Roughly 4 years ago, not long after we founded 2nd Green Revolution, my dad started talking about putting a photovoltaic system on his roof. I wrote recently about how my mom is a good barometer in my mind for how likely sustainable ventures are to take hold. Now it’s time to turn the spotlight on my dad. My parents don’t live together, so this is largely a study in contrasts.
My dad is “frugal.” This already makes him a candidate for many sustainable behaviors. He keeps his heat at 62 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter, turns on as few lights as possible, and consolidates his trips as much as possible. Mind you, he lives in a house large enough for a family of five to comfortably share, but he’s been there for nearly 30 years. On the whole he’s conscientious of how much he consumes, though there are inconsistencies, the starkest of which is that up until last year he had two cars. To his credit he’s now talking about a Tesla. We’re in year 2 or so of this chatter, so I expect 2015 (which he’s mentioned) to be the transition point.
Back to the discussion about solar. Few places are as ideal for solar as sunny Southern California. Check out this map from NREL indicating solar intensity across the US. My dad has a few large oak trees that provide wonderful shade and much needed habitat for wildlife. Finding spots on his roof becomes a bit tricky as a result. However his roof is a good candidate for a 4-kilowatt system. It faces southeast and has a good pitch. The surface doesn’t seem ideal though, clay tile. When replacing the roof on his home (his was done probably 15 years ago), solar wasn’t on his mind.
The other day he signed a contract with REC Solar to install 255 watt panels. Details are scarce (I don’t even know how many they’ll install) at this point and there’s a 10 week backlog, so it’ll be a little while before the install. I’ll check back in with more information as the mid-October installation date approaches and I learn the specifics.
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