Brewbeer

Those showers in the berks, think they'll make it to the valley? Kiddos were hoping for an evening at Six Flags.

System was 35K. I also spent 15K on roof work, which included stripping the three layers there were on there, replacement of 35 sheets of rotted plywood, upgrading the attic venting, and new shingles. I knew the roof was a problem when I bought the house 10 years before. Pay back/break even was estimated to be 7 years by the installer. So far, 3 years 3 months later, this estimate appears to be mostly accurate: $11,500 tax credits $14,000 renewable energy credits (2K/yr x 7 years) $ 8,400 in avoided electric bills (1,200/yr x 7 years) I agree with a comment above, that it is much better to own the system, than it is to lease the system. Yes, it is costly up-front, but if you are planning to stay for the entire pay-back period and then some, it will be worth it. I've also heard horror stories that people with leased systems can have a hard time selling their houses, because the deed is encumbered by the solar lease, and some people don't want the lease, which is a better deal for the leasing company than it is for the home owner. I'm the one accessing my roof, but it is only to clean the gutters. Hasn't been an issue for me yet. The system includes an external shut-off switch (required by code I believe) so the system can be rendered inactive from the outside of the house in case the FD needs to get on the roof to destroy it. I'm not worrying about shingle replacement, as the roof was re-constructed and re-roofed at the same time the panels went up. I'll be 80 when the shingles need to be replaced, if I'm still around.

I don't understand why a few people think solar panels are "ugly". They certainly aren't any more or less ugly than asphalt shingles.

I looked at this option when I bought my system. Unless you have VERY VERY VERY frequent outages, the cost of the battery system will never pay back. It would be less expensive to purchase a good quality generator that can be run off propane.

I have 27 panels on the back roof of my house. From the street, you can't tell they are there. Installed May 2015. My last electric bill was ...... May 2015. Currently have a $550 credit with the electric company, and run my two window AC units as much as I want, keeps house in the low 70s for the most part. Before the panels, I was paying on average $100/month for electricity. Now, in addition to no electric bill, I get paid $2,000 per year for generating renewable energy.

Looks like beers from the Alchemist.

Pretty good downpour and T-storm just went through Springfield.

Posts from people who have been "Hyping Weather since 2003" should be taken with a truck load of road salt.

The politics in this thread are disgusting. Take it to Am-Pol where this belongs.

66F inside the house this morning after open windows all night. Marvelous !

grubs?

Speak for yourself.

I doubt there is sufficient uranium in the water to cause sufficient toxicity to the grass to stop it growing. Can the hose bib be re-plumbed to draw water before it goes into the treatment system?

So, anyone planning a second fertilizer application?

If the soil is really acidic, then any fertilizer you put down may not be well utilized by the grass. I usually put down lime at least one rain storm before putting down fertilizer, to give the lime some time to raise the soil pH into the range where more of the nutrients in the fertilizer are available for plant uptake, which is strongly dependent on soil pH.

It takes 75-90 minutes to mow all 3 sections. The Toro I picked up new at the start of last year. It's about 8,000 steps to mow the lawn, about 3 miles. The real reason I don't need a lawn tractor is I have two boys 14 and 12, so I won't be mowing much longer. But I do have the 20 hp snow thrower.

First mow in the books:

Sharpened the lawn mower blade and changed the oil, ready for the season.

Mine turned white last night.

So how much lime to folks put down? The instructions on the bag indicated that a "maintenance" level of lime application is 20-40 pounds per 1,000 sq.ft. Thoughts?

Snizzle here in downtown Springfield. Roads are wet, about 2 inches on grassy surfaces. Looks to be just about over.

Heaviest of the day. Not even heavy enough to accumulate.

A little under 2 inches OTG here in downtown Springfield, where we have been between the two bands all day long.

#MeToo

lol at "realclimatescience.com" "fakeclimatescience.com" would be a more accurate description of what that website is pushing.