1 year of solar: summary of my first year with a solar-powered home

Justine Unsolicited advice

A couple weeks ago, I celebrated the 1-year anniversary of my solar PV system getting connected to the grid. While it was installed in December 2015, TEP (my utility) only completed its check and approved the system on January 14, 2016. To celebrate this momentous occasion, I’m going to share my data with you! In this post, I’ll tell you about my PV system, provide the performance and financial numbers, and give you my thoughts after 1 year of solar.

energy efficiency tips

Energy efficiency tips for your home

Justine Unsolicited advice

Wow. I started writing this as an aside to a post I’m writing about my experience with one year of solar energy for my home. Apparently, I had more to say than I realized and this turned into a 1400 word post of its own! This post lists some important energy efficiency tips and should be useful to all homeowners, regardless of whether solar is on your radar or not. If you are in fact considering solar, take the steps noted in this post first! Otherwise, you’ll end up buying a larger (and more expensive) solar system than you actually …

What’s in that hole? – Episode 10

Justine What's in that hole?

Hello everybody and welcome to Episode 10 of What’s in that Hole?, a new series I’m writing for my blog. In the last episode, we not only found a hole, but caught and released its occupant, saving the critter from my dad’s wrath and giving it a new lease on life. Today we take things in a completely different direction with a hole I found on a recent trip to Washington, DC. Warning: there’s culture in this post!

What’s in that hole? – Episode 8

Justine Arizona, What's in that hole?

Hello everybody and welcome to Episode 8 of What’s in that Hole?, a new series I’m writing for my blog. In the last episode, we met the farmers of the insect world, leaf-cutter ants (a desert version to be specific). Today, we remain in the Arizona desert but find something a bit less…natural.

3 days in Washington, DC

Justine United States

Back in mid-December I met my dad in Washington, DC, where my godparents live. A year ago, my godfather Tom was elected new president of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and it was finally time for his inaugural reception. I went to DC a few days ahead of the reception so I could get a bit of a break in too.

Scuba trip: Cozumel, Mexico (January 2017)

Justine International

Last week, I went on an impromptu scuba trip to Cozumel, Mexico. I booked the flight (using miles!) just 5 days before I left Tucson and booked the hotel and scuba reservation 3 days before I left. I figured I’d take advantage of the extra time I have before I start teaching for the spring semester.

big sky montana

My latest version of a life plan

Justine Let's get personal

Okay everyone, here we go. I have a plan. Well, kind of. It’s only for about 4 months and, as you’ll read below, it’s lacking in detail. But I don’t tend to plan that far ahead or in any detail (as you can tell from my impromptu Cozumel trip this week – more on that in a future post – and the fact that I quit my job with no backup option ready), so this is actually pretty good for me.