Our new Nissan LEAF, which we registered to order on July 31, 2010, arrived at Premier Nissan of San Jose this week.

We can’t pick it until Saturday, July 30 so our sales representative, Wilson Bui, put it in the showroom. Bryan dropped by and took some photos today.

Before going to Premier Nissan of San Jose, Bryan dropped by the Tesla dealership on Santana Row to take a look at their charging systems.  The Tesla charges at 70 amps, and with a 20% derating, the circuit has to be rated for 90 amps.  Our building official in the City of Monte Sereno wants to have a shut off switch for the wall mounted charger.  The photo of the charging station in the garage in Santa Row shows the shut off switch.

Our 2011 Nissan LEAF in the showroom at Premier Nissan of San Jose.

Profile of our new Nissan LEAF.

EPA rating of 99 miles per gallon ...

Rated at 96 to 110 miles on a full charge ...

One of the 70 amp charging stations in the garage behind Santa Row. Note the shut off switch for the charging station.

While Bryan was in his C-Bus Basic Training session on Tuesday, March 8, 2011, we received an e-mail from Nissan notifying us to select a Nissan dealer from which to order our Nissan LEAF.  Mike Calise, EVadvise, was driving Bryan home from San Jose Airport (SJC) on March 1, 2011 when they saw their first Nissan LEAF driving in the Bay Area.

Ordering Our Nissan LEAF

We reserved a Nissan LEAF on July 31, 2010 and now we are in the queue to actually order the vehicle.  On Tuesday, March 8, 2011, Nissan sent us an e-mail to notifiy us to visit a dealer and order our vehicle through that dealer.  Although we met with Stevens Creek Nissan on Sunday, November 21, 2010, we decided to order our LEAF through Premier Nissan of San Jose.

Bryan drove over to Premier Nissan and met with Wilson Bui, who is responsible for internet and fleet sales.  Wilson walked Bryan through the vehicle options and showed us that our application had been approved to participate in ‘The EV Project‘ and to have a Blink Home Charger installed in our garage.  As well, our LEAF will have a quick charge port included at no additional charge (normally $700) so our LEAF can be charged with a 400 volt DC device, which can fully charge a LEAF in under 30 minutes.

Given the massive earthquake in Japan, we are concerned that it will delay the manufacturing and delivery of our Nissan LEAF.  Of course, that is irrelevant to the thousands of people that died and have had their homes destroyed by the earthquake and resulting tsunami.

Meeting with Wilson Bui at Premier Nissan of San Jose

Wilson was very helpful and, after Bryan confirmed his order with Nissan, Wilson provided some interesting data on electric vehicles in the Bay Area.  First, Wilson showed Bryan a video clip on electric vehicles that aired on ABC News Channel 7 on Friday, March 9, 2011.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=8004657

(Wilson appears at 31 seconds in the video).

ABC News Channel 7 compared the Nissan LEAF to the Chevrolet Volt in this episode on February 28, 2011:

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=7986727

Bryan asked about the sales volume and the timing from reservation, to order, to delivery of a LEAF.  Wilson explained that we are the 101st customer to place an order for a LEAF with Premier Nissan.  Also, he provided delivery statistics, which shows that 2 LEAFs were delivered in February and that 4 will be delivered in March, 20 in April and 25 in May.  (The video clip from ABC News Channel 7 showed the delivery of the very first LEAF through the Premier Nissan of San Jose dealership.)  After going into the on-line system, Wilson said the timing will be accelerated with the April and May scheduled deliveries being pulled into March and April.

Interestingly, Bryan spotted a friend in Los Gatos, Marc Jenson, who should receive delivery of his LEAF at the end of March.  Marc and his wife, Monique, attended the EVent hosted by Mike and Donna Calise on September 18, 2010.  (Mike is with EVadvise.)

Wilson described an additional benefit of purchasing a LEAF in San Jose – the City of San Jose provides free parking for 100% electric vehicles (e.g., Nissan LEAFs) at all of its public parking locations.  These parking locations include garages and metered parking on city streets.

