Photovoltaic Systems

Archive for the ‘Conservation’ Category

Carolyn and Kyle Cave, both university professors in Hadley, Massachusetts, built this super-insulated home to minimize energy consumption.  Then they dropped a 20kW solar PV array on the roof and now use energy from the sun to generate a surplus that also powers this tiny little Wheego LiFe electric vehicle.  I was able to ask Carolyn Cave a few questions about their solar-powered situation, and this is a portion of that response:

Q: What’s it like living in a high-performance home with solar power and an EV?

Carolyn: I guess the primary ways that life has changed are somewhat intangible.  We are enjoying a new, highly efficient home that has dramatically reduced our carbon footprint.  It feels good to know that our contribution to greenhouse gases is now very much less than it was before.  We are sending excess power onto the grid that is generated by our solar panels.  So our neighbors can also use power that is being generated without the use of fossil fuels.

The Wheego is very much a part of the whole package.  We planned the size of our solar array to allow for sufficient energy generation to power both our house and our car (net), so we were very interested to obtain an electric car as soon as possible.  The vast majority of our driving is now in the electric car, so most of our energy use is happening without burning fossils fuels.  That is very satisfying.

The level of interest in our home and car from both our friends and others has been fun and encouraging.  It has been fun to share the bits of knowledge that we have accumulated with others.  Driving an electric car has generated a lot of interest.  People stop to ask us about the car and to give us positive feedback.  I got the thumbs up from a Prius driver the other day!

Q: Would you encourage someone else to do the same?

Carolyn: We would absolutely encourage others to do the same.  One of the reasons we started the project in the first place was as a sort of demonstration project to show that it is possible to fuel a nice lifestyle with minimal use of fossil fuels.  Investments of time (to learn) and money are generally needed, but knowledgeable people who are interested in addressing climate change are generally generous with their time and expertise to help and there are ways to build and/or retrofit without huge monetary investments.  There are also beginning to be agencies that can help with these investments.

Q: Can you tell me anything about the investment you’ve made or the payback?

Carolyn: We do think that this is a good investment.  Our primary motivation was to invest our resources in doing the right thing for the planet.  Still, we think it is a good investment in other ways as well.  There are significant federal tax credits for both our purchase of solar panels and our electric car, which will reduce our costs over time.

We are also fortunate to live in a state, Massachusetts, that has also set up good incentives for individuals to invest in renewable energy.  Our utility is required to give us credit that is nearly equal to the cost we would pay for electricity.  All of the electricity we generate is also producing solar renewable energy credits (SRECs) that are sold to utilities in a market.  These SRECs also help to offset our initial investment. //

Wheego, a manufacturer of all-electric vehicles, first started delivering LiFe EVs to purchasers on Earth Day this year.  The car retails for about $33,000, but the purchase is a little more palatable with a $7,500 tax credit.  Most recently, in August, the company unveiled a fuel savings calculator to compare the cost of Wheego LiFe versus a regular gasoline-powered car.

Credits: Wheego Electric Cars.

Related Articles on JetsonGreen.com:

1. Solar-Powered EV to Drive Green for Life
2. Helios Eco-Trailer Powered by the Sun
3. Tracking the Sun with the Wattsun

This is The Boneyard House, a beautiful home in Washington, by architect and builder Dirk Nelson and Free Range Building Company.  It’s luxurious and a patchwork of salvaged materials – railroad bridge trestles, crane rails, old mill wooden beams, reclaimed steel light posts, and reused barn and homestead timbers.

The Boneyard House, located at 1250 Reser Road, was built with salvaged steel and a timber frame.  It has 3,000 square feet with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, an office, and guest quarters.

Free Range sandblasted, wire-wheeled, heated, and waxed salvaged metal pieces and sanded and oiled timbers for reuse.  In this way, old materials were given new life and an opportunity to exhibit the patina and character of age.  Countertops were made from local basalt flows, while the cabinetry was hand-made from wind-fallen locust trees.

The Boneyard House is situated on a one-acre lot in Walla Walla among earthen berms, basalt boulders, a creek, and Ponderosa and Pine trees.

