Sopris Solar workers begin installation of part of a 19.5 kW solar system made up of five arrays, including a 6.2 kW array on this south roof of our Highline Crossing Cohousing Community Common House. [Photo by Christof Demont-Heinrich]The cohousing community that I live in — Highline Crossing Cohousing — here in Littleton, Colo. is FINALLY getting solar after a one-year wait for the installation and, prior to that, 18 months of me, and several other residents here in this community, working toward persuading our community to add a 20 kW solar system.
Sopris Solar began installation of the system on Wed., June 10, 2020 and it was completed on June 27, 2020.
The five-array system with 63 310-watt solar panels, some of which will be on the roof of a garage block and the other of which will be placed on the roof our community center, which we call ‘The Common House’ here at HCC, will produce 120% of our electricity use in our community center and in our garages š.
A Sopris Solar worker installs a racking system on our garages at Highline Crossing Cohousing Community on Thurs., June 11. [Photo by Christof Demont-Heinrich]That means that my 2020 Chevy Bolt will once again be a solar-charged EV, as will the 2017 Nissan LEAF that one of my neighbors here owns. The hope is that other residents will now move to an electric car now that we have our own community solar gas station, and will be over-producing electricity.
Some of that over-production, which we will be “banking” indefinitely with our utility, Xcel Energy, might also in the future go toward, among other things, electric water heaters, which we will hopefully elect to buy when we need to replace our gas hot water heaters in the Common House.
Our extra banked kWh might also perhaps, if we generate enough banked extra kWh, which I strongly suspect we will, go toward an electric furnace whenever we need to replace the natural gas furnace in the community house!
I hope you enjoy the installation slideshow below! I am so happy that we finally have solar here at Highline Crossing and it is interesting that it is being installed, 10 years to the month, that a 5.5 kW home solar system was installed on a home I lived in in Aurora, Colo. with my now ex-wife and two daughters, who, back in 2010, were five and three years old and who are now well into teen-hood š
Populating the world with more solar is what I am all about! Not only have I helped populate more solar directly, I have a strong feeling that SolarChargedDriving.Com, which I have now run for more than 10 years, has also helped to encourage more than a few people to go solar!
Solar power rocks, here in Littleton, Colo., in Aurora, Colo. on the roof of my old home, which still is running on solar energy even though someone else has lived there for five years now, and everywhere and anywhere in the world it has been, and is being, installed.
100% renewable energy world, Here we Come!
The Highline Crossing Cohousing Common House before solar.
The Highline Crossing Cohousing Common House before solar.
The HCC garages before solar.
Sopris Solar workers Vincent and Shane begin the solar project on the HCC garages on Day 1.
Ryan, Shane and Vincent map out the garage roof for solar on Day 1.
Boxes of bolts ready to be installed on Day 1.
Two solar rack rows on the garages are completed at about noon on Day 1.
Vincent carries a solar railing to the garages to be installed on Day 1.
Ryan carries a new concrete tile up to the garage roof on Day 1.
Vincent handles a solar railing on the garage roof on Day 1.
Most of the solar racking for the garages has been installed by the end of Day 1.
Day 2 starts with Vincent and Shane finishing the solar racking on the garages.
Shane (left) and Vincent (right) finish up the racking system on the garages on Day 2.
Shane drills in a bolt on a hook while Vincent works with a concrete tile in the foreground on Day 2.
By 11:30 a.m. on Day 2 the entire racking infrastructure for the garage block has been installed.
Shane starts work on the HCC Common House roof at around 12:15 p.m. on Day 2.
Shane works on installing a hook for the racking system on the HCC Common House on Day 2.
A beautiful June sky serves as the backdrop as the Sopris crew continues work on the HCC Common House on Day 2.
Ryan hands Vincent a new concrete tile. Some older tiles were swapped out for new ones.
The ladder looks like it leads straight to the sky in this photo.
Vincent pulls up a solar railing onto the HCC Common House roof on Day 2.
More beautiful sky that contrasts with the trees in this photo š
Vincent surveys the work scene on Day 2 on the HCC Common House roof.
