The Kwans

 

The Kwans got their solar panels six years ago in 2001.  At that time, there were many black outs and brown outs.  They needed the power to be reliable because they had had a baby.  Their baby would need food that was fresh and warm, and they couldn’t afford to keep having the food spoiling.  Their neighbors had had solar panels installed a couple of months before, and they seemed to be happy with the results.  So the Kwans decided to get solar panels.

 

        The permit for the solar panels were only a few hundred dollars, according to the Kwans.  Back then; it cost 10$ per watt in Cupertino, and with the rebate, it was about 7$.  The Kwans said that the solar panels were very reliable and thought that it was worth the cost.

 

        There were two types of solar panels for them to choose from.  There was monocrystal and polycrystalline.  The Kwans wanted to choose the solar panel that was most efficient.  They chose the monocrystal because it was 10% efficient, which was better than the polycrystalline.  There were also different colors to choose from, according to the Kwans.  It only took less than one week to get the solar panels installed.  There were 16 sub-panels, and the Kwans got three sets.  Each solar panel set lasts 25-30 years, and were very easy to care for.      

 

        The Kwans said that if the solar panels were facing south they would take in more sunlight because California is north of the equator.  The solar panels didn’t work at night, however, they could store the energy produced from the panels in a lead-acid battery.  The battery needed to be replaced about every 10 years.

 

The house is still connected to the power grid in case the solar panels fail, and they also have back up batteries in case there is a blackout.  The Kwans connected the back up batteries to the stove, refrigerator, microwave, heater, and the TV.