Good Day Sunshine…

It’s been a heck of a while since I’ve written here. In case you haven’t been following, shortly after I promised Jordan I’d recap our Jamaica travels, something not so awesome happened to my car. Then some other things happened. And well, here we are. And the topic I have for you? Solar panels.

If you don’t have a south-facing, unshaded roof, I’ll save you the trouble. You can probably stop reading.

But if you have at least that, there’s a good chance solar may be for you if you act in the next year. It worked out for us – even economically – and this post will tell you exactly why. I got really excited about it and chances are if you’re still reading, you may be in the same boat.

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Bottom line: given our assumptions, after twenty five years, we should have roughly $34,766 more after having installed solar panels than if we hadn’t.

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Overview

We were on schedule to pay AEP $86k for electricity over the next twenty five years. By buying $27k worth of solar panels, we are on schedule to only pay AEP $24.5k for extra electricity over the next twenty five years.

Key Numbers

• All our solar equipment is warrantied for 25 years.
• There is a 30% tax credit through 2016.
• Columbus, OH averages about 4.2 hours of sun per day throughout the year (check your city here).

Major Unknown

There is one major thing that is out of our control: electric prices. In past 10 years, the cost in Ohio has gone up an average of 4.5% a year, so we used that as a baseline for our financial predictions. Obviously, this could swing a lot of ways so it has the potential to be a huge factor.  But it’s about the only unknown we felt like we had to decide if we were comfortable with.

Time Horizon

Now if we suddenly move out of our house tomorrow, there’s a good chance we won’t recoup the full amount we paid. So given our inclination that we’ll live in the house for decades, that sure helps.

It’s still a little early to tell but if our calculations are exactly correct, we’ll end up paying about $49 extra a month in year 1.  By year 5, we’ll be paying approximately $28 extra a month.  And by year 10, we should be cash flow positive.  By year 13 we should break even.  After that, we should be in the black for good.

This is definitely a long-haul “investment.”  Though I hate calling it that because we’re going to use the energy whether we own the generation equipment or not…

Roof Condition

Another thing we had to consider was our roof. Given it’s still fairly young, it’s unlikely we should have to re-roof in the next 25 years. Panels can be removed and re-installed (ours were done in a day) but there’s obviously a cost associated with doing that. So roof condition is something important to consider though shouldn’t be a deal breaker.

Closing the Deal

After all the spreadsheets were calculated and the proposals submitted, we ended up with a pretty clear-cut winner. They were knowledgeable, extremely customer-centric, and super timely.

If you’re interested in running some numbers, let me know and I’ll give you the contact info for the company we used.  I’d highly recommend them.  For us it ended up being a no brainer and perhaps it will be for you too!  I’ll be completely transparent: if you use our name as a referral, we’ll get a referral bonus.  But that’d just be icing for us.

Hugging Trees and Ongoing Monitoring…

You’ve probably concluded that we approached this mainly from an economic perspective.  I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t majorly important.  But there’s also that thing about going green.  About making a socially conscientious choice.  About explaining to your kid that, much like that old calculator that is powered by light that she pretends is a cell phone, in the same way, your roof is generating power for your house – just a million times magnified.

And don’t forget about the app!  There’s even a handy app that shows you what your current production level is as well as some historicals.  And the online dashboard is pretty cool too.  After three days, here’s what ours looks like:

 

That’s about the longest post you’ll read on here.  If it’s been worthwhile, drop me a note!

Oh the places you’ll go

As we slowly unpack boxes, set out decorations, and hang things on the wall (it’s only been 5 months, don’t judge), some things are more exciting than others.

One of those, at least for me, is the Postcard Wall.

I’m not sure why I ever started keeping postcards.  I guess it was a combination of the photos, the thoughtfulness, the nostalgia.  So back when I moved to Columbus, I had a handful of postcards but didn’t know what to do with them.

I’m not sure why I ever started putting them in different frames.  I guess it was a combination of the uniqueness (I don’t think any two are the same), the pairing of card and frame, the finishing touch.

Regardless, when I moved to Columbus, they started going on the wall.  There wasn’t much.  In fact, this is what it looked like before I took them down for the first time:

24. Not a bad start.

So as I unpacked the boxes this week, I was a little intimidated.  The collection has grown quite a bit.

cameraphone technology has certainly gotten better, hasn’t it? =]

But now, 88 postcards later, 21 states later, 16 countries later, it’s up.

Beth is going to love making sure these are straight. Let’s just hope an inebriated SIL doesn’t crash into them (not that I haven’t done that before, I swear).

The crazy thing is, we still have a couple dozen that are without frames.  But the good news is that we have lots of wall room =]

So keep them coming!  They’ll find their own spot eventually.

Kissing Etiquette, our New House, and The Usual

Howdy stranger!  Fancy seeing you here again.

We’ve essentially been hermits the past couple months.  Sort of.

We bought a house.  The last owners left it half unfinished (hooray for short sales!) but we don’t mind because we’re getting to do a lot of things the way we want.  It’s been just over a month but all the initial repairs we wanted are about done: painting, new fireplace, some plumbing work, redoing the master bath, etc. etc.

