Freedom Solar Power has completed the most complex solar and backup project in its history, a residential installation in northwest Austin.
Our team was full of ideas. The homeowner wanted to leave his property to his children, which would not only produce enough energy to eliminate his energy bills but also give them peace of mind in the event of grid outages or unpredictable weather.
We used the expertise of our senior NABCEP-certified design engineers, a master and three journeyman electrical technicians, a four-person seasoned solar installation crew led by a journeyman, and office support.
We then performed all the work except for any required vetted and certified third-party professional related to existing telecommunications, gas, gutters, and irrigation systems.
WE TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN OUR QUALITY CRAFTSMANSHIP
We were determined to bring the homeowner’s dreams to life.
“Paul’s motivation was something greater than himself. He wanted this area where his family could be safe for decades. James Garbo is an energy consultant. “I couldn’t recommend anyone else to do such a complex job,” he said. He had high expectations, which were higher than our previous projects. This motivated us to meet them. We rose to the occasion and checked all his boxes, doing the job better than anyone else could.
Freedom Solar and the homeowner had three goals in mind:
Solar panels can be used to offset all the electricity a homeowner consumes.
Install battery backups for critical loads in the garage and at the main house.
Future-proof your entire property’s electric capacity.
A PATH TO FUTURE-PROOFING: BACKUP POWER INSTALLATION
Project highlights included a trench of 200 feet around the house at the rear, a track of 45 feet utility grade into the street, and relocation of all gas services in the home. The project’s most crucial aspect was upgrading the leading electrical service of the property from 200 AMPS to 320 AMPS.
We managed and planned all tasks by holding extensive preconstruction meetings with various parties. These meetings included electrical and gas utilities and city inspection officials.
Installation of the premium SunPower AC solar modules 415-watt with G-Series factory-integrated microinverters only took one day. Five business days were needed to finish the extensive trenching. Two days were spent on preparation, and the third day was dedicated to actual work. The electrical work included upgrading the garage and house electrical panels. The electrical team then performed a controlled power outage with the utility company to upgrade the property service to 320 amps.
This project was subject to 10 inspections across three different permits. Each review was successful on the first try.
The homeowner has reported a net-credit electric bill since commissioning the system. The homeowner says significant savings even though his property is equipped with three air conditioners, an all-electric vehicle, and a 1,900-square-foot climate-controlled garage.
TESLA POWERWALLS
Two 13.5 kWh Tesla Powerwall batteries were installed in the garage. Two Tesla Powerwalls provide power for all house loads during a grid failure.
We also increased the size of the underground conduit that connects the Tesla Powerwalls circuits to the main electrical panel. The homeowner can easily add battery backup if he wants to.
TRENCHING
The trenching was 200 feet deep and 12 inches wide from the house’s main electrical panel through the backyard to the subpanel for the garage. Three underground PVC schedule 80 conduits of utility grade are buried within the 200-foot trench. They are “future-proofed” by upsizing conduit diameter and amperage to accommodate solar or battery backups.
A single conduit feeds the garage sub panel wire feeder
Solar feeder wires can be provided through a single conduit
Powerwall Battery Backup Feeder Wire – One conduit
The trench was then covered with concrete. We covered the track with sod.
Then, we dug another 45 feet at 36 inches of utility-grade trenching depth. The trenching was from the main electrical panel at the house to the Austin Energy utility pillbox on the street.
The 45-foot trench contains one underground PVC conduit of 3-inch standard schedule 80. This conduit will allow the upgrade of 320 AMP service feeds from Austin Energy’s transformers up the street. We carefully removed the sod, replaced it, and restored its original condition during all trenching.
DOING THE JOB RIGHT
The project represented a perfect marriage between high expectations and our commitment to achieving those expectations. We have the experience to complete this project, even though most solar companies wouldn’t have.
This project was completed with a big win. The gas and water fixtures were moved, the gutters rerouted, and the trench soil was replaced.
All work was done during the February 2021 winter storm. Freedom Solar field employees and founder Adrian Buck rallied together to work despite freezing temperatures because they knew how important it was to the homeowner.