We were looking forward to today as there were two inspections scheduled.  PG&E was to inspect our underground electrical conduit with a ‘mandrel’ and the City of Monte Sereno was to inspect our solar mounts and the conduit going to the basement. 

We ‘failed’ the mandrel inspection and scheduled another inspection for tomorrow, Wednesday 09/08/10.  The City of Monte Sereno will allow us to proceed with our construction although we owe them some updated documentation.

Failing Our Mandrel Inspection with PG&E

For underground electric service, PG&E inspects the conduit in the ground to ensure it is placed correctly and that it has the appropriate shape.  Then, they allow you to cover the conduit with earth.  The next inspection is with a mandrel.  A mandrel is a device that is pulled through the conduit that is used to verify that there is an adequate clearance through the conduit.  If, for example, one crushed the conduit during backfill then the mandrel would get stuck.

After the mandrel inspection, one must have a 2,500 lb pull tape in the conduit so PG&E can pull their cables through quickly and easily.

The ‘Green Book’ states the following:

Applicants must ensure that conduit systems are not covered or hidden from view before the facilities are inspected visually by a PG&E field inspector. The inspector must determine if the conduit system and its installation comply with all of PG&E’s specifications (e.g., type, size, schedule, radius of bends) and installation requirements before the customer backfills the trench.

After the conduit system passes PG&E’s visual inspection, including visual verification of the conduit system’s materials and the radius of the bends, the applicant must backfill the trench and compact the soil. Then, the applicant must provide PG&E with proof that the conduit system is in compliance by successfully inserting and pulling a flexible steel mandrel through the entire conduit system.

The PG&E inspector will remain onsite to ensure that the appropriately sized, flexible-steel mandrel is inserted and pulled through the length of the conduit system without encountering blockages or obstructions.

The PG&E inspector will provide a mandrel to the applicant for him or her to use during the inspection. The applicant, however, must provide the appropriate pulling tape and follow the procedures in Subsection B, below, for using the mandrel.

Bryan was waiting patiently at the job site for the inspector to arrive this morning.   When the inspector arrived, he came onto our job site and Bryan asked, ‘Where is your mandrel?’  The inspector replied, ‘The Green Book is wrong, we don’t supply the mandrel.  You do.’

Pardon me?  The Green Book is wrong?  It is fascinating that everyone at PG&E refers to the Green Book as the authoritative manual relating to all of PG&E’s procedures for residential construction.  Several times, we have been told by PG&E personnel that we should refer to their policies as set forth in the Green Book.  Here is a link to PG&E’s web site where the ‘What Has Changed‘ (updated 04/2010).  Note subsection 3.4.1, which states:

Add a paragraph saying that the PG&E inspector should provide the mandrels for the customer to use during an inspection. The PG&E inspector will provide a mandrel to the applicant for him or her to use during the inspection. The applicant, however, must provide the appropriate pulling tape and follow the procedures in item B, for using the mandrel.

So, the authoritative reference, the Green Book, is wrong.  We’ve lost faith in PG&E.  It is most fascinating how they can ‘suck and blow’ at the same time.

After the PG&E inspector had left, Bryan called the Inspection Desk and requested a new mandrel inspection for tomorrow.  Yes, the PG&E inspector will return between 7:30 am and 2:30 pm.

Bryan went to Electrical Distributors in San Jose and bought a mandrel for a 3-inch underground service and 50 ft of 2,500 lb pulling tape.  Both of which meet PG&E’s specifications.

Back to the job site and Bryan pulled the mandrel through the conduit easily and quickly.  We’re ready for tomorrow.

Inspecting Our Solar Mounts and Conduit

The Building Official from the City of Monte Sereno showed up this afternoon.  He reviewed the plans and looked at our progress on the roof.  Akeena Solar made some changes in the field so our Building Official requires an updated set of plans to show what was built.

Bryan met with Duk Lee after the inspection and explained what we need.  Akeena will file two (2) copies of the updated plans with the City of Monte Sereno.

We’re good to go with the tapered insulation on our flat roofs.

Mandrel to go through our 3-inch conduit. Note the rope on the left and the 2,500 lb pulling tape on the right.

Rope coming out of the 400 amp panel. This rope is attached to the mandrel, which must pass through the conduit to the concrete vault by the street.

The rope coming out of the conduit where the concrete vault will be located at the street. Let's see if the mandrel goes through the conduit ...