Finally, as Bryan was leaving the dealership, Wilson showed Bryan the two electric vehicle charging stations in the parking lot and explained that Premier Nissan provides free electric vehicle charging 7×24 for its customers.

Way cool …

Two port electric vehicle charging station in the parking lot at Premier Nissan of San Jose. This charging station allows for free charging of Nissan LEAFs.

Bryan demonstrates how to use the electric vehicle charging station. Photo credit - Wilson Bui.

After a week in Mendoza, Argentina it was time to get back to the job site.

Bryan’s flight left Mendoza on Monday afternoon and, after passing through Santiago, Chile, it arrived in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas this morning at 6:05 am.  After clearing U.S. immigration and customs, Bryan had a three hour flight to San Jose, California.  Then, to the job site!

Our good friend, Mike Calise, picked Bryan up at SJC and took him home.  Mike is with EVadvise, and provides advice to clients regarding EV charging infrastructure and how it will evolve as the world starts to adopt electric vehicles.

After picking Bryan up and during the short drive to Monte Sereno, Mike spotted a Nissan LEAF on Highway 17 and both Bryan and Mike enjoyed watching one of the first Nissan LEAFs navigate the freeway in San Jose.

Al had completed putting shakes on the East side of the East gable, and was now starting to put our yellow cedar shakes on the South side of the South gable.  This is great as our neighbors and friends can now see visible progress on our house as they drive north on Winchester Boulevard.

Finally, the day concluded with our son, Nikolas, blowing out the candles on his birthday cake.  Nik turned 12 today!

After arriving in DFW, Bryan collected hsi luggage and had to clear U.S. Customs. Fortunately, the wine was wrapped securely in Mendoza and it was not leaking after travelling to DFW (via Santiago, Chile).

Three hours later, Bryan was curbside in SJC and Mike was to show up at any minute. The box containing the wine has not leaked ... Yet.

On the way home, Mike Calise spotted a Nissan LEAF on Highway 17 and quickly navigated behind it ...

The Nissan LEAF looks ok and was travelling on Highway 17 at a good clip. White looks fine.

Back to the project site! Our yellow cedar shakes are starting to go on the South side of the South gable.

Al had the roof and job site buttoned up nicely, so we will be fine with the forecasted rain showers.

The six bottles of Carinae wine that Bryan brought back from Mendoza, Argentina arrived safely (no breaks or leaks!).

The other container arrived in perfect condition. It had three bottles of wine from Finca La Celia. These wines are some of our favorites.

We celebrated Nik's 12th birthday today with his favorite cake!

We registered to order a Nissan LEAF, which is an all-electric vehicle that is powered by a battery, on July 31, 2010.  Today, Nissan has its travelling fleet of LEAFs available for the public to test in downtown San Jose.  We pre-registered to test drive a LEAF and our appointment was at 11:00 am.

Jo-Anne grabbed an early lunch and drove to San Jose.  Unfortunately, after waiting in line and making our way through to the car, she ‘timed out’ and had to return to work.  However, Mike Calise was available and took her spot in the line and joined Bryan for a test drive.  Mike is with EVadvise, and held an ‘EVent’ at his house in Los Gatos on September 18, 2010 where he introduced electric vehicles to the community.

The test drive was ok although it was only for a few blocks in downtown San Jose.  We couldn’t go onto a freeway and test the performance of the LEAF.

Having a LEAF will be fun and, with our extensive solar photo-voltaic cells, reasonably economical to operate.

Next step is to wait for our LEAF to be manufactured.  And, Nissan set expectations with us for our final purchase decision to be in February 2011.

We went to test drive a Nissan LEAF today in downtown San Jose. Our appointment was at 11:00 am.

First step was to register, even though we had pre-registered for the test drive. It looked like we could have walked in and registered.

Jo-Anne waited patiently until we could join a large group for the pre-test drive presentation on electric vehicles and the Nissan LEAF.

We made the board! Now, we have to wait for our group to be called ...

Before our test drive, we were part of a group that went through several tents where there were presentations on the history and operations of electric vehicles. This presentation included a 220 volt charging station, which we will have in our garage.

