The installation team from Akeena Solar arrived at the job site this morning to install the mounting system on our upper flat roof.  Also, they pulled the ‘fish’ through the conduit to the storage space below the pantry.

At the same time, the two-person team from 88HVAC continued to connect the HDPE in the concrete piers on the West side of the house while Izzy backfilled and compacted the soil over the natural gas and electric conduit.

The week ended on a very positive note.

Installing the Solar Mounts on Our Upper Flat Roof

We worked with Akeena Solar to design our solar system so it would generate as much electricity as possible.  The East/West axis of our house is positioned within 13 degrees of due East/West and, on our upper flat roof alone, we have 624 square feet available for solar panels.  These factors meet two of the four requirements under LEED-H ID 1.5 Building Orientation for Solar Design.

For our latitude, the solar photovoltaic panels should be at approximately 23 degree tilt to optimize the generation of electricity.  Although we could have designed the system to have a single plane of panels then it would have been taller.  In addition, solar photovoltaic panels require periodic cleaning to maximize the production of electricity.

Since we had some space, but not sufficient space, on the roof to include walkway space between the four arrays of panels, we ‘terraced’ the arrays.  Terracing the arrays provides space between each array (row) of panels while reducing the shading of the panels by the array in front of it.

A non-terraced set of four arrays of solar panels would be taller than a terraced set and not allow easy access for cleaning the solar photovoltaic panels.

Terracing the set of four arrays lowers the overall height but requires more area for the panels. The wider the spacing between each array lowers the height of each subsequent array (the shading angle is 23 degrees for our latitude).

With the terracing, we required a frame for each array of eight panels.  These frames must be raised off the upper flat roof by mounts and these mounts will penetrate the roof membrane.  And, the conduit going from each array to the ‘combiner box’ must penetrate the roof membrane.

Detailed design on the mounts and frame for the arrays on the upper flat roof.

Duk Lee of Akeena Solar completed the detailed design of the layout and the frames (Sheet PV-1 and Sheet PV-2).  The onsite team was given the task to build the system.  The first step in building the system was to install the mounts on the upper flat roof and run the conduit on the lower flat roof that will be under the tapered insulation. 

Of course, the electrical and structural components of the system need to be inspected by the City of Monte Sereno …

The installation team from Akeena arrived on site as scheduled this morning.  They took care to park on Winchester Boulevard so their vehicles did not use any of the precious parking space on Via Sereno.  After an orientation and brief tour of the project, they set to work laying out the solar mounts.  Later in the morning, Duk Lee arrived to verify the layout was as designed.  As well, Ben Caschera, the installation manager with Akeena Solar came to the project site to see how his team was doing.

There were some difficulties with the ‘fish tape’ going through the dedicated conduit that will carry the DC and AC from the roof to the East Mechanical room.  No problem.  The installation team used a shop vacuum to pull a nylon string attached to a small plastic ‘balloon’ through the conduit.  Within minutes, the fish tape was then in place.

At the end of the day, Don Henderson, the senior person on the installation team, called for an inspection for Monday afternoon with the City of Monte Sereno.  After ensuring the site was clean and secure, Don called it a week.

Backfilling and Compacting the Trench for Natural Gas and Electricity

Izzy completed the backfilling and compacting of our trench this afternoon.  Completing the backfilling created a significant amount of real estate at the front of the property.  Also, it made the site much safer and easier to get around.  Izzy’s next task was to put the 4 inch pipe in place around the perimeter of the house that will take 100% of the water from the roof to our underground cistern.  He got a good start on this today and will finish it by Wednesday.

Connecting the Ground Loops

Justin and Michael from 88HVAC were on site again today.  They connected two ground loops in each concrete pier on the West side of the house.  Next week they will test the ground loops in each concrete pier for adequate flow and pressure.  If that test is OK, then they will connect the concrete piers and bring the complete ground loop inside the house to the West Mechanical room.

Overall, we’re continuing to make progress.  And progress is good.

Starting to lay out where the mounts will be located on the upper flat roof. The cool night resulting in very heavy condensation on the newly Tyveked roof.

Izzy was backfilling and compacting the trench for the natural gas and underground electric conduit.

The team from Akeena Solar installs the mounts on the upper flat roof. It was a beautiful, blue-sky California day (again).

The acorn nuts can now be covered with the tapered foam insulation such that the member will not be damaged over time.

Don Henderson, from Akeena Solar, in an animated telephone conversation on our upper flat roof.

Conduit that will take the AC lines from the North gable roof to the East Mechanical room.

Don reviews progress.

The solar mounts are looking good! The tapered insulation will cover the solar mounts.

Don Henderson calls it a day. And a week. The team from Akeena Solar will be back on Monday to finish the last items and then the City of Monte Sereno will inspect the progress on Monday afternoon.

