PV before the "deadline"

The panels arrived - Plan A was that they'd all be on the south facing roof. Plan B was to share them between the south and south-west facing roofs.

Plan B won.  I'm not sure I like the look of it so much and we'll loose a bit of light on the panels due to the trees in summer, but it means we got 13 panels on and I don't have to worry so much about the neighbour's hedge to the south.

We're signed up as generators with Good Energy and in the almost-2 months they've been up have generated about 98 kW hours.  Pretty much in line with the expected output.

Things should be looking up dramatically as the days lengthen and the sun climbs a little higher.

It was a bit last minute - the government brought forward the cut-off date for the generous feed in tariff from April to 12th December.

We were up and running and certified on the 8th thanks to Gavin and his team - who worked into the night to get us installed and generating for the deadline.

So here are some rather dark pictures of men at work.

Not forgetting that I still need to sort out the balcony rail!

..and then the solar industry took the government to court and won and now the government is appealing that decision so who knows where it will all end....

I'm planning the next post will show our energy usage for our first year.  And in the coming year it's just possible that we'll generate enough to meet all our needs. 

Last Autumn

 Confusing isn't it, I'm posting Autumn 2011 in 2012.

Looking back from these dark cold days it was surprisingly green.


The minimal pergola (with hidden gutter taking rainwater to water butt)  is finished and the grape vine on the left is romping away. Next summer, if the current frosts don't kill it, it should be up on the wires and doing its shady work.

It's growing in the old stone trough we unearthed when digging out for the house. The watering can hanging in mid-air is hanging from one end of the cross-wires on the pergola in a bid to straighten the wire out a bit. It didn't work.

I thought the wood cladding would fade to grey, if anything it's getting brighter,

and I still haven't reattached the slips at the back of the house.



 Must check the green roof for beech saplings in the spring.

 Most of the leaves are still to fall.

On the north west side of the house we've put a row of narrow water butts.

They are linked to each other and to a tap at the side of the garage, some 3metres lower.  I'd like to re-do them higher still so I can directly water the areas higher up the garden too.

After spending ages getting the empty butts perfectly level they all went wonky as each one filled in turn. A project for next Spring.