The final presentation station had a Nissan LEAF so everyone could 'see it, touch it and feel it' before the test drive. It was good to see the trunk size, what was under the hood, etc. Jo-Anne's black attire matched the black Nissan LEAF.

It was 12:25 and we were supposed to have our test drive at 11:00 am. Jo-Anne was running out of time and the line-up was very long.

Although we could see the vehicles, Jo-Anne had to return to work. However, Mike Calise was on his way and could take Jo-Anne's spot in the line.

Bryan about to go for his first ride in a Nissan LEAF. Photo credit - Mike Calise.

After the test drive, Nissan took a photo and posted it on their web site.

The first task of the day was to button up our project site and prepare for the rain that is forecasted for tomomrrow (Sunday). 

Then, Bryan was scheduled to attend an EVent in Los Gatos that Mike Calise was hosting to raise awareness of electric vehicle charging stations that could become part of the Los Gatos General Plan.

Preparing for Rain

In general, the site was looking good and there is a 30% chance of rain in the forecast.  Yesterday, the team from Statewide Roofing completed the ‘bottom layer’ of membrane on all of the flat roof sections.  In addition, they put in the 13 downspouts through the SIP roofs, which were provided by Wildcat Metals.  There were a couple seams where the transition from the gable roof to membrane could gather water.  And the skylights were not in.

Bryan made a quick trip to the Home Depot and bought a roll of Tyvek tape.  With the tape, he ensured the transition on the gable roofs to the membrane was seamless (so to speak).  And he covered up the four skylights with extra membrane so the rain will not enter the house.

We’re ready for the showers tomorrow.

Attending an EVent in Los Gatos

Mike Calise, an independent cleantech advisor for EVadvise (mike@EVadvise.com) is involved with electric vehicles (EVs) and their associated infrastructure.  One of the major barriers to the widespread adoption of all-electric vehicles is the short battery life, which limits the range of EVs between charges.  And, it takes time to charge an EV (unlike filling up a tank of gas quickly).

On July 31, 2010, we put down a deposit on a Nissan LEAF, so we are very interesting in seeing EV charging stations everywhere.  We enjoy being ‘early adopters’ of technology and new products.

Currently, the Town of Los Gatos is completing their 2020 General Plan and Section 9 Environment and Sustainability Element includes actions on providing and supporting EV charging stations and preferred parking for EVs. 

Mike and Donna Calise hosted an informational session at their home on Edelen Avenue in Los Gatos where they had Mike DiNucci of Coulomb Technologies educate the attendees regarding the projected adoption of EVs and the associated infrastructure that will be required.  Coulomb Technologies offers the ChargePoint family of products, which provide an easy to use, comprehensive platform for utilities, municipalities and corporations to deliver EV charging.

A number of interested residents attended the EVent.  There were several members from the West Valley Green Leaf Committee there, as well as Ira Spector (husband of the former mayor of Los Gatos, Barbara Spector) and current Town Council Candidate, Steven Leonardis.

The objective of the meeting was to share knowledge regarding EVs and the associated infrastructure in order to provide additional input to the Town Council at their meeting on Monday, September 20.  Currently, the language in the 2020 General Plan regarding EV charging stations is somewhat weak and Los Gatos has an opportunity to strengthen the language and establish a mandate to support the adoption of EVs.  Each person attending the meeting will be allotted three minutes to speak in the council chambers. 

We believe that, by providing EV charging stations in Los Gatos, the town could become a destination for EVs and their associated spending in local businesses. ’Range anxiety’ limits EVs to local travel and known charging stations.  The demographics and purchasing power of individuals that will own EVs is very attractive to the businesses located in Los Gatos, so providing EV charging stations and preferred parking could bring those individuals to Los Gatos and benefit our local businesses.

This message needs to be communicated to Los Gatos Town Council so they can strengthen the wording in the 2020 General Plan.

We will be including two 50 amp 240 volt circuits in our garage so we can charge two electric vehicles simultaneously. 

