January, 2010

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Karie, Karie, quite contrary

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

Despite two snowfalls, weeks of below-freezing nighttime temperatures, and no irrigation for over a month, our garden has been thriving.

IMG_6524

Today, I cut down all the greens and turned them over to get ready for spring.

We also tackled another project I’ve been wanting to do. You might remember that we built the beds with railroad ties as borders (railroad ties that Brad had gone to a fair bit of trouble to get). Later, I heard from a couple people that railroad ties are treated with nasty chemicals. I tried to think they were overreacting. Then I heard a show on “You Bet Your Garden” — not a particularly radical show — in which the host said he would never, ever use railroad ties for anything. He went on and on.

OK, so maybe we’d need to get rid of them.

I dreaded telling Brad, but predictably he said it was no big deal. So we got some redwood planks, and today put them in, along with a little sitting bench since we sometimes have lunch in the greenhouse.

IMG_6538

I’m already starting to think about what we’ll plant for spring.

Design through production

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

It’s been an interesting experience to have been immersed in our home building from design through actual construction (and, one day, living in it). For anyone in a business, I think that doing a variety of jobs throughout the enterprise is a great way to gain expertise, regardless of what job you want to do ultimately.

One example that has been interesting is our arched doorways. In the design phase, we really wanted to carry through some eclectic Moroccan-type design elements. The arched doorways were one easy and attractive way to do this. At the time, I didn’t really think of what would be involved in making them. (Brad may have; for me, everything was such an unknown that I didn’t single this out as different since I really didn’t know how to do anything.)

Of course, building them was another whole story. Just laying them out was challenging. Then stucco’ing them took a lot longer. And throughout, the risk loomed of messing them up and having them look horrible. (We have told ourselves on many occasions that there is nothing that can’t be ripped out and done again.)

Now that the one doorway is done though, it really looks great. I’m so glad we did it and am even looking forward to doing more. And I know that every one we do will be a little easier and a little better.

Archway Designs

Saturday, January 23rd, 2010

Today, days and days of rain and wind culminated in snow in the mountains, and later in the day, a wild fit of snow flurries at our house.

We worked inside and built our first indoor arched doorway.

final

To start, Brad drew the arch shape onto 1/4″ plywood (he’s getting very good at this) and then cut it with a jigsaw.

jigsaw

Then we ripped a couple 2x4s to be 1/2″ less than normal. This was so we could use them as framing inside, and when the two pieces of plywood were attached, the whole thing would be the same width as a 2×4.

attaching 2bys

Then we screwed the plywood down to the framing…

kmf_screws

and attached it to the doorway framing.

kmf_attaching

It looks fabulous.

beforeandafter

We have at least one more arch to make for Tumbleweed (or maybe more??) and many in the main house. I’m looking forward to finishing these with drywall, paint or clay, some tile accents, and who knows what else!

What makes you qualified to do this?

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

As we’ve talked to and shown various people around here the work we’re doing, a frequently asked question is “What makes you qualified to do this?”

Hmmm. Interesting question. I sometimes explain that Brad used to do construction. And while that has been very helpful in some areas, the reality is that much of what we’re doing is new to both of us.

So the answer is that we are bold and think we can do it.

My general feeling is that traditional education in many professions is less valuable than good common sense and hard work. To me, this is no different. We do a lot of research and try to think things out well in advance, but at some point you just plunge ahead and try it. If it doesn’t work, you try something else. If you work hard and smart, things generally work out.

A couple people have agreed with this saying that really anyone could build a house; you just need to want to do it and then to do the work. Both people who shared this perspective with us were professional contractors.

Installing a Xantrex XW – part 4

Monday, January 18th, 2010

Well, I started up the inverter today — it was uneventful; everything worked. We have AC power. The solar array charged the battery bank. It was the good kind of uneventful.

I threw the breaker labeled “Inverter Disconnect,” which connected the battery bank to the inverter. The inverter flashed for a second and then lit up showing the battery full. The System Control Panel turned on and showed a warning/fault. I looked at the warning, and it just let me know that new devices were added to the system.

I set the date and time and nothing else really.

Then I turned on the breaker adding the Solar Charge Controller (SCC) into the system. I immediately got another warning – Yes, a new device was added into the system. I did need to configure a couple of of things: battery type and the amp hours of the battery bank. It already knew the voltage of the battery bank.

