Posted on 08/08/2005 8:49:57 AM PDT by Quick1
Nicholas and Loan Gatai used to cringe when they received power bills that routinely topped $200. Last September the Sacramento, Calif., couple moved into a new, 1,500-square-foot home in Premier Gardens, a subdivision of 95 "zero-energy homes" just outside town. Now they're actually eager to see their electric bills. The grand total over the 10 months they've lived in the three-bedroom, stucco-and-stone house: $75. For the past two months they haven't paid a cent. Story continues below ↓ advertisement
Almost unknown outside California, ZEH communities are the leading edge of technologies that might someday create houses that produce as much energy as they consume. Premier Gardens, which opened last summer, is one of a half-dozen subdivisions in California where every home cuts power consumption by at least 50 percent, mostly by using low-power appliances and solar panels. Several more are under construction this year, including the first ZEH community for seniors.
Aside from the bright patch of solar modules on the roof, Premier Gardens looks like a community of conventional homes. But inside, it's clear why they save energy. "Spectrally selective" windows cut power bills by blocking solar heat in the summer and retaining indoor warmth in cold weather. Fluorescent bulbs throughout use two thirds the juice of incandescents. A suitcase-size tankless hot-water heater in the garage, powered by gas, saves energy by warming water only when the tap is turned on.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Perhaps if enough demand is generated, the free market will bring down the price.
I live in Texas, where we have a great deal of sun shine, if this ever becomes affordable I am there.
This is addressed in the article. I know a couple people who use their own generators for their energy useage. Anything they don't use gets sent to the power company, and they get a check at the end of the month.
> Add that to the expense and they don't [do?] any better
> than the average power plant (and a whole lot worse'n nukes).
But if ya gotta live in CA, which seems to be not adding
capacity to meet the growth in residences, solar might
keep the lights on.
What's the cost of a kilowatt you can't get due to a
rolling blackout?
Anyhow, we slowly edge toward break-even on PV.
I hear there's a panel shortage at the moment.
And chop up the poor birds?
Note the picture of the house with the three car garage in the article. Ah, yes, oil.
"And chop up the poor birds?"
sure them's good eatin! chopping em up makes it easier to put in the stewpot
It would be pretty cool to get a check from the utilities. Also, its nice to have that as a back up power system when you lose power.
The units themselves are not so cheap and I have not heard about lifespan.
I have checked out a few different companies and the pricing is fairly consistant. Just like when you look at buying a new more efficient furnace, you have to figure how many years it will take to pay for it in energy savings. Solar will take many years. I think that there is also a good tax break, state and federal in most states.
In Cali, or desert states, PV cells are a brain dead choice.. if you can afford it do it..
11 months of sunshine a year... DUH..
Its not a great option in places like the temperate rain forests of Seattle and Pittsburgh.
I know if I was out in Cali still I'd probably be saving up to put em in.
Nope, in the US very, very few operate on oil.
The only use for oil in power generation in the US is for backup, remote sites and mobile applications.
If that article is from Sacramento area...it's just acroos the street by Primier Homes..near a gallaria Mall. My neighbor is getting solar tiles for his existing home. I'm curiuos to see how it goes. I'd love to do it
I heat my garage in the summer using solar energy. Too bad I live in Texas.
They won't save oil.
In CA our utility power absolutely does not come from oil. Nuke, Hydro and Natural Gas. Thats it, unless you have a location off the grid with a diesel generator.
On some lonely Sierra mountaintop solar makes a good price/convenience alternative to that diesel, if you don't need the power to run some big motors.
And what's the alternative? Just continue paying high monthly power bills?
I've read there are actually self contained mini power systems for all houses....wonder why they're not on the market?
After a Google search, Isee you are right. I was under the mistaken impression that oil power plants were near the top, if not at the top, of power generation in the country.
Still though, moving to solar is not a terrible idea, even if it does nothing to lessen our oil demand. Simply giving ourselves more renewable energy is a very good thing.
Be careful. You will be fined for killing sparrows.
They are very much a contender for use off the grid, if you don't have a need for a lot of power.
More like 107 years, but the whole thing needs to be replaced long before then.
I have built a number of "solar" houses, but have limited them to passive features, and active hot water systems. Energy, in the form of heat, is easy to transfer, and store. Electricity is a lot different.
The "array" of cells, whether roof panels, or shingles, must be facing the sun, and then it will give varying degrees of output, during that daily cycle. It must be regulated, in its output. If the sun doesn't shine, then it has a very limited collection capability. It must be used, or stored. Storage requires batteries, which have a reasonable short "shelf life", and are bulky, and expensive. They must be stored specially. In addition, the DC current that is generated is not effective for most normal appliances, and electronics. It must be "conditioned" into the higher voltage alternating currents.
Maybe there will be some big changes, but for now, it doesn't make economic sense to generate electricity using the sun...
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