Shane pulls down older concrete tile to be switched out for newer tile on Day 2.
Most of the solar racking system on the south roof of the Common House is done by 4 p.m. on Day 2, June 11, 2020.
The Sopris Solar crew gets going on the HCC roof on Day 3.
Solar panels being installed by a Sopris Solar worker on the Highline Crossing Cohoushing Community Center in mid-July 2020, more than one year after HCC signed a contract for the installation! [Photo by Christof Demont-Heinrich]
Shane installs microinverters early on Day 4.
Shane works with wiring on Day 4.
HCC resident Chris McGuire (left) texts out info as Vincent and Shane unload first solar panel.
Vincent and Shane stack solar panels.
Shane heads up ladder with the first solar panel.
Vincent crests the ladder with a solar panel.
HCC resident Chris McGuire watches the installation.
HCC resident Jacqueline Beecher watches the installation.
Micro-inverters have been installed on HCC Common House roof.
Ryan (right) and Vincent (left on ground) working.
The first row of solar panels has been set by mid-day on Day 4.
Shane carries a solar panel on the Common House roof.
Vincent and Shane install a solar panel.
Shane tilts a solar panel so that Vincent can cut back the railing.
Vincent bolts panels together as Ryan holds them steady.
Another solar panel arrives.
Sopris Solar workers install solar panels on the Highline Crossing Cohousing Common House in July 2020. [Photo by Christof Demont-Heinrich]
Sopris Solar workers survey their work on Day 4.
The first row of solar panels on the east roof of the Common House.
By end of Day 4, most of the micro-inverters have been installed on the garages.
Shane negotiates the rafters inside the garage units to install electrical wiring.
Shane brings up a solar panel up to the garage units on Day 5 of the installation.
Solar panels are installed on our garage roof here in Highline Crossing Cohousing in July 2020. [Photo by Christof Demont-Heinrich]
Shane works on bolting panels together.
The sun glints off newly installed solar panels.
One of the shared garage blocks with solar panels at Highline Crossing Cohousing Community. [Photo by Christof Demont-Heinrich]
By the morning of Day 6, steel conduit casing is running out of the electrical box on the HCC Common House.
Vincent installs steel conduit casing on the Common House north roof.
Shane (left) and Vincent (right) work on installing steel conduit casing on Day 6.
Shane installs a solar switch box on the garages on Day 7.
One full block of panels has been completed here the garages on Day 7.
Sopris Solar workers install panels on the roof of one of the garage blocks at Highline Crossing Cohousing in Littleton, Colo. [Photo By Christof Demont-Heinrich]
Solar panels are sleek and beautiful — especially when set against the backdrop of a dramatic sky.
Thirty 310 watt solar panels, or 9.3 kW worth, are up on the garages at the end of Day 7.
Shane and Vincent lay the final panel of a 13-panel array on the east roof of the HCC Common House on June 27, 2020.
Shane lays a panel on the 20-panel array on the south roof of the HCC Common House.
New solar panels being installed in Summer 2020 in Littleton, Colo. [Photo by Christof Demont-Heinrich]
The 13-panel, 4 kW array on the east side of the HCC Common House is finished at noon on June 27, 2020.
Shane stands on the edge of the HCC Common House roof while cutting a railing.
Shane waits for the final solar panel to be carried up to the roof by Vincent.
A Sopris Solar worker heads up to the HCC Common House south roof with the last of 63 310 watt Mission Solar solar panels that are part of the 19.6 kW of solar the community added in July 2020.
Shane lays the final solar panel of the installation at around 2:30 p.m. on June 27, 2020.
Vincent installs critter guard around the solar arrays on the garages.
The largest array, this one made up of 20 panels, is finished on June 27, 2020. It’s 6.2 kW worth of solar.
The cohousing community that I live in — Highline Crossing Cohousing — here in Littleton, Colo. is FINALLY getting solar after a one-year wait for the installation and, prior to that, 18 months of me, and several other residents here in this community, working toward persuading our community to add a 20 kW solar system.
