PV Energy Report

 We've had about a week of pretty sunny weather following at least a month of rainy cloudy weather.  Good PV production. Listed are the four meters (with transformers) that I have.  "HillTop" was installed several months ago solely for the purpose of delivering energy to my utility. Yesterday, June 19, 2021 yielded:

1) new "topofhill" transformer        167 kwh

2) "Across the Road", ATR                328 kwh

3) "House"                                        173 kwh

4) "Pool"/"Big Barn"                        108 kwh

All are "net". Production that exceeds use.

The total for the first three is 668 kwh for which I am credited at $.06/kwh monthly.  $40 for the day.  Each day for the past week has been close to that.

The 4th meter production is credited annually at $.03/kwh.  So, about $3 for that day for that meter.  Each meter cost me about $.75/day for the "overhead" connection fee.  The 4th meter generally more than pays for the connection fees.  In addition, the 4th meter/transformer supplies me true "net metering", "use the grid as a battery".  It doesn't matter when I use the energy; I am billed nothing for it if my contributions for a month exceed my use.  For that benefit, I accept the much lower payment rate.  The rate structure on the other three meters/transformers mean that I pay $.10/kwh for night time use no matter how much I may produce during daylight hours.

I am working to bring production for all four meters up nearer their transformer capacities.  My estimates for the upper limits are 400, 400,  300, and 140 for the meters respectively.  That is, I might be able to get best day peak productions up to 1100 kwh ($66) per day for the monthly credited meters.  After that?  Time to add a 5th meter/transformer!

 

6/30/2021

20 days into my billing period with the last 10 being sub par from cloudiness.  Average over the 20 days has been about 566 kwh.  Near $34/day.  On target for a $1k month.

Original Jeddo solar project post updated

 https://wmckemie.blogspot.com/2021/01/1500-acres-of-pv-near-jeddo.html

 

Pecos Cantaloupe

I think I'll semi-plan a Pecos trip for mid-July.  Bring home a few boxes of cantaloupe. Maybe before just to check out the Mondajano farm and get a reading on the cantaloupe season.  It is on a highway I don't believe I've traveled before.  SuperCharger stops at Junction and Ft Stockton.  Should be quick and easy trips.  I guess I could go on to Balmorea to see if there has been progress on the pool repair.

http://www.ntxe-news.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=74&num=111895

 https://www.lubbockonline.com/news/20190830/famed-pecos-cantaloupes-from-west-texas-now-rare-few-farms

 https://www.texascooppower.com/texas-stories/nature-outdoors/the-truth-about-pecos-cantaloupes

 https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Pecos-cantaloupes-were-famous-Now-oil-rules-14273017.php

 https://goo.gl/maps/Ssuczi6eTH3xbriLA

PowerWall Lives!

 Right after our big long freeze event in February, my PowerWall quit working.  It was refusing to use grid power.  Pleas to Tesla Energy for a service call went nearly ignored.  After the better part of a day trying to get back on grid power, I decided to wire around the PowerWall Gateway.  The only way to do that safely was to pull my meter.  So, I notified Bluebonnet, cut the seal and pulled the meter.  After I figured out what needed to be done, it was a less than half hour job to do it.  The primary obstacle was bending and moving very heavy copper wire.  I was extremely relieved when I plugged the meter back in and found I had grid power again.  

 With essentially zero help or advice from Tesla, I determined that a big switch in the gateway box was just a 200 amp breaker rather than a transfer switch as I first thought.  A search on the part number told me it was a very common unit.  So, I ordered one.  Installing the new one was a long, tedious, and painful job because of obscured mounting bolts and general congestion.  I ordered several sets of deep sockets of approximately the right size.  The right size turned out to be 10mm.  Weeks later, the new breaker was in place.  But, I had lost enthusiasm for the project and kept postponing putting the PW back in the circuit.   I was uncertain that the bad breaker was the only problem.  I would rather have hired Tesla or others to do the job.  Meanwhile, I had bought a new three battery PW from an individual, not Tesla.  I've become sensitive to the possibility of allowing the batteries to run down and become ruined.  The "new" batteries have likely been in storage more than a year.  The new gateway is "gen2" and my installed gateway is "gen1".  I hope that tells me that the batteries are not very old.  The "gen2" gateway seems not to have the 200 amp breaker that failed me.

