Our PV Panels Are Up!

Last Friday, Curt and his crew managed to get  the first 12 solar panels mounted on the barn before the big snowstorm hit. The forecast was unusually  accurate - we got over 17 inches of snow, fierce winds, and then frigid cold.
At least the wind blew a significant portion of the snow off the roof.  Curt had covered the rails with large tarps to prevent them from icing up during the storm.  Yesterday he returned with a roof rake, cleaned off the snow and removed the tarps. Today it warmed up to above zero - not warm enough to melt anything - but another 4-8 inches of snow was forecast (thus, the gloomy sky in these photos.)  The crew arrived early this morning to attempt to complete the installation before the snow started.

Each of the 36 photovoltaic panels is identified with a serial number and the panels are laid out in a specified order. Three sets of twelve panels are wired together. The three sets are connected to a junction box on the roof, then will connect to the inverter inside the barn.

Despite the cold, this work went surprisingly fast.

 The second set of 12 panels were mounted within a couple hours.

When I came back outside to photograph the progress an hour or so later, they were almost  completed with the  third set of panels!

The  temperature was quite brusque and I shivered just taking photos intermittently, but the guys were more concerned about their footing than the cold.  Since it hadn't warmed up enough to melt the snow, the metal roof was pretty slippery with a frosty glaze. They wore safety harnesses, but it was a challenge to maintain secure footing.

Last connection!  All these panels were installed today. The first twelve panels are left of the photo, still covered in a few inches of snow.  As soon as it warms up a bit, the snow should slide right off.

View of the installation from the top of the ladder.  There is still a lot of electrical work to be done before we actually have solar power and there are two trees to be removed.

The fearless crew. Thanks, guys!