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Solar Home Energy Success Story
By Solar energy | November 10, 2008
Another Solar Home Energy Success Story
I just love to hear other folks success with solar home energy. Here’s another from a family in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Susan & Greg
In late 2007, Sustainable Future received a phone call from Susan. She told us that they were interested in adding photovoltaic panels to their hundred-year-old home. “A piece of our roof is just screaming for solar.” she said. “Any shading?” we asked. “None,” Susan replied, “trust me!”
Susan was right – the back of the house had an area of metal roof, pointed south towards the sun, and completely unshaded. Adding solar panels was just the tip of the iceberg for Susan and Greg. They were beginning construction of an addition to the house as well. While they were at it, they were using modern, energy efficient windows and insulation in the addition. For the rest of the home, they scheduled a blower door test and HERS rating to help them find leaky areas and other problem spots that could be fixed to help reduce heating and cooling loads. As part of their overall environmental efforts, they also installed a cistern to use rainwater runoff from the roof for irrigation.
To preserve the look of the building, Greg & Susan decided to flush-mount their solar panels with the roofline. Work began with advice from a structural engineer to insure that the roof could withstand 90 mph winds. Greg & Susan contacted their local utility and joined TVA’s Generation Partners Program so that their solar system would be able to sell green power back to the grid.
Eight solar panels were then installed using a Unirac frame. Because solar panels produce direct current, an inverter was mounted on the side of the home to convert DC power into AC power. Safety disconnects, lightening protection, a second meter and grounding equipment were all added. After approval from electrical inspectors, the solar system was ready for startup, and began producing power.
Congratulations, Susan and Greg for having the first grid-tied residential solar system within the city of Knoxville!
Information provided by Sustainable Future, LLC.
For most current information refer to http://SustainableFuture.biz.
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