Take Advantage of the Sunshine

I love summer. But it’s wearing thin here in South Texas with temperatures still reaching into the triple digits, daily. Wouldn’t it be nice to know how to take advantage of this sunlight and reduce the electric bill?

Here are a few places you can learn about solar energy for your home.

This online course covers the “fundamentals of alternative energy for the individual home owner.”

If you live in Maryland, Maryland Solar Solutions is offering a course in September entitled “How to Fire The Electric Company and Produce My Own Clean Energy Needs.”

Distance Education.Org offers several online courses on solar energy to help you make informed, wise decisions about your solar needs, how solar works, solar thermal systems and solar photovoltaic systems.

If you know of other good solar energy courses for the homeowner please leave a note in the comments.

Thanks.

Our Solar Energy Quest

Our quest to incorporate solar energy into our home progresses, however slowly. Sometimes improvements seems as slow as molasses in January. But we know the necessary preparation for integrating renewable energy options begins with energy conservation measures.

We are in the 11th month of our energy conservation journey. Since last August we have been searching, learning, and implementing all energy conservation measures feasible for our particular circumstances.

Averaging our energy use for the first ten (10) months of the process, conservation measures (rather than efficiency measures) produced a 26 percent decrease in our home energy use. That’s a 26 percent decrease in our energy bill as well!

As I write this post, well into month 11 of our test year, our South Texas heat climbs to around 104 degrees daily. Our thermostat setting stays between 83 and 85 degrees in the day and 80 degrees at night. The air conditioning still runs a lot.

I’m beginning to worry about my percentages.

We hope to end the 12-month experiment with at least a 25 percent energy decrease. We will see. All results will be published here on the blog in hopes that our learning will help others.

next phase, year two (2), of our quest involves energy efficiency (rather than conservation). The research is begun.

Stay tuned! And as always, we would love to hear your energy conservation success stories. Share your comments and/or blog links in the comment section below.

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.

Why Solar is a Good Idea for Residential Use

As posted yesterday, I’m reading a new book.

Physics for Future Presidents: The Science Behind the Headlinesby Richard A. Muller is a review of the current international energy issues for people with average math and science abilities. He does a good job of speaking science in the language of everyday people.

He lists some interesting facts about solar energy which may grab your imagination.

Overhead sunlight delivers to the ground approximately
•    100 watts per square foot
•    1 kilowatt per square yard
•    1 horsepower per square yard
•    1 gigawatt per square kilometer
•    3 gigawatts per square mile

What this means is that solar power is a promising energy source for a home, but not a car.

Take a look at the book and be amazed. You really can understand science!

Why I Want Solar Energy for my Home

This quest to use solar energy to power my home leads through a scintillating labyrinth of alternative energy issues. The more I learn about energy in general and alternative energy in particular, the more I love solar.

Browsing through a local bookstore, my husband came across an interesting book, Physics for Future Presidents: The Science Behind the Headlinesby Richard A. Muller. What you might not gather from the title is that the book is a briefing on the current state of worldwide energy and environmental problems.

I have yet to finish the book but what I have learned thus far from Muller is:
•    The world is NOT running out of fossil fuel—but only out of oil
•    Coal supplies will last for centuries (let me say that again—centuries)
•    Coal is cheap
•    We can make oil out of coal (via the Fischer-Tropsch process)

Why does this matter?

Here’s the other important piece to the energy puzzle—OPEC.

OPEC sets the price for oil.

When OPEC oil prices go higher than $50 per barrel, it makes more economic sense for us to make our own oil from our own coal. You see, a barrel of oil made from coal—using the Fischer-Tropsch process—costs $50 per barrel.

If OPEC’s oil is $100 per barrel we can say, thank you very much, but we’ll make our own oil from our own coal.

If oil prices are below $50 per barrel, it is cheaper to buy OPEC.

However…coal is not good for the environment!

So I am an advocate of solar (and other alternative) energy.
•    Because I care about the environment
•    Because I do not like being yanked around by OPEC
•    Because I do not want my energy dollars funding terrorism

Those of us on the road to solar home energy get discouraged from time to time. It is hearting to see how others successfully incorporate solar energy as well as other renewable practices.

Would you like to see how others are successfully using solar home energy? Me too! Here’s one.

Home in Concord, Tennessee

This home is approximately 3400 square feet, and was built in the early 1990s.  It currently uses two old, inefficient, 10-SEER heat pumps for heating and cooling.  The clothes dryer and all kitchen appliances are electric.  Before the conversion to a solar hot water system, the home had two 50-gallon electric hot water heaters.

In October 2006, we began to improve the energy efficiency of the house.  Our strategies included finding out where our electrical loads were, doing as much of the work ourselves as possible, and replacing inefficient appliances with Energy Star models as resources were available.  To date, our projects have included the following.

Fall 2006: Installed compact fluorescent light bulbs and two programmable thermostats for the two heat pump units.  We also replaced an old refrigerator with an Energy-Star model.

Spring 2007: The dishwasher was replaced with an energy-efficient Kenmore from Sears.

Summer 2007:  With a sunny, near south-facing roof, this house was a good candidate for solar technology.  A solar hot water system was installed in late June 2007.  The new system has two 4ftx 7ft flat panel collectors tilted at approximately 45 degrees to provide a bias towards winter efficiency.  The old 50-gallon hot water heaters were recycled, and replaced with an 80 gallon solar storage tank with an electric backup.

