Kenmore Undressed

Solar Energy – The Perfect Remodeling Project of the Future, Part 3

Eric Teegarden – Setting the Solar Example for All of Us

Welcome to the home of Eric Teegarden. Eric has a long history of work in alternative energy systems and has been extremely generous with his vast knowledge of solar technology for this series. He was kind enough to invite me over to take some pictures of his recently installed solar system. Check this out:

The solar array of 18 panels on Eric’s house fits in well with the look and feel of this tri-level home. This array will supply all the power needed to run his 1700 square foot, 3-bedroom house. I was surprised to find out that the installation only took two days and is, in the big scheme of “home improvement” projects, not particularly complicated. You could conceivably save money by installing the system yourself but you will need to find an engineer to design the system (there are a number of contractors in the area that specialize in this technology) and the work will need to be done perfectly as city inspectors are hyper-critical when examining this new technology.

The Enterprise News recently reported on Eric’s home in an article entitled ” Brier man hopes to set example with project helped by PUD,” which does an excellent job of discussing how he financed the system (solar systems are expensive) and how the Snohomish County PUD is taking the lead in solar technology:

• Eric received a $25,000 loan at 2.9% interest through the Snohomish County “Solar Express” program
• The program also offers some cash incentives and educational support for interested homeowners who want to install solar
• A PUD spokesman indicated that 29 applications for solar PV systems and eight applications for solar hot water systems were received this year (the solar hot water systems are far less expensive than the solar arrays)

The actual conversion of solar energy into electricity occurs within this system. A device called the inverter converts the the energy (Direct Current from the panels, DC) into  AC (or alternating current) which is what we use in our homes to run lights, appliances, etc.. A lot of people wonder how a solar system works in conjunction with the “on-grid” power. Basically there is meter for the solar system that measures the amount of kilowatt power produced by the array. When there is a surplus of energy produced by the solar array, this energy is “sold” back to the electric company and is credited to the solar user.

Justifying a Solar Investment

Many people have told me that they find it difficult to justify solar energy for their home. The three main concerns are:

a) It’s extremely expensive to install!

Indeed, the upfront cost of a solar array can be mind-boggling and the current economic climate has made it extremely difficult to acquire a home equity loan from a bank. I believe that we will see a huge paradigm shift in energy policy both nationally and locally in the next several years. I have been hearing about local jurisdictions in King County considering tax incentives and city inspection streamlining to encourage home owners to go solar. Also, when one considers that there are real cost savings over a period of years and an increase in home equity (because of the system), homeowners should at least start to think about solar energy someday.

b) Most Americans don’t live in their homes long enough to justify the expenditure (the average has been 5-7 years).

I have a sense that Americans will be living in their homes for longer periods of time due to the huge shifts in our economics. I have no illusions that most home owners find the idea of solar a little eccentric, but let me remind you that people who owned those insanely expensive horseless carriages a century ago were considered whacked as well! I can’t emphasize this fact enough: Installing a solar system may be one of the most powerful selling points of your house if you choose to move someday.

c) We don’t have enough sun in the Northwest to justify solar systems.

Believe it or not, the Seattle area actually beats L.A. and Phoenix in terms of solar energy in the summer because of our long days. Of course the rest of the year is different. But is it viable here in the Seattle area? The fact is, we receive more sun than Southern Germany and Germany has half the world’s installed solar systems. If you want to see a German City that has taken the solar movement seriously I would invite you to check out: Sustainable Design which is an interesting blog about alternative energy. The link has some wonderful pictures of Freiburg, Germany which has a huge number of solar systems both commercial and residential.

Ultimately, Americans won’t have a choice about energy. This change needs to start soon. As many experts have suggested, our dependence on foreign oil and cheap coal is a national security and an inevitable environmental disaster. I’m not suggesting you all go out and purchase a solar system today, but we should all be pressuring our local governments to offer more incentives for “doing the right thing.”

Eric Teegarden is passionate about all of us transforming our thinking about how we relate to the world. He believes that building civilization requires us to think with a “wider bandwidth” with regard to our communities and homes.

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