There is a light…

… at the end of the tunnel.  Barely discernible, but there is a definite faint glow!

No new pictures this week.  I built the main portion of the battery box and now I’m struggling with the decision on where it will ultimately sit.  The prefered location creates a longer wire run, and the alternative position (with the shortest possible wire run) makes it awkward to reach the panel controls.  The difference in wire length is about 2-1/2 feet, a seemingly insignificant amount, but when there is a potential for hundreds of amps to flow through it, each foot of wire becomes like a mile-long sharp incline to a runner.  The obvious answer is to increase the wiring size and put the batteries to the side.  Guess I’ll get with the budget director to see what she thinks!

The sliding door was also completed.  It still needs to be primed, painted and hung.  The lightning arrester has been mounted and wired to the turbine control panel.  I’m thinking of adding another one right at the base of the tower.  I don’t think one is needed on the AC side of the inverters as we’re not interconnecting with the public power grid.  The DC side is likewise unprotected – it is all contained within the building.  Oh, and the combination heater/air conditioner was installed, just in time for the cold weather!  I lack the trim work around the unit, but it is functional.

I still think we can be up and running by January 1.  There are a number of items that need to be completed, but many of them are aesthetic or otherwise non-critical and can wait until we go live.

Essential tasks:

• Install the system grounding rod
• Install AC wiring to well-pump
• Dig trench between tower and building
• Dig trench between winch pad and building
• Dig trench between building and house
• Install conduit in trenches
• Run wire to tower, winch pad and house
• Fill trenches (not critical, but…)
• Fabricate and install lid on battery box
• Seal battery box
• Install conduit run between battery box and DC control panel
• Install ventilation fan and exterior vent on battery box
• Test ventilation system
• Finish fabricating remaining battery cables
• Place batteries in box and interconnect them (with fuses)
• Connect batteries to DC panel
• Test DC side of system
• Test AC side of system
• Install winches
• Lower the tower
• Install turbine
• Test wiring between turbine and control panel
• Verify operation of turbine stop switches
• Double-check torque on all bolted structural elements of tower and guy wires
• Raise tower and lock in-place
• Perform a complete system test

Non-essential tasks:

• Finish painting the exterior
• Finish installing the exterior trim
• Install the interior trim
• Install shelving brackets
• Finish painting the interior
• Install the last ceiling light (after the painting is done)
• Build cupola
• Install cupola
• Heat-treat the shingles on the east side that refuse to conform to the roof shape!
• Install interior outlets
• Install distribution panel in house
• Move desired circuits to new panel
• Install emergency generator