I scrapped the marathon training partially because of the new house but more because my body just couldn’t take it.  Which really bummed me out.  About a week after the last post, I did my half marathon run and my ankle hurt for about two weeks.  I rested it but when I gave it a go, the same thing happened.  But thanks to KT offering me her space, I’ll still be going to Toledo, albeit to run in the marathon relay along with Beth, her dad, Loscko, and Jordan.  I’m really looking forward to it.  And super looking forward to Tony Packo’s after =]

What else?  Been to Erie, Florida, NYC, and the Mall of America.

Geez…it’s been a busy two months.

We’ll check back in soon…but we’ve got to get packing for Europe =]

In the meantime, we’re also trying to teach Blair that it’s inappropriate to kiss with pancakes in your mouth.  Not much luck so far.

St. Patrurky.

Beth said I could put out my Thanksgiving turkey for St. Patrick’s Day if i dressed it up appropriately.

done and done.

You Can Probably Guess Which One Beth Isn’t In Love WIth

At the beginning of the year I figured I would change things up and do more little posts.  That hasn’t really worked out too well.

But this week, you should check back every day.  You’ll find some cool stuff.

Take today for example!  Beth and I have got the nursery all set up and had to move our guest room.  It’s got the “comfy” feeling of a NYC hotel.  Or maybe Japanese one (never been, don’t know).  So we’re trying to figure out a reading light by the bed.  So help us decide!  Pictures below.  And if you’d like to explain yourself, leave a comment.  Voting counts for 49% of our final decision.

battery powered, so no wires. mounts right on the wall. $16.

battery powered, so now wires. mounts right on the wall. points downward (as opposed to the one above). $19.

standard hotel type. plugs into the wall, so this will probably give the best light (no LEDs). $65.

this battery powered (LED) model has a motion sensor which could be kind of nice since the switch for the overhead light is in an awkward spot. $22.

Standard dragon-holding-an-orb model. Standard light (no LED). Plugs into the wall. $98.

Pierogi & Pinot Pleases Pack

We really should stop having parties.

I hadn’t felt as bad as I did this morning since the day after my 30th party.  Ugh.  Every time Beth and I throw a party, I end up much worse for the wear =]

But no, last night was a blast: Pierogi & Pinot!  The crowd was great, I got to get my cook on (yes, the place still smells like onions), and my guess is that the Pierogi Pocket of America (skip down to the US section – 68%!) just got a little more solidified.  We didn’t break any glasses, I determined that I was the bonehead who blew wax onto the couch, the only pierogi-gone-overboard didn’t stain the carpet, the DJ in attendance gave me props for the playlist (no, not you Loscko), the Slivovitz caution was not heeded by a gift giver so we got to use our ice-cube shot glasses, and in true Polish fashion we had way plenty of leftovers!

It’s going to be a hard one to follow-up to say the least.  Cabbage & Cabs doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.

So now Beth is out of town for the week (boo!), I’ve got lots of dishes to do, and except for North Korea, the whole world needs to work off the weekend.

Let it Out and Let it In…

When the mind is clear, posts flow freely.  But lately things have been logjammed.

See, we’re having our first house party in a couple weeks (Pinot & Pierogi!)…it’s not cooking pierogi for a couple dozen people that’s stressing me out…it’s not trying to find all the wine accessories still stored away in the basement…it’s not people wearing heels on our hardwood floors.  You know what it is?

The Playlist.

yikes.  yeah, the playlist.  Music can do a lot to make or break a party.  Weddings are a great example.  But as I was looking back at the playlist from the last party (March 1, 2008), it was decisive.  it’s path was focused.  it worked.

Starting with a little “get the host pumped” music, it started at 7PM with some swing and ambled into the 8 and 9 o’clock hours with some lighter acoustic, pop, jazz, and clubby/funky remixes (a cover of Hey Jude by the Bob Belden Project is a perfect example).  By 10 it was moving into some contemporary alternative, some upbeat classics, and some beat-driven party songs.

After that (yes, I did have this planned out by hour), it became a little heavier, a little rock-ier, a littler punkier.  By 1AM it was into current R&B and dance stuff.  It was great.  And it worked.  I’m sure the music just was a good accompaniment to the party but in a way, I’d like to think the music puppeteered (captaineered?) peoples’ moods.

But according to my birth certificate (which I can actually produce *ahem* – lol), I’m not as young as I was a couple years ago.  So do we lose the dance party that used to inevitably ensue? (I know if Kyle’s there, it will eventually evolve into a techno-laden dance party anyways, that was a dumb question)…

So that’s my dilemma.  It will all work out.  And as long as the music isn’t a distraction, and as long as I hide the ipod from Loscko, I think it’ll be ok.

What else is going on?  Beth started Boot.  We started a 1-month membership to a rock climbing gym.  And Columbus kids continue making the best pinewood derby race cars ever.

fueled by USA and OSU power. brilliant! i'm not sure how it fared but I'm pretty sure it won every race it was in...

And I got my PhD (Professor of Hearty Drinking).

with the owner and brewmaster of The Elevator. such a proud day!

And I concluded this is probably the funniest video of 2011 so far.  Gotta love that British wit!

