Solar panels online

Wholesale Solar lits a bunch of different brands and key facts about each.  They say they offer "all" brands but I wonder if that's true.  Anyway, they liste quite a few brands, and the differences make interesting reading.

At the site I found a matrix of orientation factors in Los Angeles (similar latitude to San Antonio).  A 7/12 pitch facing south has the best performance year round (yes I already posted a number very similar from a detailed calculator), and that's defined as 1.0.  But straight up isn't awful either, you still get 0.89 efficiency.  And straight up, the angle doesn't matter, and trees are less likely to interfere (but still can, if they cast shadow on the panel because the sun isn't straight up either).  Facing east or west at 7:12 gets you 0.84, you might as well point straight up if you can.  SE or SW at 7:12 gets you 0.96, backing down to 4:12 gets you 0.95. E or W at 7/12 gets you 0.84, so there flatter is better, 4:12 gets you 0.88, straight up 0.89 (again).

My take, as usual, is don't sweat the small stuff.  Go for the 1.0 if you can but other orientations are quite acceptable from E-S-W.  If you must put on E-N-W half, just point straight up.  It's more critical to avoid actual shading.  A full shade cast across the narrow dimension of solar panel can reduce output by 100%, even if it's just a few inches.  Many other kinds of shadow, not going all the way across, get you down to 50%.  Obviously, avoiding shading is the most important factor.  The the "diffuse" shade from object in distance isn't as important.

Here's a great blog post on solar power from an independent consumer.

One interesting point in there is that temperature derating can be significant, you can lose 10% at 122 degrees F (and it can get that hot on roof).

solar panel compatible (short) trees

Tonto Crape Myrtle

Texas Mountain Laurel (Calia secundiflora)

Bloodgood Japanese Maple

Ronnie

Ronnie didn't show today (Thursday June 16), second day in a row, and his his phone number is "unavailable at this time."

Fleetwood answered most of my questions, but sent their CAD options for different frame options rather than saying whether their window would work with veneer brick siding or would need additional moulding to do so.  I will run the CAD options by Ronnie next time I see him on the job.  I think the standard "nail fin" version will do fine, though it's unclear which option(s) nail fin corresponds to on the CAD.

Too late to avoid heat, too late for perfection

One of my biggest concerns about this project has been pouring the concrete before the worst heat of summer.  I worried that summer heat might cause cracking and other imperfections in the slab.  I wanted the best slab possible.  That was why I put the project on hold 2 years ago, because I didn't think I could find a decent concrete contractor before summer heat kicked in.  Then it kicked in.

This year I started trying to contact Ronnie in April.  That seemed early enough.  It was May before he got back to me.  During May, planning took time, I upgraded from Hardipanel to brick, and then there was 2 weeks delay waiting for the slab engineering.  Ronnie had other projects too, which he doesn't talk about much.  Even after we got the engineering, progress has slow, and then there was a setback, about a week's worth of 3 hour every-other-days, after discovering the original layout encroached on the utility easement.

Well, it's too late to worry.  By Wednesday June 15, summer heat is already here.  On Monday a man in San Antonio died attempting to pour a concrete sidewalk in the hundred degree heat.

Waiting the heat out now would mean waiting until mid September.  I suspect that wouldn't work for Ronnie one bit, as it probably wouldn't work for any other contractor.  I won't even ask.  He might get a job somewhere else. I might never see him in September.

I can, however, suggest using 4500 psi concrete with 4.5 inch or greater slump.  I can suggest shading the slab (actually he did suggest that), pouring in early morning or late at night, and having way to keep top of slab in water.  If Ronnie thinks these are good ideas, since I suggest them, he will be happy to charge, and I will be happy to pay more money for the upgrades, as I already have for past upgrades.

I have never been concerned about the time this project takes per se.  I understand well the fundamental tradeoffs between time, quality, and money.  You can get 2, but not 3.  My main concern is quality, and my second concern is money.  Time is not an issue for me so I never ask Ronnie about time.  Time was only a factor because of the possibility of getting concrete poured before summer heat.  I hoped I could get better quality that way.  But now it's too late.  (Though still, as summer drags on, it will get hotter, so I do hope Ronnie can pour the slab before too long, so long as there are no shortcuts.)

And for me, the hardest part, is that I will simply have to live with imperfection.  Even the engineering report is full of disclaimers abour different kinds of cracks and imperfections which are "not structural".

So, life is full of imperfections.  If they get too bad, like a water leak into the building I can probably get them fixed.  Maybe I can get Ronnie to fix it free if it's his fault.  If they aren't too bad, like superficial cracks which are "not structural", I can live with them.  I must accept that nothing in life is perfect, even if you tried very hard to achieve perfection.

