I am in the process of building a home and would like to use as much solar energy as possible.

Cliff
by Cliff
Any ideas on inexpensive energy saving measures and solar panels?
  16 answers
  • on the energy savings side. You should consult with an energy audit company in your area. They can provide some very helpful advice on the construction of the home. Even though code requires special practices to construct the dwelling, The contractors can do things much better then what is required to greatly improve the performace of the home. Simply doing proper air sealing both on the outside house wrap and inside with vapor barrier install. You can see all types of savings on your energy bill. Using spray foam for insulation is a great idea, although expensive, the energy savings and pay back is great. Check with local utilities on special rebates that they offer when building a low energy use home.
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Jun 17, 2011
    Cliff, One way to go with a solar home is the Passive Solar route...here the home is designed to heat and cool itself naturally. This means very small energy needs...having smaller needs your solar PV (electric) array can be much smaller. http://www.amazon.com/Solar-House-Passive-Heating-Cooling/dp/1931498121 I read this book a few years ago when designing our Passive Solar off grid cabin. Hopefully your not too far along in the build to use some of these techniques. Site orientation , thermal mass walls, floors, roof overhangs etc...these are all part of the combined designed.
  • J F J F on Jun 17, 2011
    go to Green DYI energy .com, SAw this site today.Do it you self solar for way way less the having it done all you need to know on this site. good Luck.
  • 3po3 3po3 on Jun 17, 2011
    To continue on what Woodbridge said, look into free or discounted energy audits through your energy company. It looks like Duke Energy offers free audits if they are your utility. They can also help you find tax credits or rebates for insulation and energy upgrades. As far as cheap energy savings, a tube of caulk and a roll of weather stripping is pretty darn cheap and can make a huge difference for many homeowners.
  • SawHorse Design Build SawHorse Design Build on Jun 23, 2011
    In this order... 1. Like KMS recommended- start with a passive solar design 2. Then make sure you use good materials such as spray foam insulation, high performance windows and install a cool roof. 3. After steps 1 and 2 install high efficiency mechanical systems. Upgrade to solar thermal water heating or geothermal HVAC if possible. 4. Finally- install solar power or wind power if the wind maps are favorable in your part of the state. If you have not started yet find a green architect, a HERS rater and a green builder and make sure they are all on the same page from the beginning of the process. If they have worked together before that is an added bonus in your favor. Good luck!
  • 3po3 3po3 on Jun 23, 2011
    A bunch of good information and suggestions here. I would also remind you not to overlook solar thermal. It's more cost-effective than solar electric, but it's for some reason overlooked and not as "glamorous" as solar electric.
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Jun 24, 2011
    Taking this one step further is the "passive house" these are homes built with super levels of insulation and air sealing techniques...and often only use 10% of the energy of a typical energy star house....this super efficient house will pay fore itself in short order. The "passive house" was first introduced in Germany and now there are becoming more popular in the US. http://www.passivehouse.us/passiveHouse/PHIUSHome.html
  • J F J F on Jun 25, 2011
    correction from above .:-------->The solar site was at green Diy energy .com I realised afterword there are two different sites. This is the solar site. The one i put was DYi----.error.
  • Don't forget to look into getting any tax credits you can when you do install applicable solar powered items: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index
  • J F J F on Jun 28, 2011
    Thanks ,will keep that in mind Dan.
  • Chuck S Chuck S on Aug 06, 2011
    While installing solar panels will save you on your energy bill in the long run. There is a large upfront cost to them. There are many things you can do that are inexpensive and will save you money on your utility bills. See here for tips http://www.ehow.com/how_7868935_save-home-utility-expenses.html
  • Elaine G Elaine G on Aug 11, 2011
    My husband and I are just starting our business, Wise Solutions. Having just finished classes in much of this technology I will say Steve is correct, Solar Thermal is awesome! No batteries to buy and store. If you don't like that go for Geothermal. We are talking HVAC and water heating. Alot of the decision making is about your property and the amount of sun you have, land you have and $s to invest. Good Luck!
  • Elaine G Elaine G on Aug 11, 2011
    Oh, and by all means do the weatherization measures first to decrease the amount of power needed to run the home's systems. If an exisitng homeowner called us out to est. solar PV energy it would be pretty expensive. Spending perhaps $2000 in weatherization could reduce their solar needs by several thousand!
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Aug 11, 2011
    @elaine...have you looked at the performance results for the "passive haus" ...these home only use about 10% of what normal house might use...with that in mind PV can be an economical route.
  • Dont forget that to check federal and state rebates and incentives when looking at these products and to be sure to know the caps on them.
  • Solar Energy USA Solar Energy USA on Feb 02, 2012
    An average residential solar installation should pay for its self in 7-10 years and include a warranty of 25 years with an expected life of 40 years or more. The best site for solar incentives is www.dsireusa.org Hope that helps.