6.5 Kilowatt Solar System Installed

Should cover about half my power needs.  Kyocera Solar 250W module array (Model KD250GX-LFB3) Panel Rating 250 W DC ea, Array Rating 7.5 kW DC.  System cost to install was $35,625 for Solar City.  I will be paying them at a rate of 9.9 cents per kW hour.  This rate can go up by 2.9% per year (so in 10 years it will cost what NV energy charges me right now!)  Should produce 13,773 kWh per year with a 0.5% degradation per year in performance.





DC to AC inverter (right), reverse meter spot (middle), main panel board (left)



The dollar schedule for my system.  So in 5 years I could buy the system form them for $18k.

Steel Courtyard Gate Installed

Artistic Ironworks Installed the gate today.  Out the door price was $2,850.00







Before Pictures

Tankless Water Heater

My first electrical job.   I wired in a 60 amp circuit to my seimans panel board.  Used 6 Guage wire in a hard conduit that passed through my wall into my garage and to a 60 amp disconnect switch.

The water heater is an awesome instant heater that uses up to 13 kilowatts to heat water instantly.  It should save me about $15 to $20 per month.

New Patio Doors

Got the new patio doors $5,700 for 3 doors installed.  U value of previous doors (single pane aluminum framed) was about 1.3, these new doors a U value of 0.29 meaning they transfer about 22% the heat that the old doors would transfer.  That's big, about $1.50 per door per day in 110°F summer or 30°F winter of energy savings.  Based on degree days cooling (2574°) and heating (2508°F) for Las Vegas, the difference in U value should come out to a savings of $211 per big door per year and $158 for the smaller door.  That's a total of $580 per year giving these doors a 10 year payback from the energy savings (9 years with the tax credit).  In the mean time they look much better, work smoothly, keep down noise, and reduce temperature gradients.  Plus SCREEN DOORS!

Some Christmas Light Pictures

Pool Upgrade Complete

Just had the contractors finish up the pool upgrade.  Had Peak Pool Plastering, inc put quartz plaster in my pool along with new tile, color LED light (shown here in long exposure red), new skimmer, deco drain, and new deck coating.  Basically everything you could touch around the pool has been replaced.  $10,748 total cost.

 More color options, they can cycle too!

Below are some in process pics from filling the pool back up to what the old pool used to look like.

From the Other Angle - From Start to Finish

Garage Epoxy Job for Gov Shut Down!

Garage needed some love.  This pic is after extensive grinding, cleaning and etching.  There was decades of old paint spills, glue, tar, tire, oil etc.  Major prep to just get to this stage (about 30 hours).  Used Epoxy Concrete patch, 2 gallons of clear coating, and 3 gallons of tan garage epoxy along with 6 lbs of paint chips.

 Epoxy filling of heavy cracks

 First gallon of epoxy paint

 2nd gallon of epoxy paint

1st gallon of gloss coat

Solar Powered Heater!

Constructed this solar heater based on the following data I found on the internet.

http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_pool_heater_diy_fp.htm

I figure in our climate I get more like around 1kW from each of the receptors.  Additionally I was able to utilize some of the corner space pulling in more polyethylene than the original poster.  (about 5-10 feet extra per coil).  I designed around the Intelliflo 011018 pump which I have had purchased and installed amid this upgrade.

Total cost of project <$400 USD.  Cheapest installation option I found out there was $3000.  20 hours of personal labor worth $2600.

There are easy attachment points for 2 additional receptors for a total of 10.  I may add the last two as weather gets colder.  I am sure I will shut down during the hottest months so I dont get my pool too warm!