Catching some rays

[draconis]

I'll bet the utility companies and the oil companies hate guys like this ::G::.

This fellow has built a 3000-sq-ft house that not only runs entirely on solar power, but he has enough left over that he could sell back to the utilities if he wanted to. The only part that raises a flag in my mind is that his solar panel is on top of "a nearby building" instead of on the house itself. I also wish they gave some idea of the maintenance schedules/costs involved.

Still, it would be nice to have an arrangement like that, especially for places like where my parents plan to retire -- out in the middle of nowhere.

Comments

[unmisha.livejournal.com]

I was reading up on this, and part of the power issue is conservation - sufficiently insulating the house (earth berms or SIP construction or hay bale or whatever) and then having the major appliances (you'll notice, they mentioned the wide-screen and the hot tub, but not fridge, washer/dryer, dishwasher as energy-guzzlers) be energy savers. Once you've got your basic energy consumption down to a trickle, then you can put in power collectors (solar, usually) to power those and your luxury items (hot tub, etc)

Most of these things don't add significantly to the cost of construction, but it takes mindfulness and the willingness to pay a few percent more (which, given the cost of a house, can add up.)