Mike and Donna Calise hosted an EVent in their back yard on Edelen Avenue in Los Gatos.

Mike DiNucci providing an overview of electric vehicle adoption in the U.S. and associated infrastructure requirements.

Mike Calise, left, taking notes to prepare for the Los Gatos Town Council meeting.

It was a beautiful, blue-sky California day.  The morning fog lifted around mid-morning, leaving a warm, but not too hot, day.

Perfect for documenting our progress at the job site this week.

Putting Down a Deposit on a Nissan LEAF

We had some friends over for dinner, including Mike Calise.  Mike is with EVadvise, which is an consultancy firm that focuses on electric vehicles (EV).  Mike explained the benefits of electric vehicles to us and, after a bottle of wine (Chardonnay?), we went to the Nissan LEAF web site and put down a deposit to reserve an all-electric Nissan LEAF.

In California, there are special high occupancy vehicle lanes (known as carpool lanes or, as Nik and Kate say, ‘diamond lanes’) that only vehicles with more than a stated number of people can use.  In most areas, high occupancy vehicles have two or more people in the vehicle.  On most roads, the carpool lanes only allow HOVs from 6:00 am to 9:00 am and from 3:00 pm to 9:00 am. 

To promote the adoption of hybrid vehicles, such as the Toyota Prius, the (Great) State of California passed a law allowing a limited number of hybrid vehicles with only the driver in the vehicle to use the carpool lanes regardless of the time of day.  These vehicles have yellow stickers, signifying they can be in the carpool lanes at any time.  The stickers expire on January 1, 2011 so in only five months there will be 85,000 more vehicles in the non-carpool lanes.

However, the legislators are considering changing the laws to allow all-electric vehicles, such as the Nissan LEAF, to use the carpool lanes.

Considering we missed buying a vehicle with yellow stickers, we certainly want to buy a vehicle that is allowed to use the carpool lanes.  This is an opportunity that we simply cannot miss.

Summary
 

Trenching

• Sewer connection inspected and passed, and backfilled
• Sewer to garage and South West corner of house completed
• Connection to San Jose Water meter completed; inspection by the City of Monte Sereno on Monday afternoon (08/02/10)
• Trench from underground cistern to storm sewer connection completed to sidewalk on Winchester
• Trench to fill/overflow stubs for underground cistern completed 

Roof

• All four (4) skylight curbs completed
• Upper flat roof fascia completed
• Two (2) of five (5) gable fascia ends completed
• Twenty (20) linear feet of one hundred (100) linear feet of gable to flat roof connections completed

 

Our PERT chart, showing the remaining items to be completed before we can install the tapered foam roof crickets.

 

The trench from San Jose Water Company meter to the house was completed, with the white 1-1/4 inch pipe installed. The City of Monte Sereno will inspect this connection on Monday afternoon so we can backfill this trench.

This congested trench area shows the water supply line (white 1-1/4 inch pipe) coming from the San Jose Water meter, and how it will be at least three (3) feet from PG&E

View of North East section of pool, showing completed trench to pool equipment (view unobstructed without the Hollywood Juniper).

North end of South gable, which has been filled in with plywood. Note the electrical conduit for the solar panels needs to be installed at the left side of the lower flat roof.

Fully insulated (and enlarged) skylight curb completed on lower flat roof.

There are three design details for the fascia: the Upper Flat Roof fascia; Gable Roof fascia; and Lower Flat Roof fascia.

The Upper Flat Roof fascia has two (2) 2x8s with a one-inch space between them. The fascia must extend above and below the SIP roof. This fascia will be covered with natural zinc.

Upper Flat Roof fascia completed, showing the one-inch gap between the 2x6s.

Under side of Upper Flat Roof, showing the detail where the remilled redwood will be. Note the 2x6 will be covered with natural zinc.

The fascia for the Gable Roof consists of two (2) 2x8s. There will be an air gap in the Gable Roof for a radiant heat barrier.

Fascia completed on West side of North Gable.

Detail on Gable Roof fascia (South West side of East gable).