Penny, one of my giant swallowtails that's in the "C" has come undone from its upper support also. I'm afraid to try and detach it now, since it's liquid inside. I think I remember that when this happened before the pupating cat successfully pupated while attached only at the rear. After the chrysalid had set for several days and hardened, I carefully detached the silk pad, then put the chrysalid in the upright position in one of my foam rubber cradles. I think the butterfly emerged in perfect condition, at least I sure hope so, because this is how I'm going to handle this situation. Sherry

Haha..I have noticed a slight odor..but Mom says.."These guys stink! Pretty soon they have to move to the garage.." Thanks for the reassurance. I didn't know what to expect in terms of time for pupation. And they did grow fast! I've noticed a couple with their silken girdles attached to the sticks I put in their container. But no complete pupation yet. Maryann

. You need to have a vision of what you want to end up with . . . you can for example buy a big inverter now; add capacity ( PV ) to it as budget permits . . . but you need to know where you're going to begin with. You also must early on; decide if you're gonna be grid tied or not . . totally separate system for only some things . . battery back-up or not . . . etc. You should also know up front, that every dollar you spend to reduce your present consumption; will save about 20 dollars in PV etc that you DON'T need. Reducing your consumption will GREATLY affect what you end up needing . . . You've got some major consumption . . your July usage is higher than ANY annual usage I had here in this place before I went PV / grid tie. I now supply about 85% of my annual electricity here in central New York state . . far from the sun capital of the world . . . and nowhere near as sunny as Texas. My system is 2.8 kW ( nominally ) and I've got 16 panels @ 175 watts each. One Xantrex inverter and a 1000 lb battery bank ( my choice for battery back-up ). Installed it started out ~ $30k; incentives and state / fed tax breaks brought the final cost to about half that. I'll mention that if you DO tie into the grid; you MUST do it properly for the safety of all . . my local ( friendly ) utility had all sorts of flaming moving hoops to jump through; but that was all handled by the place that put the system in. It is important to do it properly . . NEC now has a section dealy specfically with PV systems . . . grid tie or not. I can supply some pix / a write-up about my system if you'd like . . email me to my member email with a real email address for yourself if you want it . . . Good luck . . Bob

Followed you're advice contacted DOE and here is their reply which is a lot of info but I will sift thru it all: Thank you for contacting the EERE Information Center. I understand you are seeking information on the efficiency of solar photovoltaic systems versus geothermal systems. Additionally, you want to verify that your home site is suitable for solar energy. The following resources provide energy calculators that may help you evaluate the efficiency of a particular system. You may need to use different calculators to compare the results in order to decide which is the best system for your circumstances: U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Energy Calculators & Software Renewable Energy Systems This website provides tools to help you evaluate your options for generating your own electricity with a small renewable energy system. System technologies include microhydropower, small solar electric, and small wind electric. http://www.eere.energy.gov/calculators/renewable_energy_systems.html National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) In My Backyard The In My Backyard (IMBY) tool estimates the electricity you can produce with a solar photovoltaic (PV) array or wind turbine at your home or business. http://www.nrel.gov/eis/imby/ National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) PVWatts NREL's PVWattsTM calculator determines the energy production and cost savings of grid connected photovoltaic (PV) energy systems throughout the world. It allows homeowners, installers, manufacturers, and researchers to easily develop estimates of the performance of hypothetical PV installations. http://www.nrel.gov/rredc/pvwatts/ U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Heating Fuel Comparison Calculator This calculator can be used to compare residential heating fuel prices and costs. It factors in the relative price based on the fuel heat content and the heating appliance�s efficiency. Geothermal heat pump is one of the options for heating appliance type. http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/experts/heatcalc.xls Western Area Power Authority (WAPA) Energy Experts Heating System Cost Calculator This calculator also incudes ground source (geothermal) heat pump as a heating option. http://www.energyexperts.org/CalculatorsTools/HeatingCostCalculator.aspx The following resources provide general information on small solar electric systems and geothermal heat pumps and may also be of interest to you with regard to this request: SOLAR U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Energy Savers Small Solar Electric Systems http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/electricity/index.cfm/mytopic=10710 U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Solar Energy Technologies Program Own Your Power! A Consumer Guide to Solar Electricity for the Home http://www.eere.energy.gov/solar/pdfs/43844.pdf U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Solar Energy Technologies Program Related Links on Solar Electricity for Homes http://www.eere.energy.gov/solar/solar_electricity_homes.html National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) A Consumer's Guide: Get Your Power from the Sun This booklet provides basic information on photovoltaic systems. http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy04osti/35297.pdf American Solar Energy Society Go Solar: How to get started with solar energy http://www.ases.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=162&Itemid=7 GEOTHERMAL U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Energy Savers Geothermal Heat Pumps http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/space_heating_cooling/index.cfm/mytopic=12640 ENERGY STAR Geothermal Heat Pumps http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=geo_heat.pr_geo_heat_pumps ENERGY STAR Geothermal Heat Pumps Key Product Criteria http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=geo_heat.pr_crit_geo_heat_pumps International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) Frequently Asked Questions http://www.igshpa.okstate.edu/geothermal/faq.htm Finally, you may also be interested in the following resource on designing and remodeling a home: U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Energy Savers Designing and Remodeling a Home Before you design a new home or remodel an existing one, you should consider investing in its energy efficiency. You'll save energy and money in the long run. It's also a good time to invest in a renewable energy system that will provide your home with electricity, water heating, or space heating and cooling. http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/designing_remodeling/index.cfm/mytopic=10080 Please contact the EERE Information Center if you need further assistance or have other energy-related questions by calling 877-EERE-INFO (877-337-3463), Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time, or through our web submittal form at https://www.eere.energy.gov/informationcenter/.