on a beautiful evening with Jim and Martha and Vickie and John. Jim brought the lobsters and they cooked them outside on one of those propane burner thingys. Nothing makes me happier than a summer feast outside. Today we canoed down the choppy lake to the Nees' annual birthday lunch. |
