101st Post – Solar Panels

Solar panels!

Last week, solar panels were installed.   A 3.2watt panel, that is to produce 3,200 kilowatts of electricity.  This should produce about ½ of our total electrical consumption.  We will update everyone on the totals once they start to come in.  In the US, the federal government and each state can put money into projects that are helpful to communities.  This is one way the taxes that we pay replays the citizens.   So with the special deal from SunRun we will pay 6,000 upfront but get that back in state rebates in four years! YA!  It is a rental program, which allows you to rent the panel for 20 years and at the end either buy it from SunRun, Inc. or have it removed.  So this definitely is a win, win program.  We will end up paying Nothing - $0 for our solar power!  

You need a couple things:

     1.  The roof needs a sun exposure without interference from trees or part of the property.  Don’t forget your garage, shed or land.

     2.  A newer roof that doesn’t need to be replaced for the life of the solar system-20 years.

      3. Money to have it put on.  So if you’re refinancing with the lower interest rates, you can add solar! 

Each state is different with rebates.  SunRun Inc. works with other solar disturbers.  It doesn’t cost anything to call and figures out if you qualify for this great program. 

Grant Lindsley
RS Energy, LLC
(503) 752-2885

So if you have ever thought of having solar, call and ask them questions.  When you call Grant tell him that you read it on my blog.  I told him that I have a lot of people reading.  He will get a kick out of it!

Ok, I can’t let the article from the New York Times go by without commenting about it. (The article appeared in print on December 4, 2011, on page RE1 of the New York edition with the headline: ‘Zero-Energy’ Construction Crosses the Ocean. by Alison Gregor)   First and foremost, Passive Homes can be net zero homes but that is not what these homes are about.  We are trying to use as little resources as possible once the home is completed.  Even with our solar panels on we won’t be totally a net zero home.  We will be close to net zero but we will still use electricity.  Our water comes from the city that uses electricity to bring it to our home and so on.  We can do the best to use little electricity but there are very few homes that can be a true net zero.  Secondly, to say that PH doesn’t use carbon day to day is nonsense.  Even here in Oregon State we receive 60% of electricity from renewable energy – hydroelectric and wind.  The other 40% comes from coal!  On the east coast the electricity comes from nuclear or from coal.  The electricity has to come from somewhere and it produces a carbon footprint.   Thirdly, is that we were able to find all of the product made here in the US and didn’t have to use fossil fuel to bring them overseas.  We researched our home for three years and our PH designer also did a lot of research.  It can be done, but you must do the leg/ computer work to make it happen.  Ted Nickell our designer, I think had a lot of fun figuring things out.  So ask questions and we will try to answer them or send you to a good resource. 

If you are considering building a passive home, remember that you may again need to do research.  Your contractor may or may not know the information needed to build this type of home.  If you want to save money, I mean thousands!!!! It is best that you do your own research and know what you want and where you can get the products.  We did research for three years and are very glad we did.  We ended up saving close to 50,000!

Rant and Rave - Solar power is something that much of our world should be using! Could you imagine if Arizona put fields of the solar panels up, like fields of wheat?  Or Greece could eliminate their countries money plight, by producing solar energy for the rest of Europe?  Africa could run wells and heat stoves so women and girls wouldn’t have to hunt for water or wood for fires to be raped and even killed.  So on and so fourth…you get the idea!  Now, we need everyone to work together to find a way to store this energy!  I have said it before and I will say it again…come on you bright people, create a way to store solar, wind and hydroelectric power!!!!!!!  Stop relying on an 1800’s way to send electricity…it is antiquated!

OK, advise - take it or leave it…Direction of home for solar panels.  The sun rises in the east and will have morning clouds, so to receive the most solar benefit (is after 1:00pm in Oregon State).  The best roof direction would be SSW to SW would give more watts of solar (in Oregon).

Work with a great Heating / Mechanical / HRVs installers, ours was Perfect Climate (they are in the contact list). They can help design a system that your architect may not have thought about.  This is a way to research by asking others.  One of the best things we did was to have a meeting with all the subs, builder and architect to be on the same page and to work out any issues.

Be Blue – Protect our sky – Call today to find out how much solar really costs and the options.  Remember we are renting the solar unit or you can buy the panels.  Make it your New Years Resolution!