We added 18 inches of topsoil and drip lines under the pv array. We basically neglected this area all summer but the shade allowed the vegies to thrive during the hot summer. A positive note on the pv system... Our actual payback on the system slowed during the recession as we were not able to maimize our tax deductions and take all the allowable depreciation. Recently though, we noticed we still had a significant suplus in electrical production so we converted the house water heater from propane to electricity. Our annual propane bill will probably drop from $1300 to $400! We'll know soon enough but this savings will shorten the payback period on our initial investment. Stay tuned; Ed

Comstock Seed's 9 kilowatt photovoltaic solar system

Hi folks;

A year ago November, we turned on our new photovoltaic solar system. We spent a year preparing for the system which included getting a rebate lined up with NV Energy and obtaining a USDA Rural Development grant from the Federal Department of Agriculture. These two funding sources paid 1/2 of the $82,000 cost of the system. We calculated that 9000 watts would adequately supply our business (Comstock Seed), our farm, and our home needs.

We are now keeping monitoring records to see how close the system performance meets our design criteria. Thanks to Leslie Ames at Tahoe Solar Design for helping with the design, construction, and grant assistance. Stay tuned.