Other than the location for the new electric service box, the trench with the natural gas and electric is backfilled and compacted. The pile of dirt is much smaller now!

After taking the flag down, Bryan smiled and took one last picture of the solar mounts on the upper flat roof.

Monte Sereno does not allow signs to be posted within the city boundaries.  The ordinance prohibits all signs and then allows five exceptions.

We would like a sixth exception so we can have a sign showing the ‘green’ features of our Eichler.  This will help to educate others in our community and we will meet the requirements for Awareness and Education (AE 1.3).

Background

Bryan addressed our City Council meeting several months ago, showing the City Council that other communities allow signs in front of LEED-H homes outlining their energy saving and other features.  Council directed Bryan to work the City Manager, Brian Loventhal, on proposing changes to the sign ordinance.

LEED-H Awareness & Education

Awareness & Education 1.3 states:

Display LEED for Homes signage, measuring six square feet or more, on the exterior of the home or building.

All of the homes pursuing Platinum certification in the Bay Area that we have toured have been able to put signs in front of their homes during construction.  Awareness and Education points are easy to achieve, relative to some of the other points available.

Examples of Signs in Front of LEED-H Homes Seeking Platinum Certification

Bryan has visited a number of homes in the Bay Area pursing Platinium certification under the LEED for Homes program.  These visits have included the Margarido House in Oakland (certified), 2180 Bryant Street in Palo Alto (under construction), and the Kaneda Residence in Cupertino (under construction).  Each of these homes have signs.

Sign in front of the Margarido House in Oakland.

Sign in front of the Christiansen Pierret Residence at 2180 Bryant Street in Palo Alto.

Sign in front of the Kaneda Residence in Cupertino.

 City of Monte Sereno’s Sign Ordinance 10.13.010

Monte Sereno’s sign ordinance is as follows:

10.13.010 Signs, permits, scenic corridor exception.

No sign, billboard, poster, pennant, flag or display unit shall be erected, displayed, established or maintained within five hundred (500) feet of any road, highway, street or public place within the boundaries of the City except as otherwise provided herein.

A. One non-illuminated sign may be erected on each street frontage for any lot or building which serves solely to advertise the sale, lease or rental of or an offer to build to suit on the premises where the sign is located, provided the sign does not exceed six (6) square feet in area in a residential zone. This exemption is only available when all or part of the premises is actually available for the transaction advertised.

B. Non-illuminated, off-site, portable signs directing customers to the location of an open house which is for sale are permitted, unlimited in total number, but limited to one double faced sign per corner of an intersection or on a privately owned parcel. The signs shall not exceed an area of one (1) square foot per face and shall not be more than four (4) feet high. Open house signs shall contain no individual, or individual company advertising. Prior permission shall be obtained from the property owner if the sign is to be placed on a privately owned parcel. The signs shall be removed each day after the closing of the open house. Open house signs are an exception to the rule prohibiting off-premises signs and signs on public property.

C. The owner, occupant or resident of any property may erect and maintain without obtaining any permit one sign giving his name and address at his mailbox and one additional sign upon said property, neither of which shall be more than three (3) square feet in area.

D. Within the scenic corridor defined by the State of California upon designation of the Saratoga-Los Gatos Road, State sign Route 9, as an Official State Scenic Highway, only those signs allowed in Subsections A, B and C or existing on-premise signs as provided for in Subsection E shall be permitted.

E. Any existing on-premise sign lawfully established on or before the effective date of this Chapter may be maintained for a period of not to exceed three (3) months from the passage of this Chapter during which period the owner shall either remove the sign or make application for and receive a permit for the said sign under the provisions of this Chapter.

We drafted a sixth exemption and submitted it to the City of Monte Sereno today.  Our proposed wording is:

F. One non-illuminated sign may be erected on each street frontage for any building where such sign serves solely to describe the environmentally friendly features of the building materials and construction practices that follow a recognized national, State of California or local building environmental certification program provided the building has been registered under that recognized building environmental certification program. Signs allowed under this exemption shall contain no individual or individual company advertising.

The City Manager, Brian Loventhal, reviewed the proposed language and thought it was a good start.  He suggested that the certification program could be one recognized by the City of Monte Sereno, since the City has formally recognized Build It Green and LEED for Homes.  Also, he asked whether there should be a maximum size included in the ordinance.

Next Steps

Brian Loventhal will work on the wording and have this item included on the agenda at a City Council meeting in the next 60 days.

We will follow up on this.

We intend to obtain LEED for Homes Platinum certification and today we registered on the U.S. Green Building Council web site.

With our registration accepted, we have explicitly stated our goal.

The gauntlet has been cast …