Florida

[evenoelle]

My wife just reported from the Nordstrom garage at the Aventura Mall that she spotted a black LEAF charging! She was excited that it was her first sighting, even though it doesn't qualify as a full sighting because the other car was charging.

In any case, there are two LEAFs in the Nordstrom garage right now, probably a first... ;-)

The obvious question is, who is the black one? N1ghtrider? Brightnuk? Evenoelle? Anyone else?

It wasn't me. I have yet to venture to Aventura with the car...I'm too cheap to pay for a charge. Although I think I could actually make it there and back without having to charge.

On another note, I did see a silver LEAF in my neighborhood this past Saturday morning while I was out walking. We live behind Baptist Hospital - was it any of you?

 

[N1ghtrider]

Not the Nightrider.

 

[BrainDonor]

Has anyone gotten an HOV sticker? Just wondering...

 

[N1ghtrider]

I got my HOV sticker. I thought I would be in for a fight because the LEAF was not on the printed list of qualifying vehicles at the tag agency, but the nice lady went online to the Dept. of Transportation and found the LEAF listed there.

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

Who was that headed South on Congress Avenue this morning about 9AM in a silver Leaf?

(West coast folks can stop laughing now, sightings are still a rare event here)

 

[Weatherman]

FPL opened their PV solar rebate program this morning at 8:30 am, and Poof!, all the funds were gone in about 120 seconds.

I was one of the lucky ones to get in during the 120-second window and my application was approved. Looks like I'll be installing a 7.2 kW system on my roof in the next couple of months.

All done, except for the final electrical inspection tomorrow morning. Then I get to submit the paperwork to FPL and wait for them to install a bi-directional meter and give me a check for $14,400.

https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/public/systems/smq489803" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Until I get the bi-directional meter, I need to be careful how I use it, otherwise I'm literally paying FPL to take my excess power. The rules are that it should only be on for "testing and inspections". I may turn one or both of the branch circuits off for part or most of the day, depending on what kind of weather is expected that day.

 

[keydiver]

My old meter just spun backwards until FPL changed it out. However, my friend already had the new Smart Meter and I don't think it knew how to handle the electrons going backwards.
The guy who came from FPL to inspect my system said I was the only one who was NOT selling back when he arrived. Everyone else had there's turned on and functional.

 

[Weatherman]

Well, the new smartmeters are smart enough to indicate which direction the electrons are moving. They show either:

<received

Or,

delivered>

You would think they would be smart enough not to continue to count the digital counter up when in the >received state, but I have a suspicion they do. If it does, then I'm paying FPL to send electricity to them. I'm pretty confident the counter does not count down; it only goes up.

Maybe if the weather can cooperate and we can get some bright sunshine in the morning before my A/C fires up, I'll check

 

[Weatherman]

To my complete surprise, an FPL dude came out this morning and swapped out my "smart" meter for a net meter. So, my PV array is, officially, operational.

I know people like to complain about their utility companies, but in the case of FPL, if you win their silly speed-typing contest to get a rebate, they treat you pretty well (at least so far). They are going to send out someone to perform a "post-verification site visit" next Tuesday. Hopefully it's just an in-person confirmation of all the documents and pictures I've already provided.


By the way, it seems like the range I'm getting on my LEAF for an 80% charge has really been poor since the weather got warm. I was wondering if anyone else has seen a similar drop in range. I know A/C use is a contributing factor, but I'm getting about 20% fewer miles on an 80% charge than I was back in March and April.

Initially, I figured I'd try to baby my car's battery and drive very conservatively, but, today I decided to just not worry about it any more. If my battery is going to suffer an early death, I might just as well enjoy it for the time it has left.

 

[keydiver]

The FPL guy will just want to see the model numbers of the inverter and panels, to make sure you actually installed what they are paying you for.
I can't say that I have seen a terrible decrease in range, but A/C here in Florida does have to work pretty hard, maybe harder than anywhere else because of the humidity. I still go without A/C once in a while, when possible, and it has me wishing for this fall, when I can turn the A/C off until next year.

 

[Weatherman]

The FPL guy will just want to see the model numbers of the inverter and panels, to make sure you actually installed what they are paying you for.

Well, good luck there.

The panel nameplate is on the back of the panel and the microinverters are tucked away behind each panel. I suppose he could shine a flashlight under the panels, between the rails, to at least see the panel nameplates. It should be interesting to see what he is willing to do to gather that information.

 

[spike09]

By the way, it seems like the range I'm getting on my LEAF for an 80% charge has really been poor since the weather got warm. I was wondering if anyone else has seen a similar drop in range. I know A/C use is a contributing factor, but I'm getting about 20% fewer miles on an 80% charge than I was back in March and April.

Initially, I figured I'd try to baby my car's battery and drive very conservatively, but, today I decided to just not worry about it any more. If my battery is going to suffer an early death, I might just as well enjoy it for the time it has left.

I usually charge to 100% so the range drop due to the weather is not as noticeable. Also I use my car A/C all year round.

