Dotting the T's with Rocky Mountain Power

Now that the panels have been mounted, the inverter installed, conduit run, disconnect installed, and the DC and AC wiring completed it's time to get Draper City to send out their building inspector for a final electrical inspection and Rocky Mountain Power (RMP) out to swap the meter and get this system producing!

Draper City is very responsive and an inspection was scheduled for the next day. The inspection was mostly chewing the fat about solar, how it's an 'emerging' technology, how nice the panels look and what the pay-back was expected to be. If Vince and I hadn't opened up the main service panel and opened the cover of the AC disconnect I don't think they would have gotten a look-see. Sorta reminded me of a guided tour.

I had previously (that is, months ago) completed and mailed in to Rocky Mountain Power the Interconnection Agreement for Utah. I'd called in to verify that they had received it and was instructed to call back when the system was ready for inspection. So I made the call and asked for an inspection. Before RMP could inspect and do the meter-swap they required a copy of the city building inspector's report to be mailed in—and they apologized for not following-up by sending me the packet of information which would have given me detailed instructions on what to do as the power-up day approached. Also, a separate inspection visit by RMP would not be required if I provided photographs showing that the 'signage' at the main service panel met their requirements.

Rocky Mountain Power has an office only a couple of miles away so it was easy to run over a copy of the city inspection approval and photos of the signage. Everyone there pretty much wears heavy work boots and wears suspenders. They promised to get the installer scheduled within the next two weeks Since net-metering is an 'emerging' technology they warned me that a meter might have to be ordered and that only properly trained technicians could perform the install. This kind of talk made me nervous since I needed to have the system functional before the end of the year to guarantee that we could take the federal tax credit for 2009—who knows what might happen to that credit if it slips a year! I mentioned this concern to them and subtly reminded them it was they who'd jeopardized the schedule by not sending out the preparatory material.

One more trip was made to the RMP office to drop off the completed and signed the net metering agreement, the one they had neglected to send as part of the preparatory material.

Oh, and one other thing: we notified our home owners insurance carrier that we had installed the solar equipment and made sure our coverage was increased as needed.