The Last Panel

Last week was a momentous day for the Flores family. It was the day we finally purchased the last panel for our solar electric system. Angels were singing, birds were flying through the air with ribbons in their beaks, rays of light beamed down from the heavens… Ok, well, maybe those light beams were from the light bulb, but it was a red-letter day for us.

The next day, our 6 battery system charged completely. In fact, we had a hard time using some of the power so that we could get maximum efficiency without it overcharging. Another battery was required.

We went and got one at AutoZone and hooked it up. Since then, we have been walking around on cloud 9 (ok enough with the heavenly choir references). We have ample power to do laundry even on cloudy days now. The batteries are still more than half charged at 6 am in the morning even with my son playing video games (em–cough) I mean doing classwork late at night when the internet is working. 

These are the shades I got. Simple, durable and covers the bare bulb!

To finish off our electrical system, I wanted something like a shade to cover the light bulbs in the ceiling sockets. Do you think I could find any locally? Nope. I searched high and low. So I ordered some from Amazon. While I was at it, I ordered a replacement string of lights for the stairway and some new motion detector lights for the front of the house since the old ones had given up the ghost a few months back. None of these was very expensive. The lights will last 2-3 years before they need to be replaced. The light covers might never need to be replaced. 

Thus ends the 12-year struggle for electricity in La Yacata (or at least in our home). If I wasn’t so pleased with the end result I’d say it was anticlimactic. But since I am…

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Read about our struggle to get electricity in La Yacata!

It’s FREE today in honor of this momentous event!