It has polished concrete floors, 10″ Durisol ICF walls, a green roof, a main roof with 12″ R48 SIPs, and 20 motorized windows connected to paddle fans that circulate the air.  Boneyard House is all-electric (and ready for a future grid-tied PV array) and heated and cooled by a geothermal ground loop and radiant floors.

The Boneyard House is offered for sale at the price of $1,250,000, according to Free Range Building Company.  That amount may seem high without knowing the location, but this is a unique showcase of materials and workmanship.  This is a home that incorporates old materials and current construction strategies in an interesting way.

I first learned about The Boneyard House through our new green home submission form.  If you have a great green home project or renovation, feel free to submit it to the editors for potential publication.

Credits: Free Range Building Company.

Related Articles on JetsonGreen.com:

1. First Container House in Mojave Desert
2. Low-Impact House on San Juan Island
3. Zero Energy Idea House in Washington

If you want to use wood in an exterior application, your options are wider than ever. While durable tropical hardwoods have been decimated by unsustainable logging, there are several methods of preserving wood that produce even more durable and sustainable products. These are not woods infused with toxic chemicals or metal compounds that can leach out. Rather these woods are transformed to be more durable and decay resistant.

Accoya is a treated wood that begins with sustainably sourced softwood such as pine and treats it with a process which makes it an extremely durable and long-lasting wood, even for exterior exposure uses such as siding and decking. Accoya has even been used in a bridge over a highway.

The process used to manufacture Accoya is known as “acetylization.” It uses acetic acid (essentially just strong vinegar) to transform the structure of the wood itself. “The process essentially alters the actual cell structure of wood by transforming free hydroxyl groups into acetyl groups.” This is the part of wood that swells and shrinks with changes in moisture levels, so Accoya is more dimensionally stable than either untreated or conventionally pressure-treated wood.

As the company points out, the process “is entirely non-toxic and introduces no chemicals not already found in the wood.” Like Kebony, another alternative treatment, the wood is highly durable, suited for long-term exposure, and can be cut and worked without needing any additional safety precautions other than those normally used when working with wood.

Accoya offcuts and waste materials can even be ordinarily disposed of or even composted. Plus, Accoya has received a Cradle to Cradle(SM) Gold Certificate for sustainability.

Acetylization modifies the wood all the way through. This means that Accoya can be cut, worked, and shaped without compromising its protection. It’s warranted to last for at least 50 years in above-ground applications and at least 25 years in below-grade or freshwater exposure. Accoya can be used for window and door frames, siding, decking, and even outdoor furniture.

At present, the manufacturing of Accoya is done in Europe, so the transportation of the material makes it less than ideal for North American projects. It’s also more expensive than conventionally treated wood. But the long term savings from not having to maintain and eventually replace the material as frequently can mean it is more cost effective, though the up-front costs may be higher.

[+] More info on high technology Accoya wood.

Credits: Accsys Technologies PLC.

Related Articles on JetsonGreen.com:

1. Kebonization Process Creates an Alternative to Tropical Hardwoods
2. Reusing Wood from Aged Snow Fence
3. Resysta, the Non-Wood, Wood

I walked the exhibitor floor at the National Green Building Conference & Expo in Salt Lake City and found a few interesting products like this dRain Joint by Arvis Eco.  This is a rainwater management product — specifically, an inserted drainage channel — for pour-in-place surfaces in driveways and parking lots.

The ADA-compliant product is made with aluminum and gives storm water a path to a sub-surface drainage bed.  From there, water can be collected or left to seep back into the ground.

dRain Joint is sold by Indiana-based Arvis Eco and can be delivered in 2-4 weeks.  The product processes about two gallons of water per minute per linear foot and installs at the same time as the surface installation.

[+] More info on the dRain Joint by Arvis Eco.

Credits: Jetson Green, LLC (top), Arvis Eco (#2-3).

Related Articles on JetsonGreen.com:

1. Drainwave Helps Avoid 'Dry Drain' Problems from Water Efficient Fixtures
2. Sloan Updates AQUS Water Reuse System
3. Shower Green with an Oxygenics Storm