Jeremy visits

The check from my 401k arrived and so did Pat and Jeremy. We talked about the electrical side of the installation at length. My concerns about the voltage drop for a run of over 100' to the house were addressed and look to be a non-problem, since we're running DC over that length rather than AC. My main electrical service panel will need to be upgraded from 125 amp to 200 amp, something I had been wanting to do anyway. We also want a provision for a (installed later) propane standby generator to be part of the package. Michelle and I had originally thought about putting in a hybrid solar system with a battery bank capable of powering a few key circuits during our frequent blackouts in the East Mountains. Pat advised against this b/c it degrades the efficiency of the solar array and adds the complexity of batteries to an otherwise pretty much maintenance-free installation. Since we already have a propane tank on the property for our furnace, oven/range and water heater, propane makes the most sense. Jeremy also checked out the wiring I did for the barn and pronounced it ok. I gave Pat the first installment on the project and signed the papers. Jeremy will get back to us on his estimate for trenching and electrical hookup. Away we go....