Solar panels, part 4

A funny story: I finished grading the first part of all 66 lab papers on Tuesday. Obsessed as I had been with the grading, I had not given much thought to dinner. On my way home, I came up with three meals that could be made quickly with things that did not need to be thawed. I consulted Terry. “Would you rather have Spam with macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup, or potstickers?” (I get frozen potstickers at Trader Joe’s. They are ready after 5 minutes in the skillet.)

“Do you have a preference?” he countered.

“All I care about is having a glass of wine,” I replied. I don’t normally have wine on a school night, but I totally deserved it after all those hours of grading.

“Ahh,” Terry said, considering carefully. “Then let’s have Spam with macaroni and cheese. That goes better with wine.”

So next time you are looking for a good pairing….

Paul and his crew were back Thursday to string the wire through the underground pipe. They finished the frame and hooked the wires up to the boxes underneath.

The finished frame

Close up of the box where the panels plug in

One of two boxes under the frame

Thursday was blustery. After I was done taking pictures of the day’s progress on the solar panels, I stopped by to say hello to the girls. They came out to see me in the hope that I was bringing them something delicious, like carrot peels. Finding me empty-handed, they retreated to the shelter of the coop. They don’t like having their feathers ruffled.

The girls with their feathers ruffled.

Terry took over the photography on Friday and Saturday while I was judging a robotics competition at MCC and having fun with Jane. Paul came out with two helpers to put the panels on.

The panels were mounted and plugged to the boxes, starting from the bottom and going up.

End of the second row of panels

Third row done, panels poised beneath frame for the fourth row

Second to the last panel

Working on the connections

Wired in

They strung a copper wire all along the top. I was not able to figure out exactly what it connects to. Terry said that there was more to hooking up the panels than plugging them in. “There was a lot of electrician work,” he said.

Roll of copper wire for the final steps

By noon on Saturday, the panels were in place. Paul checked that electricity was being generated, but we don’t have the right kind of meter to run backwards.  The inspector will come out on Tuesday. Then we have to wait for Com Ed to come install a new meter. It is not clear how long that will take. Still, the hard part is over.

All done!