Only you can determine how much of your financial, personal, or business resources you believe can be afforded to such a project. This section is to give you some ideas on costs to research when contemplating the amount of resources that may be needed to implement an energy solution. As our project continues, we will update this list according to any new or hidden costs encountered. Here is our current list of things to consider when budgeting for such a project:
Paperwork costs, such as local municipal fees or permitting costs, legal or architectural services
Professional fees/charges by person(s) or companies that install the equipment (this must be calculated for each part of the system that requires hiring someone to perform an installation activity)
Related costs for any necessary excavation & construction, such as renting equipment or hiring a company for purposes such as excavating and pouring a foundation base for poles or towers, carving ground trenches for laying the wiring from the equipment to the building, as well as any other earthen work such as leveling the soil line and replanting or reseeding
Interior installation work, such as
wiring from the inlet to the interior equipment area (an open area or closed room that will house the battery bank and other related equipment inside the building)
any construction costs for the interior equipment area (that would otherwise not be needed if you were not implementing an independent energy solution)
(re)finishing work, such as drywall patching
Actual equipment and accessory costs, such as:
Battery bank (include any “housing” costs, such as building or purchasing a temperature controlled container)
Wind turbine (include mounting equipment, such as a tower or pole)
Solar panels (include mounting equipment, such as a pole or roof brackets)
Any necessary lightening rods and grounding accessories
Inverters
Battery charger (machine that transfers electricity from the source into the battery and protects the battery from overcharging; some inverters perform this task, but it is good to check)
Diversion load (equipment that takes the excess energy and uses it up / burns it off)
Electrical installation (installer may perform this activity or you may have to hire another professional, such as an electrician)
Any professional consulting or construction management fees you may incur if you choose to (or are required to) hire a professional to advise or oversee the project
You may want to estimate the number of employment hours you could afford to lose, or may lose, to devote to those parts of the project that may require your attention during your “normal” work hours, whether you have your own business or are otherwise employed.
Once we are finished with this project, we'll update and provide a more complete list if it turns out any major costs or resources requirements are not included in the above list.