Then I threw the last breaker to allow power from the solar array to the SCC. Almost immediately I saw voltage from the solar array displayed on the SCC. Soon the batteries were charging. The battery bank was about 50 volts when I began and about 54 volts by the time I left for the day.

And that’s it.

I think Xantrex (now called Schneider Electric or so I hear…) built a great system. Their manuals were great. The wiring diagrams were the best. I read all the manuals and studied the wiring diagrams and as far as I can tell everything worked. I am very happy.

We bought all our solar equipment from Northern Arizona Wind and Sun. I have to say that they were very helpful. They did several quotes for me as I tried to understand what it was I wanted. They did a wonderful job of making sure I bought all the things I needed and nothing I didn’t need. We got a big pile of stuff and it’s all somewhere doing something. While I was doing the installation, I frequently emailed them questions or requests for advice — again, they were very helpful and cheerful about helping. And, their prices were good… very good.

Here are some pictures:

SCC display of the power from the solar array

SCC display of the power from the solar array

The inverter display

The inverter display

The inverter status on the SCP

The inverter status on the SCP

Displaying the SCC info in the SCP

Displaying the SCC info in the SCP

Running a 500 watt light to test a load

Running a 500 watt light to with test a load

-fin-

Installing a Xantrex XW – part 3

Sunday, January 17th, 2010

It’s been a little while since I worked on the Xantrex (solar) system. Two main things caused the delay. One was that a few items needed to be ordered before I could finish the installation. The other was that we got started with the first coat of stucco and wanted to finish that as quickly as possible.

What needed to be ordered? We needed two DC breakers and one AC breaker. The DC breakers are clearly called for in the wiring diagrams. I wondered why they didn’t just come with the inverter. I can only assume that it’s because there are so many possible ways to configure this system and that some don’t use those breakers. The AC breaker is because I want power in the battery house. Other things I needed were flexible conduit, 3/4 inch and 1/2 inch, adapters for the 1 inch knockouts to 3/4 and 1/2 inch.

The first thing I tackled was the wiring of the solar array to the SCC. I used one of the new DC breakers to do this. The negative wire coming from the solar array goes into the PDP and directly to the PV- spot in the SCC (the white wire at #3 below). The positive wire goes to the top of the new DC breaker (the top of #1 – not visible). A new wire is added from the bottom of this breaker to the PV+ in the SCC (See #1 goes to #3). Note that this was done with the breaker in the OFF position.

PDP DC wiring

PDP DC wiring

I then ran the wires from the SCC to the battery. These wires allow the SCC to charge the battery bank. The negative wire from the SCC goes to the DC negative busbar in the PDP (See the white wire above #2 below). The positive wire goes to the top second new DC breaker (also in the off position). (See #1 below.) A new wire goes from the bottom of this breaker to the positive DC busbar (See #2 and #4 above) attached to the large DC breaker where the positive cable from the battery attaches.

The upper half of the PDP

The upper half of the PDP

Solar Charge Controller wiring

Solar Charge Controller wiring

Next the networking cables needed to be attached and then moved. For whatever reason, I placed the network terminator to the right. When I went to install the cover for the SCC, it would not fit because the terminator blocked the place where the screw attaches. I reversed the cable and the terminator, and all was well.

Networking and battery sensor cables

Networking and battery sensor cables

Adjusted so the cover fits

Adjusted so the cover fits

The battery temperature sensor was attached in the SCC as well. Speaking of the battery sensor… I’ve read the manuals quite a bit and was not sure what to do with the two battery sensors I received. Somewhere I read that only one was required; the data is shared on the network. Elsewhere I read that if there is more than one, whichever  one has the higher value is used. That made me think that there’s value in using both of them. So I installed both of them. One attaches to the inverter and the other to the SCC. I attached the sensor ends to two different batteries in the battery bank.

The battery sensor installed

The battery sensor installed

The next thing I did was to hook up the positive cable from the battery bank. The only tricky thing about this is that it made sense to me to connect the cable inside the PDP first and then connect the other end to the battery bank. I was worried about touching the hot end of the cable somewhere inside the PDP it should not touch.

I believe the system is ready to be turned on. I decided to give it a day before doing this. I’ve read over the manuals and think I’m ready. I’ll turn on the system tomorrow.

