New House with Solar Power System

[DrZaius]

Hi guys,

I am new to the board and the world of free energy.  My girlfriend and I are getting the plans together to build a new house.  I would just like to know if it is possible to get a solar power system that will atleast partially heat and cool (power a furnace and central air system).

Also, if this is possible, will it totally disfigure my home and are the costs of setting up such a system so out of control and it would not be worth it?

Thank you for your help, I really appreciate any feedback.  

DrZ

PS The house is going to be built on a hill with a total unobstructed view to the south.

[Bach On]

DrZ,

The honest truth is that solar is still very expensive. Even with tax credits offered by some states, it will usually take 30-35 years to pay for itself. Costs keep dropping, but very slowly. About the best you can find is somewhere around $3 + per watt. If you are also having to purchase batteries, they will last for a period of time. But long before the 30-35 years is over, you'll have to replace them.

Many do solar (and wind) because they have a desire to reduce their dependence on the power grid - and to some extent, a desire to reduce global pollution. But as far as being cost effective, you probably won't see much cost saving - especially if you have to finance it.

I wish I had a better answer. Perhaps if our national energy policy was better, mass production might bring down the cost of panels. But that doesn't appear likely in the immediate future. When you elect oilmen to the two highest offices in the land you can pretty much count on them to favor oil and view any and all alternatives with great suspicion.

That's my take on things.

B.O.

[ibedonc]

Wind Costs less , I am going to do both , a few panels and different size wind generators ,also you will need batteries , I am getting part of mine from a golf cart

place ,used trojan t105 for $3 each , finding these deals can save you alot. but you

will have to know how to pulse charge them to bring some life back ,also do not forget

about A power inverter ,unless you know how to build one they are not cheap

as the grid cost rises and it is all the time as oil/gas goes up , more people will

will wish they were on such a system

[ctwinker]

You have a south facing property with an unobstructed view, so you must be considering passive solar?  Are you working with an architech who is familar with passive solar design?  Just using the proper amount of windows can make a big difference, since too much south glass can cause overheating.  I'm reading Dan Chiras' book "The Solar House" which has been great giving me ideas about the house I hope to build.  

Tom W.

[Radomike]

Doc Z

  If you decide against active forms of renewable energy, like wind and photo-volt solar, don't forget passive solar designs.  Far from disfiguring your home, a solarium with a heavy stone wall inside (thermal mass) will add lotsa heat as well as a beautiful area.

  Traditional hot water heaters run all the time, so any pre heating you can do will pay long dividends, too.

 Mike

[zbotrobot]

To heat use the Sun itself, to cool store and insulate. Electricity is the worst way to heat. To heat something must be burned, the sun is burning use the light to heat a black floor or water. Big windows are always nice.  

If I could AFFORD it I would go with all solar electric, why?

Its reliable - everyday the sun comes up. To make it PRODUCTIVLY reliable you need 4 or 5 or six times to retrieve the light reflected from clouds as on a sunny day.

Simplicity of use - pretty much plug and play.

Low maintainance.

Long lasting.

I would suggest:

Begining a solar system and adding pannels when its affordable.

Some solar pannels are always useful.

If there is open regular wind or hundreds of gallons of falling water use that.

Eually important is to work from the other end and overhaul all your concepts of how much energy you actually need while also utting corners though effiecncy like relective insulation on windows and other improvements such that cooking or simply standing near something warmer will be the only extra heat or cool you need etc. 1 nice quilt could save 100.00s of dollars,(dont you just hate that hot dry air that makes you all stuffy anyway). It could be almost ice cold all night and timed to heat the rooms you use in the morning (ie. not all the rooms in the house) and so forth.

There is a big difference between the cost of the actual silicon crystal cells and the manufactured pannels. It is possible to double maybe triple the square footage if you make the panels. There may be an exception to this somewhere.

[samoht]

The mag Solar Today (Sept/Oct 2000) had an article on a solar hot water that heated the super insulated house with solar collectors.  The house was in New Hampshire.  They used a 50 gal electric hot water heater as backup.  Their annual cost was $145!!

Solar hot water for domestic hot water has a 4-5 year pay back-very reasonable.  

[RobD]

Dr. Z,

There are many things you can do that will make your house more energy efficient. On demand hot water for instance and low power fluorescent and LED lighting.

Each area has power but you have to learn what your area strong points are. For instance if you live in the southwest you might find solar panels are best. Do you have a stream? Good wind?

Contact a solar dealer in your area because they will know which form of energy will work best for you.

We're seeing new technology every day and it's getting cheaper. Pure sine inverters are getting much cheaper and mode sine are going for $300.00 and less for 2500 watts now.  ST Micro is coming out with solar panels within the next year or two that will drop the cost to 1/10 of the current panels. Also thin film panels will reduce the cost of current panels 1/3 to 1/5. This makes them very feasible. The spectrum is expanding which means they will work over a greater light band too.

Right now you can wire your house for low voltage wiring, incorporate passive solar and save both money and energy.

You might want to search the net for books on building and incorporating solar into your new house.

It's more than just saving money. The energy grid in this country (US) is very fragile and we may not have it much longer the way things seem to be going. What will solar be worth then?

Remember something all those satellites in space don't have a guy with a gas line filling them everyday. Solar works and it's the future but don't expect to use energy without conservation. A big mistake some people make is in the thinking they can just have the same high energy use with solar. It doesn't mean you'll suffer but you won't be using 100 watt incandescent lights either.

RobD

[Gordy]

Dr.Z

Another good source of info and contacts is  http://homepower.com  

Gordy