~ 2020 ~
Am I Harming the Monarch Butterfly?
Over the past year I have been doing my best to help the monarch butterfly—both in our prairie, gardens and greenhouse. This summer was the first full season for the swamp milkweed that I planted in...
Under-Sizing a Solar Array Inverter
Times have changed since the last time I installed a solar array 16 years ago. Back in those days, it was common to right-size or over-size an inverter based on the size of the solar array. In our...
6.4kW Solar Panel Installation – Part II
I really believed that we’d be lucky to have our solar array up and running by May knowing how our spring weather can be and not knowing how Scott from Viking Electric would be able to...
6.4kW Solar Panel Installation – Part I
Earlier this year (late January) I started getting bids to install a new solar array. The purpose of this array was to get us closer (and maybe slightly beyond) net zero — meaning that...
Do Solar Panels Still Produce Meaningful Power After 16 Years?
It’s been 16 years since installing our 4kW solar array and thought now was a good time to see how production is compared to the first year. The NREL (National Renewable Energy Lab)...