A Christmas Dusting…

Just so we’re all clear, I think you should all know where the priority of CLog updates lie.  It’s somewhere below freezing pipes, Char Bar Long Island Iced Teas, going to OSU basketball games, watering the tree, practicing for Christmas party sing-a-longs, and Jack’n’Gingers at the Beck.  It does however rank above getting the car washed, ironing, unwrapping presents, and shaving (to name a few).

As of late, our nation’s sports teams have been ravaged by controversies.  I won’t even start with the latest on the Buckeyes because it’s kind of ludicrous how the NCAA can say “financially benefiting from your status as a student athlete is wrong.  But we’ll wait to do something about it until after we cash in from your BCS bowl game” so we’ll go straight to what was sidelinegate.

Now I know it’s the Christian thing to do, especially given the season, would be to turn the other cheek but when I saw Nolan Carroll of the Miami Dolphins get tripped up while gunning down the sidelines on a punt, you know what my first thought was?

If you said “Ha!  Look – that coach stuck his thigh out, barely hit him, he tumbled IN PADS, and is now being helped off the field,” you were right.

Do you have any idea how old it gets hearing about soccer players being wimps because they flop and fake injuries?  Ok, granted, there are flops but when you’re running at full speed and somebody hits you, even slightly, you tend to fall.  And sometimes it can hurt.  Not hearing anyone make this connection in the media I think is an absolute shame.  It’s been weeks and they’re still talking about the legalities of lining up toe-to-toe on the sidelines.  Ugh.

So here’s your warning: whenever Uncle Ed or anybody else starts talking about what a bunch of pansies soccer players are, you can expect to see me showing this video.

You have no idea how much better I feel having muddled through that.

And speaking of comeuppance (yes, i had to spellcheck that), think what you want about Julian Assange and Wikileaks (I heard the CIA named the group looking into the issue the Wikileaks Task Force (yes, WTF)) but once again, you gotta play by the same rules.  Here’s a great story about Mr. Assange getting ticked at the media for “leaking” private details about his allegations in Sweden.  Oh the NCAA-like irony…

Two more things (and if you’ve gotten this far, you obviously need a Christmas distraction, so here you go):

1. Christmas has changed over the years.  There’s no denying it (more on this after Xmas…)
2. “Must Be Santa” by Bob Dylan.  Because everyone needs a polka-style Christmas song.  Trust me, it’s absolutely worth watching.  And yes family, I have this version ready on the guitar for us tomorrow night =]

Trust Me, I’m Now a Doctor.

It’s official, I am now a graduate of Elevator Brewery’s PhD program.  Good stuff =]

Our house has undergone some changes too: new gutters (you obviously pay for the product and not the service) and new fences (thanks Jeff!).  We even installed some pegboard in the garage today.  And thanks to Beth, we’re almost done with Christmas shopping!  If you haven’t quite crossed off all the names on your list, here’s something interesting – it’s not a list of gift suggestions, the article explains what scientifically make the best kind of gifts.  If anything, maybe it’ll spark some ideas! (cough, cough)

Admittedly, Josh Groban gave all us Buckeye fans what could have been the best chuckle we can expect this holiday season.  lol…ouch.

Tonight was Village Lights down in German Village.  Lots of free cider, treats, and lights!

you just never know who you'll run into in German Village!

Go Crazy? Don’t Mind if I Do.

It is mostly true that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.  So I guess it goes without saying that if Beth and I weren’t trying something new, we’d go crazy.

So Saturday we’re doing our first adventure race.  Yeup, 6 hours of canoeing, biking, and orienteering.  Sure, it’s scary (why do they require us to have a headlamp and a whistle?) but I’m excited for the afterglow.  Y’know – like when you take that first bite of a new recipe and it turns out great, when you turn the faucet on and the pipe has stopped leaking or when you reach the bottom of the hill after skiing your first black diamond.  That’s what I’m excited for.

Loscko and Jeannie are joining us so that’ll be way cool.  At least there’ll be witnesses for when Beth clubs me for yelling “suck it up” at her for the 22nd time.

But hey, why stop at this crazy race?

This is a crazy race: the Warrior Dash.  3 miles of obstacles like “tornado alley,” crawling through mud under barbed wire, and jumping over fires.  I think this is going to rank right up there with the “well, I’m scared to give a speech so I’ll just go play and sing at an open mic night” anxiety.

So sign up and join us (yeah, Beth is doing it – I have the coolest wife)!  You get a free fuzzy helmet with horns.  You’re going to turn that down?  If you’re interested, let me know soon and we’ll coordinate which “wave” we go in…

Speaking of other scary firsts, our first lawn is still coming in:

mmm...grass...

I also found the first headline I’ve liked about Obama.  I didn’t quite understand the article but the headline is priceless.  (you better have clicked on that)…

And I got my first fan photo.  Not sure how you found the site but glad we’re pals:

i'm big in Japan.

So check back in after the weekend and Beth will fill you in on the results of the race (and why we needed that whistle).

(and yes, for the cultured of you, the post title is a reference to this.  and yes, Beth recently did the same thing when she saw herself in the mirror (but didn’t hurt herself).  she’s the best!)