Green Living

After the first two entries about our thermal solar and photovoltaic systems, a friend wanted more of the details on how to evaluate options and what our biggest motivators were. 

Why go solar was easy…. Rising and dangerous levels of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. are primarily due to fossil fuel power plants.  The more renewable energy we produce, the less CO2 we will be putting into the atmosphere; what do you think about reducing your carbon footprint?  How about reducing over half a million asthma attacks each year that are caused by power plant pollution?  OK and then there’s the math.  Energy prices are rising and unpredictable.  How much does it cost to install solar .  Here is a quick link to savings, rebates, and  other calculations.

How do you design the right system for your needs? Where do you find the best contractor for the installation?  There are allot of resources, whether adding solar to an existing home, or planning for new construction; here’s one I relied on for all kinds of information .  

Below are some of the questions you should be ready to answer when you start talking to suppliers.

·         Where do you have available space for installing panels; on the roof, in the yard – what direction will the panels face, how much space is available, how do you access the space?  Have a drawing with dimensions if possible.

·         Is your available space blocked from the sun by buildings, trees or anything at certain times of the day?  Are there shading issues depending on the time of year?

·         What’s your current electric usage?  Check out the cost and kilowatt usage on your bill. 

In the end, I worked with an outstanding company Ameco Solar.  They walked me thru the decision process, assisted in calculating current usage and possible future needs and designed what has turned out to be a perfect fit.  If you’re in the market for a thermal solar or photovoltaic system, do yourself a favor and make sure you have Pat from AMECO Solar on your supplier list.

28 rooftop photovoltaic panels

Solar Meter

The very first thing I do every morning is rush outside to do a visual check on the solar meter and the starting point for the day on the electric meter.  Yes – before coffee, before brushing my teeth – it’s baseline check time.  Of course I’ve convinced my husband that I’m dedicated to our two Rhodesian Ridgebacks and that I’ll get up early to let them out first thing… but what I really want to know, is how much electricity did we use overnight and how much will the meter go backwards today?

After the sun goes down, I also check the meters.  My mission is to find ways to use less electricity even though we are producing much more than we use.  It’s important to reduce unnecessary activities that waste energy. 

Starting with eco-smart interiors is a key part of our success with the efficiencies.

All of our lighting is low voltage, LED, florescent and compact florescent and is controlled with dimmers, motion sensors and programmed timers.   Some of my favorite suppliers are Focal Point  - great architectural lighting designs , Lehigh – well designed high tec light control systems, many more I’ll share in another post.

All of the appliances are Energy Star, energy-efficient and the capacity and sizes were chosen to fit our lifestyle and actual use needs, not just for style or what’s in fashion.  If you’re in the market for a new washer/dryer, please read these posts in Inhabitat and Essortment.

When not in use, we unplug equipment, always turn off what’s not in use.  Check out this calculator that gives a guide on how much electricity various devices use.

Also check out  this clip from dothegreenthing.

Thermal Solar Panels

Ahhh great day ahead.  The temps are suppose to reach 90 and it’s going to be a full sun day… again.   Sustainable energy dream day!  We had a fun weekend, so the dishwasher is full and ready to run.  I’ve timed the dishwasher to start after 11am, knowing the storage tank will be full of water that’s about 145 degrees by then.

Hot water for the building is provided thru a heat exchange system which pulls from two 4’x8’ solar panels on the roof.  They are backed up by highly efficient ‘Energy Star’ Takagi gas on-demand system, which we rarely have to use.  There’s always hot water stored in the roof-top tank from the thermal solar panels and no need to use back up heating for water with just a little forethought on when to shower, or set the dishwasher to run.  If I’m ever in doubt about the status of the hot water, we have a thermostat with the temps of the water to assist with planning.