I shouldn't be worrying too much about this project.  It's supposed to be fun, and "not that important."  It's a very fancy building, fancier in some ways even then my house, but nothing is perfect.  Other things in life, like my health, my career, my friendships, and even my house and car, are far more important.  The pool house is a part of my estate which is deliberately NOT connected to my house so that it's less critical.  This was partly intended as learning exercise, an experiment to see if Ronnie and I can work together well enough to take on a more critical project, and also learning how I can work better with Ronnie or other contractor.  The next big construction project, the covered patio extending the length of my house, is far more critical precisely because it will have to be connected to my house.  (One lesson already learned, start planning in March instead of May, and plan to pour concrete in April instead of June.)

Yes I'm having a hard time not worrying about this too much, but I must, otherwise, it will drive me insane or ill from stress.  "Don't worry, be happy" goes the song, and that is what one must learn to do.  And no time better than the present.

Wednesday June 15

Ronnie didn't show up today.  As described in previous entry, I've decided to get Fleetwood window because they look so nice and strong.  Beginning to worry about my own health, need to get colonoscopy.

Fleetwood Windows quotation

On Friday last week I got my quotation from Fleetwood Windows for a  29 x 47 (based on golden ratio of course) Westwood 250 casement (convenient over workbench) window.  It was over $1000.

I was also a bit disappointed by U-factor, 0.53  SGHC was OK at 0.27.

But now I see that 0.53 and the specified SGHC is in fact within energy star requirements.  So this is in fact an Energy Star window.  An Energy Star high end Aluminum window.  You won't find anything like that in stock at Home Depot or Lowes, all their stocked energy star windows are vinyl (yuck) or maybe wood (stick, sigh) and you'll be lucky to get the window guy to tell you anything about special ordering HR 500 series thermal break aluminum windows.

Meanwhile the other choice I've been meaning to check out is Serious Windows in fiberglass.  They look unbeatable in energy performance, particularly in the higher end models.  But now I've heard that some of those can cost $2000.   Here's a blog on them:

http://www.replacement-windows.com/windowbb/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2899

Fiberglass has many advantages, including having thermal expansion coefficient much like glass itself.  But I worry about the wind loads on a casement window, and wonder if aluminum window, especially a strong aluminum window from Fleetwood (the Westwood 250 series have big robust frames) might be stronger and ultimately hold up longer.

So while I was initially shocked and disappointed by the Fleetwood quotation, I might go there after all.

It still may be worth checking out the cheapest fiberglass series at Serious, the 525 series.

Update:

I've sent a few more questions to Fleetwood, might sign for Fleetwood window shortly.  The metal frames look to be very strong, that's exactly what I need here.  I plan to check out Serious Windows when I'm replacing the sliding and single hung windows in my actual house.

Trenches dug

After not showing up on Monday, Ronnie and his crew seem to have finished digging the trenches for the slab beams today (Tuesday) in about 3 hours from 10am-1pm.  The trenches are way deep, perhaps over 30 inches (I didn't measure).  Some kind of power equipment was being used.  Ronnie had previous said it was difficult/impossible to dig through compacted gravel on the southwest side of the slab where the earlier beam trench had been (and which had therefore to be filled up with gravel and recompacted with machine).

A 6 mil plastic vapor barrier has been placed where the inside portion of the slab will be.

Moving forwards, slowly but goodly.  Quick recap back to June 6.

Monday June 6...finished half of trench digging, but then I discovered easement encroachment issue and spent hours on phone.  After hearing that it would cost $720 to get variances from CPS and AT&T, Ronnie reluctantly agreed to move slab forms back 18 inches (ultimately it was 2 feet, 1 foot gap to back 12 foot easement).

June 7...Ronnie showed me new forms after moving, didn't look as good, I complained about appearance forms and lack of new machine compacting.  Ronnie collected $1500 for slab upgrades from original design and moving.

June 8 No Show

June 9  No Show (if I remember correctly), I was beginning to panic "is Ronnie skipping out on me", I shouldn't have complained so much, particularly about the appearance of the wood forms, which was nothing and which Ronnie promised to fix but i complained a second time, I was thinking.

June 10 Ronnie showed up with worker and mechanical compactor, did re-compacting, confessed that it was really good idea to do mechanical compacting after all.  Started digging new back trench but said machine was needed to cut through compacted gravel

Monday June 13  No show

June 14  Ronnie showed up with workers and finished digging trenches for slab beams, put vapor barrier over gravel in center of slab

Dirt piled up all around now, I hope some of that gets used as backfill to mitigate slope.