 

[spike09]

CarCharging was recently awarded an exclusive EV charging station contract by the City of Hollywood, Florida.

The three initial locations will be in public parking garages owned by the city. Two in the city center and one near the beach. No info yet on when they will be on line.

 

[N1ghtrider]

I always charge to 100% but my range has dropped in the hot weather with more use of air conditioning and driving more on I-95. By the time I had 3,500 miles on the car (in April I believe), half of that was achieving more than 100 miles per charge. Since then I have not beat 100 miles and have 4,650 on the odometer.

Yesterday I had an interesting drive down to Key Largo to go scuba diving. I went down Old Cutler Road to 216th Street, and took the turnpike from there to Florida City (a/c on at 55-60 mph). Then down U.S. 1 at 55 mph, turning off the a/c for awhile and opening the windows. It was 48 miles one way. While there I used the 110 cord and plugged-in at the dive shop for a couple of hours, However, the weight of the transformer on the L-1 cord pulled it out of the wall, so I only got 1 bar added at that stop. After my dive I drove back on U.S. 1 and the turnpike (a/c the whole way) to Maroone Nissan Kendall (about 170th Street and U.S. 1), to use the L-2 charger for 30 minutes to make sure I had the range to get home. 96 mile round trip, mostly over 50 mph.

 

[mirko]

CarCharging was recently awarded an exclusive EV charging station contract by the City of Hollywood, Florida.

The three initial locations will be in public parking garages owned by the city. Two in the city center and one near the beach. No info yet on when they will be on line.

I used the new charging station located in the garage at 201-251 S 20th Ave, Hollywood, Florida. I think that I was the first car to use that charger. The cord was still stiff and tightly wrapped on the charging station. There were some workers there that said that it was just turned on and that I was the first car that they saw using the station. While I was there a guy with a mitsubishi i-miev showed up and was checking out the new station. He said that he worked in the building next door. That was the first i that I had ever seen.

 

[spike09]

CarCharging was recently awarded an exclusive EV charging station contract by the City of Hollywood, Florida.

The three initial locations will be in public parking garages owned by the city. Two in the city center and one near the beach. No info yet on when they will be on line.

I used the new charging station located in the garage at 201-251 S 20th Ave, Hollywood, Florida. I think that I was the first car to use that charger. The cord was still stiff and tightly wrapped on the charging station. There were some workers there that said that it was just turned on and that I was the first car that they saw using the station. While I was there a guy with a mitsubishi i-miev showed up and was checking out the new station. He said that he worked in the building next door. That was the first i that I had ever seen.

The location of the 3 chargers are now online and listed on ChargePoint.

Van Buren Street Parking Garage - 201-251 S 20th Ave, Hollywood, Florida (Veer right after entrance, all the way down on the left.)
Radius Garage - 250 N 19th Ave, Hollywood, Florida (EVSE just past office on left)
Garfield Street Parking Garage (300 Connecticut Street)- 1617 N Surf Rd, Hollywood, (second floor on the north side of wall)

 

[evenoelle]

Has anyone brought their car in for the six month service? Mine is at BS Nissan now...I guess I should have looked up what the service entails before actually sending my husband over there with it. Apparently it involves nothing but having my husband sit in the lobby there. :evil: All they have told him is that they are supposed to rotate the tires but they can wait until the 1 year service at which time that will cost around $25. They also told him that the 1 year service would cost $140 for the brake fluid change and $90 for the coolant change. WTH???

 

[Weatherman]

Has anyone brought their car in for the six month service? Mine is at BS Nissan now...I guess I should have looked up what the service entails before actually sending my husband over there with it. Apparently it involves nothing but having my husband sit in the lobby there. :evil: All they have told him is that they are supposed to rotate the tires but they can wait until the 1 year service at which time that will cost around $25. They also told him that the 1 year service would cost $140 for the brake fluid change and $90 for the coolant change. WTH???

Except for rotating the tires, there's absolutely nothing needed at the six-month mark. Shortly before one year, we need to get a battery check, but that's provided at no cost. Nothing else is needed at one year.

I plan to get my car's tires rotated at about 7,500 miles (sometime in late August), but I plan to shop around for that service. Unlike the battery check, there are a lot of shops that can rotate tires, probably at a lower cost than a dealer.

 

[evenoelle]

Ok - I just got an update. The one year service would include the free battery check but....they charge $190 to change the AC filter, check the break fluids, and check the coolant. If the break fluid and the coolant need to be changed, they would then add on another $230 for a grand total of (drumroll please....) $420. :shock: I paid less for service on my Lexus.

 

[Weatherman]

I sure hope the Maroone dealerships aren't that bad. When I take mine in I'm going to specifically state that all I want is the battery check (which must be done at no cost for the first couple of years to keep to the terms of the warranty).

Nothing else, for one simple reason. Nothing else is needed. Except for warm temperatures during the summer (which would only affect the life of our batteries), South Florida weather and urban roads are pretty kind to our cars. No road salt and very little dust or pollen.