So, today was the day.  May 20.  About three months after I disconnected the PW.  Things went rather smoothly other than not being able to get the heavy wires stuffed down into the gateway box so it can be properly closed.  Pull meter.  Change four big wires from one set of lug connections to the others.  Reinstall meter.  Flip breakers, switches, disconnects back on.  Everything works.  The single positive result of all my pleadings with Tesla back in February was that my PW got properly associated with my Tesla account so that the PW, like cars, shows up on my Tesla smartphone app.  I had had no communication with my PW for three months and I was extremely pleased to see it show up on the app with 70% charge.  The sun was out so it immediately started charging at 5kw with excess power going to the grid.

 The next step:  I have three PW batteries, NIB, that have never been used or installed.  So, I want to get them hooked up, either all together or one at a time, and make sure that they are not in danger of totally self discharging.   The new batteries weigh maybe 300 pounds each and I am not very mobile.  Moving them from my Sprinter to the house will be daunting.  So, I'll likely wait to gain better mobility before I attack that project.

While writing this, the PW battery became fully charged.   I believe I have it configured so it uses battery power after sundown until the battery gets down to 50%.  Then, grid power, saving the last 50% for a power failure.

A little later.... I emailed Bluebonnet this morning to tell them the meter was ready for a seal.  This afternoon, a guy showed up and installed a seal.  With zero grief to me.  No complaints about "only Bluebonnet people are supposed to remove seals".    It is no wonder that I like being a Bluebonnet customer.  More accurately, having Bluebonnet as a customer.

New 12000 btu "hyper heat" mini split heat pump

 Just installed.  "Hyper Heat" meaning that it extracts heat from air temperatures below zero F rather than the older types would require resistive heat below about 40 deg F.  SEER of 22.5.  Another choice was a 9000 btu unit of SEER 25.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/outQ6QGDURUsNm2M7

The unit may not be big enough to supply all needed cooling and heating.  The window unit, I believe, is about 18000 btu which is sufficient for cooling the area.  The major impetus is to not have to build fires in the stove when heating needs are moderate.  Current infirmities have made fire tending tedious and painful. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/DiamondAir-Mini-Split-12k-BTU-Hyper-Heat-22-5-SEER-Heat-Pump-D2012SHO-DF2012HMSI/254362573571?hash=item3b3930db03:g:uMUAAOSwbsddgQt2

Picked up at Houston warehouse of

 https://www.budgetheating.com/

Installation by Paige Aire:

http://paigeaire.com

 Cost: about $1400 plus $800 for installation.

Product specifications:

 https://www.diamondaircorp.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=906

 Full heat capacity down to 5 deg F!  I'm now thinking the 18000 btu unit might have been a better choice, though less efficient.  I was first drawn to the 9000 btu unit because it is more efficient than the purchased 12000 btu..

7/15/2021

I've been running the 12k btu unit now for over two months and I'm well pleased with it.  I have in hand a similar 9k btu unit that I intend to put in my bedroom.  Together, I think the two units will both heat and cool the entire house.  For back up cooling, I will leave in place the two window units: a 18k btu in the dining room and a 6k btu in the bedroom.  I'm thinking ahead for the winter in case my limited mobility problem does not get better and I don't feel up to tending a fire in the winter.  Even with improved mobility, I will likely do a lot of winter heating with the heat pumps.

Electric energy is generally not a problem.  During the day, I produce and send to the grid at least 10 times as much as I can hope to squander on heating and cooling.  My only (slight) worry is that, if grid is down, I may have not be able to heat and cool as much at night as I would like.