Voltage from the battery bank at the PDP

Voltage from the battery bank at the PDP

Solar array voltage at the PDP

Solar array voltage at the PDP

The order of operations as I see them is to first throw the breaker (#3 below) that connects the battery bank. This should bring up everything except the SCC. There may be a little bit of configuration required at this point. It seems that everything can be done from the System Control Panel. I believe the SCC can be configured at this point, but I’m not positive. At this point, the system should be inverting; it should be just like there is battery power, but nothing is coming from the solar array.

If all goes well, I will next throw the breaker (#1 below) that connects the SCC to the battery. If I need to do additional configuration, I’ll do it at this time. I think I need to enter the battery type (AGM), the amp hours of the battery bank (1530) and  possibly the voltage of the battery bank (48). I read that it will determine the battery bank voltage itself, but I also read that I will need to enter it. I guess we will see.

Again, assuming all is well, I will throw the last breaker (#2) which will allow power from the solar array to reach the SCC.

PDP DC area closed up with labels

PDP DC area closed up with labels

PDP closed up without its door

PDP closed up without its door

SCC wired and networked

SCC wired and networked

SCC wired and closed

SCC wired and closed

At this point, we’ll trying hooking up something AC-powered and see how it goes.

I plan to have a couple of outlets inside the battery house. I also have fluorescent lighting to be installed. I will also install a couple of outlets outside near the front door to replace our trusty but tiring generator.

Tree Moving Day

Friday, January 15th, 2010

We’ve waited until winter to do something about the cottonwood tree next to the septic system. (Cottonwood trees are notorious for causing damage to septic systems.) Our friend Bill Wilbur came over with his tractor and then his backhoe to do the heavy lifting. Heavier than either of us thought. When Bill picked up the tree, the front wheels of the backhoe came off the ground and would not go down – not even with the two of us standing in the bucket.

Bill first brought over his tractor with a giant auger. The plan was to punch some holes where we planned to move the tree in order to make digging easier for the backhoe. This seemed odd to me, but Bill knows his tools. Good for me though as I got Bill to pop out the holes for the ten columns that will support the next six solar panels at the same time. It took Bill about twenty minutes to make the holes, each one three feet deep. This will save me many hours with a post hole digger.

When Bill returned with the backhoe, he first dug the hole where the tree would go. Then he dug around the tree. Eventually, we wrapped a rope around the tree and Bill kind of reached under the tree with the backhoe and lifted it up. The rope held the tree against the upper arm of the backhoe. Luckily, one can steer a backhoe with its independent brakes, because the front wheels just hung in the air useless.

Once the tree was in its new home, there was lots of shoveling. We’ll be giving it lots of water and love while we nurse it back to health.

Bill and the auger

Bill and the auger

The auger in avtion

The auger in action

Digging the hole where the tree will go

Digging the hole where the tree will go

Ready to start digging

Ready to start digging

Trying to lift the tree

Trying to lift the tree

Part way out

Part way out

Oh it's out now!

Oh it's out now!

On its way to a new home/hole

On its way to a new home/hole

Moved and happy

Moved and happy

Stucco update

Friday, January 15th, 2010

It’s done!

The first coat anyway. It needs to cure and to give off its salts before we add the finish coat. It’s been a ton of work and we both need a small break. We’re very excited though. The stucco layer brings a sense of wholeness to the house. Very cool. Bring on the rains.

Note to self

Monday, January 11th, 2010

“Architectural details” take a lot longer to stucco than plain flat walls. Lookin’ good though.

arched_door

Several people have asked what the final color will be. (This is the base coat; there will be a finish coat over this.) It will be a light off-white (soapstone?) like the greenhouse columns.

And here’s today’s Buddhist thought of the day: “Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence. – Buddha”

And so we strive on.

Weather report

Saturday, January 9th, 2010

After the very cold weather and two snowfalls, we finally had a couple of days this week that were warm enough to stucco and got the third wall done. Then it started to get colder, so we took a day to finish the foam doorway arch on the last wall.

Yesterday was pretty cold (40s during the day, 20s at night), but today was supposed to be warmer so we set out this morning to start the last wall. It was colder than expected though with the temperature still in the 30s after 10:00…too cold for the stucco (and for me too).

I went to hose down the walls that have been done (something we do a few times a day so that the stucco doesn’t dry too fast and crack) and found that even the water in the hose was frozen solid.

ice

We’ll try again tomorrow.