got ethical husbandry?

Need some advice on a T5 fixture

Can anyone recommend any of the bigger/better installers in the South Bay area? I have thought about panels for a long time, but it might be time to pull the trigger...
 
Jason, I compared Solarcity, Akeena, and a couple of other ones (I forgot the names), and Akeena came on top for me. I really like their service and quality of work, and I like their low profile panels. Give me a call at 650-210-6797 if you like more info about Akeena.
 
Or if you have any sort of inkling for some hard work, you can install them yourself, save a ton of money, and maybe save the hardest part for a certified electrician (e.g. connecting to the main). Great thing about the installers like Solar City however is they'll help you with all the rebates that are available out there so you save the most.
 
I just looked over my electric bills for the last year, and December bill also came at the top. I do not have any electric heater for the house, and my whole family even went on a vacation for 10 days with all electronics except fish tanks turned off. So it has to be the fish tanks, and the only thing that is special at this month is the electric heaters are on most of the time. Sometimes I wonder it might be cheaper to turn up the gas heaters at home to keep a higher room temperature.
 
Try these guys. They are in the middle of an install on my job sight.
They came in with the lowest bid and from what I can see are doing a fine job.
This is a big company. The web site seems helpful also.
I have been dealing with this guy...

Jason Askins
Regional Operations Manager
groSolar
What the World Needs. NOW
1501 Eastshore Highway
Berkeley, CA 94710
T: 510.849.8312
M: 415.827.1942
F: 510.843.1116
groSolar.com
 
Thanks everyone! I will give a call out to some of those that have been recommended. (Viet, if you could put me in touch with your contact at Solar City, that'd be great too.)

My roof should be done in the next month, so I will be in a good position to consider solar soon. :)
 
Peterson-Dean Roofing has solar panels built into the roof system. Sounds like you might have the roofing contractor lined up already, but might be worth a call.
 
Jason,
Hold off on the roof install until you decide on the solar or not.
The standoffs for the racks are better installed by the roofer while he is putting the new roof on.
A retrofit on a roof works but it is not the best or most efficient install.
With all of this rain coming the solar guys have no work to do.
You could get bids fast and easy.
 
Hey guys, I think I found out why my PGE bill spiked so badly...

I had been keeping the house quite cool (cold) to try to keep the utility bills down, so my housemate went out and bought one of those little electric space heaters. Ack! He is really bad about keeping stuff on and I came home one day and walked into a wall of warm air coming from his open bedroom door. Lo and behold, there was the little space heater, cranking away, all 1500 watts (almost more than all my tanks' lighting combined, heating a room and hallway with no one present. (He wasn't even home.)

We had a *talk* and we're going to try to turn up the thermostat (gas house heating) and unplug his space heater.

Discovered this towards the end of last month's billing cycle and the PGE bill is still astronomical ($550), but $100 less than last month. I am hoping that this next month I will be closer to $400 which will be more in line with my past winters.

I am going to try keeping the Maristar (MH + T5s) on Bonnie's tank for now and hold off on swapping to T5s. As some have stated in this thread, it might not make that big a difference, esp since I usually run a reduced light cycle.
 
Egads, he should cough up a little more rent money for using way more than his 'fair share' of energy....he must not be the 'sharpest knife in the drawer' :D
 
I have that exact Tek light, I am fairly happy with it. They tend to get loose screws when shipped and their splash shield sags after they cool down. They also have a tendency to not hang level (6 bulb)..... But they provide great light and run fairly cool. I bought mine from Reef Geek.. that place is top knotch.. if you have problems they make it right.
 
SoulFish said:
I have that exact Tek light, I am fairly happy with it. They tend to get loose screws when shipped and their splash shield sags after they cool down. They also have a tendency to not hang level (6 bulb)..... But they provide great light and run fairly cool. I bought mine from Reef Geek.. that place is top knotch.. if you have problems they make it right.
Click to expand...

I have the same sagging issue with the shield so I removed it a while ago but I purchased flat Aluminum bar and cut it to fit so I'll reinforce it first at the ends to see if it solves it.
 
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