Fall 2007: A whole house meter was installed to monitor energy use.  In addition, a plug meter was used to test individual appliances.  An inefficient basement humidifier was replaced.

Winter 2007-2008: A blower-door test was conducted in the house to identify air leaks (house was very leaky).  Air infiltration was found in the recessed lights, around fireplaces, and around windows and doors.  Caulk and mastic were used where appropriate to seal air leaks.

Spring 2008: Gila reflective shades were installed on south-facing windows to reflect summer heat.  Thermal imaging was also used at the house to identify areas where insulation was not doing its job.

Summer 2008: We installed radiant barrier in the attic, and added insulation.  We used the results of the thermal imaging camera to improve insulation effectiveness.  A draft-stopping air pillow from Battic Door was installed in the fireplace to eliminate air leaks.

With the exception of one month, the reduction in energy use (and the associated electric bill) has been dramatic.  The following table shows electricity use in kilowatt hours before (from 2003-2006) and after (2007-2008) energy improvements were made.

Kilowatt Hour Use Per Month (Before & After Energy Improvements)

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

According to my energy provider, in our area, air conditioning and heating account for 50% of a home’s energy bill. So it made sense that our home energy auditor first looked at our air conditioning/heating system.

He made sure the air conditioning unit was the correct size for our 1700 square feet of conditioned space. Using special equipment and a calculator, he found it cost me $1.07 to run my air conditioner for one hour. And on hot Texas days that thing runs a lot!

He also gave me some shocking news about my electric heat. Due to those little “heat strips”, it cost twice as much to heat my home as it does to cool it. It the cost per kilowatt hour stays the same, I will pay $2.14 for each hour my heater is on this winter.

His helpful tip for air conditioner/heating use?

Install a programmable thermostat, set the temperature for 78 degrees in summer and 68 degrees in winter.

Hmmm…how many solar panels would I need to run my air conditioner?

Worried about home energy costs? Concerned about your impact on the environment? Perhaps you are one of the many Americans who are considering using solar energy for your home.

Everywhere you go these days people are gathering to learn about solar energy.

Going solar for your home energy needs poses quite a learning curve. Accustomed to thoughtlessly flipping switches off and on, the average American homeowner does not understand the how and why of electrical energy.

Once upon a time, a greater understanding of electricity was necessary. Today, enables us to access electrical energy without a second thought. We take this seemingly endless electrical energy supply for granted. That is, until we began to notice our home energy bills increase.

Using solar energy for your home requires some knowledge of how solar energy works. The ways solar energy can be adapted depends on variables such as climate, house orientation, and amount of energy required.

Solar technology improves constantly. One day we will access solar as easily as we access the internet from our home computers. Now is the time to educate ourselves about solar energy and learn how we can use solar in our home energy equation.

Here are some interesting solar facts:

• The solar energy that falls on the Earth’s surface in 40 minutes is equal to the total energy consumed by the population of the planet in one year.

• One day’s worth of solar energy striking the Earth equals the total worldwide energy consumed in 27 years.

• Twenty days of incident solar energy is equal to all the energy in the Earth’s reserves of coal, oil, and natural gas.

Thanks to SolarSanAntonio.org for these solar facts!

Solar panels at the old Pearl Brewery, San Antonio, Texas

The National Solar Tour held this weekend encouraged my resolve to use solar energy for our home. My husband and I toured several homes and businesses in the San Antonio area that incorporate solar energy.

Our thanks and appreciation goes to the generous homeowners and businesses that allowed us to trek through their yards and business spaces to view their solar energy systems.

Some homes used strictly solar PV panels. Others used solar PV panels in conjunction with a solar hot water system. Still other homes used solar PV panels with other solar technology such as solar attic fans and sun tunnels. Solar energy is not a one-size-fits-all system.

I gained a greater appreciation for the many variables going into planning a solar energy system for a home or business. Each site used solar technology that made sense for that particular site. Basic variables include how many KW of solar energy is needed, sunlight availability, and pitch of the roof.

Reputable companies work closely with homeowners to design a home solar energy system that is best for their particular home. Along the tour, we met representatives and saw PV arrays from Meridian Energy Systems, The Power Store in San Antonio (210.695.8990), and Ecowatt Design.

It was heartening to see and meet other solar energy fans out touring with us. People care about the rising cost of energy but more importantly, they care about leaving their world better. Solar energy has captured our imaginations and there’s no going back.

The comments of one couple we met sum up the attitudes of the people we met on this tour. This couple wants to add solar energy to their home. They plan to sell the home in a couple years so they won’t realize a “pay back” on the system. Yet they say “it’s the right thing to do.” When they leave that house for another, “that will be one more” solar powered home available on the planet.

God bless them!

The annual, nation-wide tour of solar powered homes happens tomorrow, October 4, 2008.
Sponsored by the ASES, various homes using solar energy are open to the public.

Find a solar home near you and go see what the alternative energy buzz is about. See for yourself how your neighbors are using solar energy. Talk to the homeowners or business owners if they are available. Some sites will have solar energy contractors available to answer your questions.

Take the kids! With rising energy prices and depleting fossil fuel resources, alternative energy is their future. Get them acquainted with it now.

We will visit the solar homes near us and let you know what we learn.

Find your solar energy neighbors and let us know what you learn by leaving a comment.