Here are some stories of interest:

https://cleantechnica.com/2021/07/30/ductless-heat-pumps-demystified/

 https://cleantechnica.com/2021/08/12/why-heat-pumps-are-the-answer-to-heat-waves/

"Century" Plant

 The agave in front of the house is starting to do it's phallic blooming thing.  When we moved in out here, in 1976, there was a mature agave in that spot and it bloomed a few years after.  The plants die after blooming but they are typically surrounded by "pups".  The current one has dominated the surround pups; none rival it for size.  Agaves are known to many anglos as "Century Plants" likely because of the long bloom cycle.   Not a century but ~30 years.  We did not expect to see a second bloom cycle.  Well, Jean did not get to see it, but I did.

Oddly, I believe the first bloomed after our horrible winter of  1983:

https://wmckemie.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-cold-week.html

Is it coincidence that the second is blooming after our horrible winter of 2021?

 https://wmckemie.blogspot.com/2021/02/cold-spell.html

Our observed bloom cycle would be close to 40 years.

 https://www.chron.com/life/gardening/article/How-often-does-a-century-plant-bloom-1744209.php

April 26, 2021

Not yet branching out.

May 11, 2021

Branching out.  "Stag horns".  Height must be more than 20 feet.

May 24, 2012

Recall the blooming seemed like it may have been triggered by the record cold spell in February.  The agave was damaged and some thornless cactus was completely killed.  I'm ready to add "Pride of Barbados" to the completely killed list.  I had been hoping for only "killed to the ground" which describes fig damage.  But, now, the figs have sprouted from the ground and put on a couple of feet of growth.  There is no evidence that any of my approximately ten of Pride of Barbados have survived. 

May 31, 2012

June 1, 2021

Link to photo album of all agave  photos.  The photos in the blog (above) are not zoomable.  The ones in album are.  That is, to see more detail, look at the album.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9DAf9ULvrSZbKvHAA

 

June 20, 2021 New photos

 

I've previously reported that I thouhgt the week long freeze in February may have killed my Pride of Barbados.  Above, is a survivor

Crepe Myrtles are starting to bloom!

The Agave is nearing full bloom.  Lower "antlers" are blooming well.  Stalk is starting to lean.  I expect to find it on the ground after another couple of weeks.

The top of the stalk has reached the ground wire that goes to my transformer.  No risk there.

6/25/2020  Full bloom.  Swaying alarmingly in the wind.  Soon to fall.  Note Ray at base of plant to provide scale.

6/30/2021

The lower blooms seem to be fading as the top ones reach fullness.  Swaying in the wind is alarming; it could fall any day now.

After if falls, I'll pace off to get a good height estimate. Right now, I think about 30 feet.  That is taller than the first bloom about 1980-1985.  My theory is that each generation, presumably growing from same roots, grows bigger.  I will strive to view the next generation about 2050-2060.

July 5, 2021

Seed or seed pods are falling the ground.  Past peak bloom.

9/12/2021

The agave is boring me.  I figured it would have fallen months ago.

Hog Business

 After a very long dry spell, hogs are being caught again.  My hog trappers have several "small" traps that are about 4'x4'x8', a "medium" size trap, and a "large" trap.  The large is built with four drop down doors, one on each size.  The larger hogs have been shy of the smaller traps so they built the big one so that the hogs can see their way out as they enter any of the four doors.  This last catch, two 200+ pounds, was the first catch in the big trap.  A 3rd hog escaped capture by virtue of being not completely through a door when it dropped.  A few days ago, they caught 7 ~50 pound pigs in a single catch in the medium size trap.

 https://photos.app.goo.gl/257Rkom6S3diM4aV6

The brown is a pregnant sow and the black is a boar.  In transfer from the trap to the pictured transport trailer, the sow refused to cooperate and had to be winched into the trailer.  After, the boar followed her in.