It worked! The mandrel came through the conduit quickly and easily. We're ready for the mandrel inspection tomorrow.

After two failed inspections, we passed our natural gas inspection on Wednesday, 08/18/10, so we could have the PG&E team connect our natural gas line to the main going up Via Sereno.  Today was [another] a big day.  After the natural gas was connected, Bryan ensured the natural gas lines were covered with 6 inches of sand.

Also, the team from Earth Bound Homes completed the chase for our solar AC and DC connections, installed a waterproof membrane at the connection to the gable roof and pony walls, and put Tyvek on the inside gable of two of our three gable roofs.

Laying In Our Natural Gas Connection

The two-person team from PG&E arrived at 8:45 am this morning.  Bill (the welder) and Larry worked safely and quickly to lay in our natural gas connection.  This was an interesting process to watch.

First, Larry did the ‘tail gate planning’, where he identified the closest emergency hospital (Good Samaritan Hospital off Los Gatos Boulevard) and noted the site-specific conditions.  For our project, these conditions included the potential of water below grade and the 15,000 volt underground electric cables within 18 inches of the natural gas main.  Larry documented these conditions on the tail gate board.

Then, they set to work.  All appropriate safety equipment was in place, including a fire extinguisher.  Then, Bill welded the vertical connection onto the live natural gas main.  This was a bit tense for Bryan to watch (yeah, welding a pipe containing natural gas at 57 PSI).  Meanwhile, Larry got the natural gas riser with 1/2 inch connection line and cut it to the approximate length, and they pressure-tested the assembly.

After Bill completed the welding, the connection has to cool before they could continue (approximately 20 minutes).  This allowed time to clean up the area, and place the riser assembly in the trench.

Bill tested the natural gas connection to the gas riser, which was ok.  Then, he cut into the live natural gas line, which allowed gas to flow into the gas riser.  Larry opened the valve slowly, to avoid triggering the emergency shut off valve, and allowed some gas to flow through the line.  This cleared any debris (dirt, sand, etc.) from the line.  Then, Larry closed the valve.

With the connection working, Bill then primed the main line and connection and tested all the joints with soapy water.  Ensuring there were no leaks, Bill wrapped the natural gas line and all metallic connections with the special tape (to avoid corrosion).

After loading up their tools and equipment, Bill and Larry gave Bryan the final instructions on covering the new natural gas line with six inches of sand, and then they left the job site.

It was 10:15 am.

Preparing to Install the Solar Mounts

Since we have a membrane roof on the flat roofs, we have to have all the penetrations completed.  With our 48 solar photovoltaic panels, we must have the mounts for the frames completed and in place as soon as we put down our Tyvek wrap over the flat roof.  This will allow Akeena Solar to install (with us), the brackets for the 32 solar photovoltaic panels (in 4 arrays of 8 panels each) on the upper flat roof.

Also, we need to have the conduits in place for the AC (from the 16 panels with Enphase micro-inverters on each individual panel) and the DC (from the 32 panels on the upper flat roof), all of which go through the SIP roof to the rigid conduit in the concrete wall that will take the electric cables to the East Mechanical room.

We’ve scheduled the installation of the solar mounts by Akeena Solar on the upper flat roof and the conduits going to the SIP roof for Friday.  Thus, the team from Earth Bound Homes has to have the Tyvek and other components in place so Akeena can do their work.

It’s all good.

The two-person team from PG&E just arrived. Bill and Larry will do the natural gas lay-in to the exposed natural gas main.

Bill starts welding the vertical connection to the natural gas line. This made Bryan a bit nervous, as welding a live natural gas line with 57 PSI just didn't seem prudent.

Bryan, with more courage, took a closer photo of Bill completing the weld to the live natural gas line.

Bill and Larry leaving the site at 10:15 am. It was a quick 90 minutes for them to complete the natural gas lay-in.

The completed connection. Bill was very careful to ensure that all of the nicks in the natural gas line covering were removed and wrapped with new material. There won't be any corrosion with this connection.

After Bill and Larry left, Bryan ensured the natural gas main and our connection were covered with at least 6 inches of sand. We hope Izzy will be available in the morning to help backfill and compact the trench to grade.

Our solar chase for the conduit from the gable and flat roofs, and to take the AC and DC lines to the East Mechanical room.

Our Tyvek covering the South side of the North gable.

Looking North, at the West side of the East gable.

Bryan was most proud of the natural gas lay-in today, and took photos from the roof.

The connection to the cistern can be completed now.