Technology is kind of our thing ... we're always looked for ways to move ahead for financial and even emotional gain. Our first Tesla literally changed our lives. The excitement of bypassing gas stations was contagious. The lack of routine maintenance was very appealing to us. Tom's 2016 Tesla still has its original brakes at nearly 100,000 miles. Of course, there is some maintenance - tires, tire rotation, and washer fluid. Read our Tesla story.

So, is there a learning curve? Yep, there is but we knew there would be. When we picked up our Tesla in 2016 there was a 90-minute 'class' before we could leave. After the demonstrator realized we knew more than he did, he released us! To say we're excited for sunny days is an understatement. The app on our phone  keeps us informed as to what is going where and with the Span. We still have questions, but we're not finished yet. Our second Tesla Powerwall 3 isn't here yet so when all our ducks are swimming in the same pond, we'll have more information For now ... we are charging our house and cars with sunshine!

I couldn't possibly explain the chaos in our garage and the installers' work area. It looked overwhelming to me and as my husband and I watched them work it was like watching a symphony ... it all came together beautifully!

Here we go! We are as ready as we can be ... both cars have been moved to the front yard to give the installers plenty of room.​

As expected, Joe arrived as scheduled at 8:30 and the installation crew at 9. These random pictures show the progress of getting the panels onto the roof. The rest of the project starts tomorrow!

I was going to wait to share my thoughts about the install to date but I'm just too thrilled to let it ride. Yes, there was a glitch - it happens - but the impressive part about it is how it was handled. There was no panic, no uncertainty, no hesitation. There was only devotion, focus, and solutions offered. It all worked out. These guys are pros. Such a pleasure to work with ... even though they did all the work. Looking forward to tomorrow.

Next Up: Getting It Connected

Now that all we need is here, installation is scheduled for Monday. One more weekend and we'll power our cars and home with sunshine!

We both drive Teslas. Tom drives a 2016 Model S 90D and I drive a 2018 75D; most of our lawn equipment (Greenworks) and many tools run on batteries and it's been that way for years. So what made us 'go solar'?

​It's simple. We met Joe Ward ... the nicest guy you'll ever meet. He didn't come across as a salesman at all ... that's plus for us! We had dinner with him and several other folks from Drive Electric Alabama recently. I opened up the can of worms by asking Joe what he did for a living. I already knew he drove a Rivian and wasn't surprised when he said he worked for CKR Solar. Hmmm ...not something we ever really thought about. Being in our mid-seventies, debt-free, and generally comfortable with our life we weren't looking to make a change. With our 'twilight' years are encroaching and it was something we quickly pooh-poohed. The topic was dropped.

The next day, we attended a car show and there was Joe with his Rivian, Steve Johnson of Wiregrass EV Charging with his Rivian, Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition executive director, Mark Bentley with his Tesla Model Y, and Tom and me. What great conversations we had!

I had an opportunity to chat more with Joe. Again, in his gentle, no pressure demeanor he barely mentioned solar. It was then I asked him a simple question, "Why should we consider solar?"
His answer was simple, "Stop the bleeding." And, that was that. The conversation was over. I returned to my husband who really wasn't ready to have any discussion about solar. I dropped it and enjoyed the car show!

Later that day, Joe offered to review our power bills from the last year to see if solar was even a good fit for us. He felt confident we could have solar for less than we're paying now for power. That's all I needed. I quickly logged into our power company's website and saved a years worth of power bills and sent them to Joe. He said it would probably take a couple of weeks for him to get back to us. True to his word he text me and offered to come to our home and lay it out for us.
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I reminded him Tom was NOT on board and he was likely wasting his time. He told me that was fine. We set up a day and time to come and he was in front of us - likely full of hope - while we were apprehensive and set in our ways. 

​​Next up ... What Changed Tom's Mind