Converting the house to solar

Let us know how much is overall cost per sq ft., if I ever get a chance to build my own place I've given it some thought as well.

 

The house my brother is currently building for himself is powered by solar and wind. He has a system that can handle a house twice the size. I will most likely look into it should I build a house in the future. He's in upstate NY, though.

 

Tried it at my place in Atlanta back in 2000.

Unless things have REALLY changed, the end cost is more than anything even remotly saved. And you will still use "the grid" when you get cold. (Or hot.)

 

With regards to solar electric power, I never understood why the utility companies would help you get off their revenue machine. I just don't see them standing by, letting customers go offline while holding hands singing "everything is green!"

 

1) they will make money "helping" you switch
2) they will still make money from you because the systems dont work very well

 

apparently, in some parts of the country the grid is over-taxed, so the electric companies have incentive programs to get certain types of users and equipment off the grid. i believe CT has a rebate program to get big buildings to switch from electric-powered HVAC to natural-gas-powered HVAC, for example.

the laws (federal? most states?) also require (?) the local utility to buy energy you produce in excess of your requirements. this helps feed the grid, which is also useful for over-taxed grids.

doody.

 

Try this instead: http://www.geoexchange.org/about/how.htm
The system in our home will pay for itself in energy savings in five years.

 

solar + heat trap + architectural design would get you there, I'd think.....

 

I've looked into this a bit. If I were to do it, I wouldn't bother with the "off-grid" systems with batteries, instead I'd just use solar panels to offset electric usage at peak times. Makes the system much simpler. Panels haven't come down as much in price as people had hoped, I think I read somewhere it has to do with the price of silicon, but hoped for advancements in the next 5 years could produce big gains.

GE Energy has some good pre-packaged residential systems.

http://www.gepower.com/prod_serv/products/solar/en/prepkg_sys/index.htm

Rickenbach's suggestion for geothermal is a good one, if I were doing new construction I'd definitely install a geothermal heat pump system. That plus solar panels would reduce grid usage to a minimum.

Also check into federal and state incentives for installing solar, there are a lot of programs out there that will offest the installation cost. You can find a database of state incentves here:

http://www.dsireusa.org/

 

i've looked into it here, apperantly a neighbor near the green sued the HOA so he could do it. so we now have the choice. anyway cost is around 30k and there is some offset to where i'd pay something like 12~15k of it. it would take me more than 5 yrs to make it back though. my summer bills are 600~900 monthly and come winter it drops to less than a 100. however that's when the gas company comes and sticks me up for the other 500 :O

 

I should have probably been more specific, but he has solar panels in a line the length of his roof on the daylight side. and he has the windmill about 30 ft. from the house. his house was built on the highest point on his property. he is completely off the grid.

 

I'm no expert, and I didn't even spend last night in a Holiday Inn Express, but from what I do know, it's very difficult to make the numbers work for converting a conventional house to solar electric. Wind power helps in certain locations, but not anywhere I'd want to live!

What you can do, if you're starting from scratch, is make the required heating and cooling load small enough that you don't need 30K in solar panels.

I'm about to start building a house that will be essentially free to heat and cool, and my grid connection will power frivolous things like welders. I am not even contemplating any solar electric. Doesn't make sense economically.

 

From what I've heard (and it's just that, I've heard ) prices on solar have really dropped in the past five to ten years. The technology has, as all technology does, progressed and is much more efficient.

I also believe thanks to our Governor there should be some tax incentives for converting. Also, I believe here in California if your house is making more power than consuming you can sell the power to the state. Both help offset the cost of installing the systems.

I could be wrong.