Solar system handled needs until October

 Our new solar system handled all of our electrical uses right until the beginning of October when we were hit with a string of dark, cloudy days as well as declining daylight hours.

We operated all of our electrical tools, including air compressor, radial saw, large electric drill, etc. just by plugging them into the wall. If the sun was shining while we were working a check on the solar system battery status showed we still had 100 per cent reserve. In other words, we were running everything on the current production from the two large panels.

In total, we used less than five gallons of gas in our generator since the system was installed July 1. By comparison, before the solar system we used about that much weekly. This year we saved $450 by not buying gasoline.

I was impressed that the solar panels still generated plenty of electricity on smoky days when we could look directly at the sun. There were plenty of those last summer.