When it gets exciting is typically when things go wrong and get expensive. 😄😄🤷♂️
The batteries UPS systems were fine and both started right up.
We had one data cable that wasn’t working between one inverter and it’s battery that caused about two minutes of trouble shooting-but we’ve been here before and had pulled in extra data cables, so that problem was resolved almost before it was a problem.
When we went to turn on the disconnects to allow the solar panels to connect to the system and start working, the clouds that had been over us all day parted as if the sun itself wanted to participate with these new panels. ☀️
Right as the last switch was successfully thrown on the solar system and everything just went to work without noise or fuss, a double rainbow appeared over the site.
The rain came back right as I was powering up and testing all the high voltage AC outputs and gear, which was a bit disconcerting, but everything worked perfectly and I didn’t get electrocuted-so that’s a plus. 😄😄
We put the covers back on the gear-most of them for the last time thankfully.
It was then decided that the day had been long enough, and successful enough, that it was time to quit and everyone head into town for a celebratory dinner and some beers!
My designated driver was pretty cute!😍
An RV park/steakhouse with singing wait staff?
Sign me up!!😄😄
The steaks were great, the continual musical put on by the wait staff was fun, and the company was good! The beers helped ease the tension from what had been a long day.
When we returned to camp at the job site, all was dark and quiet and looked the same as the previous night.
Except for those two faintly glowing green lights on the batteries.
Those two little lights silently shining in the darkness indicated that this location was for the first time ever powered up after dark without the annoying roar of diesel generators.
Two little lights indicating a huge evolutionary step for this location.
That feels good.
Real good.
But what about that whole well pump and generator fiasco?
I had hatched a plan to address that, and here in just a few short minutes, we will begin to execute that plan and find out if we can somehow salvage the rest of the project…