Greening Your Home
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: INSTALLING SOLAR ELECTRICITY
Ethan researching (read dreaming up) more projectsEthan had been looking at the idea of solar power for some time. Prior to purchasing Little House Farm, Ethan and Blair owned property in an ecologically correct community of 30 cottages in Putnam County. The property was on a half acre with lakefront footage, wood stove, a compost outhouse, an outside shower with limited hot water, annoying above ground electrical lines and a board that was reluctant to convert to solar energy. Going solar did not come any easier when he moved further north in 2001.
CONVERTING TO SOLAR ELECTRICITY: LESSONS LEARNED
Ethan had hired a local architect to make Little House Farm more liveable and he had tried to convince the architect to design the entire space with solar energy in mind. Funny thing though, back in 2001 oil was $9.00 a barrel headed south to $7.00 so it was hard to convince anyone to get excited about solar electricity. It just was not economically feasible. The house was finally built using fiberglass insulation and without a focus on a tight building envelope. Therefore, the structure as built seeps energy. In an effort to control energy costs we have become accustomed to living with 65 degree temperatures in the house. And don't think Ethan doesn't run around checking the thermostats to make sure no one is cheating!
It is not easy to go back and fix these issues, but as the opportunity presents itself changes are made. For example, the attic will be insulated with cellulose or recycled, fire retardant, shredded newspaper which will increase the R-factor or insulation thickness and reduce energy loss. In fact, the contractor who will be handling the insulation is coming back to begin an evaluation so check back to see what we learn.
Adding insulation to the foundation is another change that will be made. The original contractors left about a 6" space of exposed foundation because they felt that the blue rigid insulation was not attractive; it could be seen while walking the property. So the foundation actually seeps energy as a result. Check back for more details about this project.
Finally, replacing the insulation in the walls with the most ecologically friendly and strongest material available at the time can help a lot. The insulation technology is constantly changing and ongoing research is necessary. In 2006 the most ecologically friendly material happens to be recycled blue jean batting.
CHOOSING A SOLAR TECHNOLOGY
The barn, its solar panels and quasi energy efficient carsThere are several different kinds of technology that create solar electricity. Those technologies are Photovolatics also known as PV or solar cells, passive solar heating, cooling and daylighting and concentrating solar power or reflective mirrors. Little House Farm uses PV which are semiconductors that convert sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity.
The PV panels were placed on the barn because that structure is facing south and has the correct pitch and because there was not enough room on the house to place enough panels to create adequate electricity. There are 45 panels at 3'x3' each and they produce 6 1/2 kw of electricity. This produces about 80-90% of the farm's electrical needs. The barn's roof was not big enough for more panels otherwise the farm would produce all of its own electricity. Another lesson learned; if you are adding solar energy to new construction, consider structure size with respect to solar energy also.
The panels produce electricity all day long and send enough electricity back into the grid for what the farm itself needs. The balance is sold back to the Mid-Central Hudson Electric Co. We also have a Xantrex grid-tie battery back-up. This kind of battery enables the farm to produce its own electricity while still connected to the grid. The system was designed this way because the farm is selling electricity back to Mid-Central. You can also purchase an off-grid system which will completely take you off of your local electrical grid. The system lasts for about 50 years or the life of the solar panels.
SOLAR ELECTRICAL COSTS AT LITTLE HOUSE FARM
The electrical bill for Little House Farm used to be between $150-160 per month. The cost per month of the loan for the entire system is $150. The Little House Farm loan will be payed off in 10 years and will then produce free electricity indefinitely or as long as the system (panels) are retained. Thus, by installing the system and taking all offered discounts and rebates the farm has essentially capped its electrical costs at the rate of the loan for the next ten years. In 2017 and beyond the farm's electrical costs will be free at time when a barrel of oil may cost $200 or more.
SOLAR ELECTRICITY INCENTIVES
New York and California are two states that have made a lot of progress in supporting solar power. For instance, New York State created a program where they pay just over half the cost of the installed systems or 55% and help homeowners arrange loans for the rest. Little House Farm has a loan at 3% interest for 10 years. The farm has also taken advantage of a 2005 Federal government tax rebate of $2000 for solar installations. New Yorkers can investigate more at the NYSERDA web site. There is also a Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy or DSIRE which includes information for all state, local, utility and federal incentives that promote solar power.
In addition and perhaps most importantly the "Solar Choice Act of 1997" provides for net metering of residential photovoltaic systems. This law gives residential electric customers the right to "sell back" excess solar electricity that they produce. So in other words, residential customers with 10 kW or smaller solar electric systems are now entitled to turn their electric meters backwards when their solar systems are generating more electricity than is being consumed. The customers pay for only the net amount of electricity they buy from the utility so consumers end up being paid when they generate excess electricity. The utility company purchases consumers' excess electricity at the same price that we buy it from them.
FINDING SOLAR CONTRACTORS AND VENDORS
Converting to solar power as you can see is a research project demanding a fair amount of advance knowledge and finding the right contractor involves no less research. Ethan has often said that the farm's solar projects have been a lot more time consuming and labor intensive then he ever expected. He did a few things to find the farm's contractors. First, Ethan used the web to locate contractors all around the country and he talked to everyone, everywhere. He also read some of the magazines available on the subject such as Home Power, Home Energy and Northeast Sun.
Perhaps the most useful exercise was visiting a well known solar project in Hudson Valley called Common Fire which is a housing co-op slated to become one of only nine platinum certified green projects in the country. This is probably one of the best tips for finding responsible solar energy contractors. Visit a certified solar project as close to your area as possible and talk to them about their project and the contractors they used. People who are going green are more than willing to share their resources. In the end most of the contractors Ethan has selected ended up working on Common Fire.
ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS
Note that most energy consultants will say that solar technology is the icing on the cake; properly insulating a structure first will go a long way to helping you reduce your energy costs and dependence upon fossil fuels. A responsible professional should advise an energy audit on an existing structure before launching into a solar project and truthfully, it may just be too expensive to convert an older structure. This is not about employing the latest and greatest just because everyone else is doing it. This is about reducing your energy costs and dependence upon fossil fuels and following the advice offered in an audit may be the most appropriate way to do that.
Don't be concerned if your solar projects take up to a year to research. That's about how long Ethan spent researching both the solar electricity and solar hot water for Little House Farm.
Ethan's experience researching solar power and in particular solar electricity exposed a disconnect between the theoretical and the practical application of what he was learning. In other words, he felt that as a particularly un-handy homeowner, who can barely figure out the square root of 49, he could not purchase and install a system on his own although information available to consumers might lead them to believe it's possible.
CONTACT US
Feel free to contact Ethan by e-mail at info@littlehousefarm.com with any questions. Sometimes he's a little gruff, but in the end he loves talking about his green projects and you may even have trouble getting rid of him.