Solar Panels for Apartments

Solar panels placed on individual homes have the potential to make a home its own power generator. Producing more power than your home uses is call net ZEH or Zero Energy Home.

Many home owners, myself included, are working toward such a Zero Energy Home.

But what about folks who live in apartments?

The folks at Coolest-Gadgets are talking about a possible option for apartment dwellers. Apparently these awning-type solar panels are not on the market yet but seem worth looking for.

Here’s the information from their site:

The advantage that houses in suburbia have over apartments in the City is that homeowners can install solar panels on their rooftops to save money on the every rising cost of electricity. Some can even take surplus energy produced by their solar panels and sell it back to the electric company at a tidy little profit. Most apartment dwellers don’t have that option as they don’t have a rooftop with which to install panels. But if they’re on the sunny side of the street, they may be able to install a new awning like product to do the same job.

It’s called Veranda Solar, and it promises to eventually provide solar energy to apartment and condo dwellers by hanging attractive solar panels out windows and balconies. About the size of a DirecTV dish, these Veranda solar panels hope to at least supplement the energy used by an apartment thereby lowering energy costs and helping with demand. They promise to be easy to install with a snap together design, as well as a “plug and play” setup. But to date, there isn’t any data on how effective or efficient these small solar panels will be as they’re still in development. But if they can get the idea going, it could really help those who can’t afford a solar investment in the multi thousands but who still want to do their part if getting more green.

Cost is estimated to be about $400-600 when they come to market. Something worth watching if it works.

Solar Energy Find of the Week

My aspirations for a net ZEH home—a home that creates as much energy as it uses—sends me searching for ways to reduce the electric power my home uses.

I came across this nifty SolLight LightShip Solar-Powered Light.

Although I haven’t used one yet, this small light would be handy during a power outage at home, or could go with you  on a camping trip.

Give your kids one of these for their rooms. What a great way to introduce the next generation to solar energy.

Here are the product details from the website:

•    5″ Diameter x 2″ High
•    Water-resistant case for all-weather use
•    3-way switch – white light, red light, off
•    Long-lasting 900mA NmH battery for quick charges
•    Daylight sensor automatically turns it off during the day
•    Lightweight – just 8 oz.
•    Three suction cups to attach to any smooth surface
•    Tough polycarbonate plastic housing is available in five different colors

Home Energy and the Renewable Electricity Standard (RES)

The Alliance to Save Energy is pleased about a new piece of legislation introduced by Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass). If enacted, the Energy Efficiency Resource Standard (EERS) legislation would reduce national energy use while incorporating renewable energy sources.

That sounds good. I do want to reduce my energy use and incorporate solar energy in my home. Eventually, I want a net ZEH home that produces as much energy as my home uses.

But I am wary.

The ASE article says this bill,

“would require electric and gas utilities to reduce demand by 15 and 10 percent, respectively, by 2020. Utilities could count savings from helping their customers to make their homes and businesses more energy efficient, as well as from appliance standards, building codes, and other government programs. And while utilities would be responsible for meeting the energy efficiency requirements, they would be allowed to buy savings from states and other third parties that could be used to demonstrate compliance.”

I am bothered by the word “require,” here. My utility provider would be “required” to reduce energy demand? They “could [emphasis mine] count savings from helping their customers….”

Or they could just declare power outages at certain times of the day or night.

I read through the actual bill presented. You can read it here.

It looks to me like the utility companies will be required to pay a “quantity of electricity credits” (read: money) to the government. And if they meet the annual reduction requirements, then they get a portion of that back.

Two things:

1.    Why does the government take money out of our pocket (you know who your utility company will get the money from to pay these credits), give some of it back if we jump through the right hoops, and then act like they are doing us a big favor?

2.    We do not need to wait for the government to make us reduce our energy consumption! We are free adults who can make these choices for ourselves.

Of course, the American Renewable Energy Act is replete with the necessary legalese. I am no trained lawyer so it’s possible I misunderstood something.

Read the document yourself and let me know what you think.

Still, rather than waiting for clumsy government intervention, I like this idea better.

And if you are ready to start reducing your energy consumption now, you are welcome to join the Home Energy Conservation Challenge.

Is it possible to create a net zero energy home by renovating an existing home?  Yes!  This 2,400 square foot house was built in the 1970s.   With a desire to live sustainably, the homeowners decided to set an energy budget of 10 kWh/day for their home. A budget of $100,000 was set for the renovation.  The budget was very roughly 1/3 for solar photovoltaics (PV) and solar hot water, 1/3 for energy-related changes such as the metal roof and new appliances, and 1/3 for other changes including the addition of a master bath, replacement of carpet with hardwood and tile, and removal of a retaining wall.

In the first year of full-time occupancy by one person the house generated over 1,500 kwh more power than it used.  So with one occupant, the home was actually better than net zero energy, it generated more power than it consumed.  Beginning in  July 2007, three additional family members moved into the house.  As of July 2008, some of the accumulated credit had been used up, but overall the home has still generated more energy than it has used.

Changes to this home are ongoing in the hope of bringing the house back to net zero energy with four occupants.  These changes include:

1. Removing all fiber insulation from attic as preparation for foam insulation
2. Adding 1×3 furring strips in attic from the soffit to the ridge vent and tacking lauan to the furring strips.  This creates an air gap from the soffit to the ridge vent for foam application
3. Adding 4 inches of foam on lauan, 3 inches of foam on gables, and 1 inches of foam flashing on ceiling (scheduled for end of September)
4. Adding a whole-house fan
5. Replacing the old 4 ton Seer 10 heat pump with a  2 ton SEER 18 unit, (mainly for humidity control)
6. Caulking and foaming air leaks reduced air infiltration  from 2300 cf/min to 1700 cf/min at 50 pascals
7. Tilting PV panels to allow for more ventilation and better winter power production
8. Tilting the solar thermal panels to 50 degrees for a winter bias, and adding more collection and storage

Information provided by Sustainable Future, LLC.
For most current information refer to http://SustainableFuture.biz

What does a net Zero Energy Home look like? Are the people who live there doing without basic necessities? Are they cold in winter and hot in summer? Do the houses resemble space ships with all the funny panels attached at different angles?

If you are near Knoxville, Tennessee, in early October, you can actually tour a real home that produces as much energy as it uses.

Homeowner, David Bolt, is hosting a tour of his 30-year-old renovated home. Using earth friendly renovation, his home has produced more energy than it has used since April 2006. He says the house is a big experiment and he continues to make changes that increase the home’s energy efficiency.

To see a picture of the house and read further about particular renovations, go to the Sustainable Future site and click the “open house” link on the left side of the page.

If you are in the Knoxville, Tennessee, area and want to see a net Zero Energy Home for yourself, here are the particulars:

Date: Saturday October 4, 2008
Time: from 10:00 am to 1:00pm
Address: 2315 Sugar Grove Valley Road, Harriman, TN 37748

He does request that you let them know you’re coming by sending an email. You may also contact them by phone if you have questions.

Contact Kerry Saltmarch
kSaltmarch@SustainableFuture.biz
865.684.4426 (daytime phone)

If you tour this house, please leave us a comment. Thanks!