More than five years ago NESEA introduced its annual “Zero Net Energy Building Award”, which offers a $10,000 prize for the best example of a building in the Northeast that produces more energy than it consumes. Since then nearly 30 applicants from seven states have been eligible for this prestigious award. With this grant, NESEA plans to tackle three barriers to the widespread adoption of zero net energy buildings: lack of access to examples of successful projects, lack of widespread technical knowledge with respect to how to complete these projects, and perceptions that zero net energy construction is not cost effective. NESEA is taking action by creating a database of zero net energy homes in the Northeast, with a goal of at least 30 case studies by the end of the grant in June 2014. NESEA will also produce a white paper to share the best practices learned from the examples that populate the database and provide training, via a 10-week online course. Participants in the course will learn how to model and undertake a residential zero net energy project. Students who complete Rosenbaum’s course and subsequently undertake a net zero project will be eligible for tuition reimbursement, as well as an additional stipend if they submit their project into the NESEA database. These efforts have great potential to deliver a substantial decline in GHG-emissions from buildings in the Northeast.

Source: Press Release: Breaking- We’re Going To Catalyze The Market for Zero Net Energy Homes

Name: Kevin Singel and Laura Hoeppner

Occupation: Kevin- Business Manager at Accenture and Laura- Community & Government Liaison for the City of Centennial

Location of panels: Centennial, CO

Photo Credit: Kevin Singel

What made you go solar?

We had a strong desire to reduce our carbon footprint and to spur on the solar industry. We have been early adopters of a lot of eco-related things…over 20 years ago we were buying recycled paper toilet paper by the pallet load (and splitting it with people from our church) and we bought the very first Prius sold in metro Denver (in August 2000) so getting solar panels was a natural for us.

We looked into PV some years ago and just couldn’t afford to buy a system outright for almost $20,000. When the leasing arrangements came to Colorado a couple of years ago, we were quick to pursue that option and excited to see that it is much more affordable. Also our home is situated just perfectly for a rooftop solar system. We are south facing with no real shade on the roof during the day – this helps to maximize the productivity of the panels of course, which made the whole system more affordable.

How is your life different after you went solar?

Our electric bills are much lower! Last month we paid $7 which is the minimum fee to have a meter where we live. Our system is 5.25KW DC which converts to about 4.25KW AC …it serves almost all of our needs if you look at it over the full year. The system produces much more than we need during the long sunny days of spring and summer (unless it gets really hot and we turn on the A/C of course) and less than we need in winter. The local electric company allows us to roll over any extra production to cover the low production months so it all works out really well. We call the electric utility ‘our big battery in the sky’ since they essentially store our excess production and then give it back to us for free when we need it.

Also, people we who visit our home are curious about it and we are proud to show it off. We enjoy showing people how simple and effortless it is. Several of our friends and neighbors have since installed their own systems.

What’s the best part about being solar?

Knowing that we are reducing peak electrical demand, dramatically reducing our carbon footprint and saving money at the same time. Our total electric cost per year has dropped from over $2000 to under $400…and it is only that much because getting panels inspired us to convert our 2005 Prius over to a plug-in hybrid so we are now sucking up 4KWH daily to recharge the car. We do run our home air conditioning in the hottest weeks of the year here in metro Denver but since we have solar panels we never get anywhere near the peak demand pricing the utility put in place to reflect the higher cost of providing for summer A/C usage. We have neighbors who paid $400 in one month last summer – when we showed them our electric bill (just $80) they immediately signed up to get a system of their own!

What tips do you have for others who want to go solar?

• Get a referral from someone who already has a system so you get the referred customer discount.
• Get multiple bids including solar leasing arrangements – prices vary more than you would expect, the leasing arrangements were a really good deal for us including the 20 year warranty
• If your panels will be visible from the street (like ours) be sure to ask about non-bright finishes on all visible metal to minimize the visual impact of your system
• Know that your city or HOA has the right to set standards but they also have to be ‘reasonable’ with their rules due to federal/state laws supporting solar system installation
• Also make investments in efficiency – a new refrigerator may use quite a bit less electricity than your current one due to new insulation technology for example, finish your conversion to CFLs and LED lights of course too! We added motion detectors to our basement and garage lights too since the family had a bad habit of leaving those lights on. All those little changes add up!
• Be patient. From first contact to system go-live can take months and months due to all the steps involved.
• Don’t take ‘no’ for an answer. If someone tries to put up a barrier to stop you, ask what it would take to get rid of that barrier…you can do this!

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ASES will hold its annual National Solar Tour this fall where you can show your home, host a tour or go on a tour. If you’d like to donate to support ASES in its mission to promote solar, please click here. If you’d like to learn more about putting solar on your home or to find a local solar professional, click on the Find a Solar Installer Near You on the right side of ASES.org.

Name: Julianne and Mark Noonan

Occupation: Software Analyst and Software Engineer for Healthcare Software

Location of panels: Boyertown, PA

 Why did you go solar?

Photo Compliments of Julianne & Mark Noonan

For years we’ve tried to be good stewards of the Earth; maintaining our property 100% chemical and pesticide free, growing our garden, grapevines, strawberry beds and fruit trees the same way, contributing to soil health through composting and even the introduction of vermin-compost into our environment to further keep food and compostables out of the waste stream.  We’d thought about installing solar for several years, but the cost and our roof’s East/West orientation made it hard to make it become a reality. About 2 years ago we decided the time had come to further reduce our impact on the environment so we did more research on solar.  The state of Pennsylvania and the Federal incentives helped make it a financial possibility.  We spoke with a number of installers and finally found one we felt really comfortable with.  The company (RMK Solar) came up with a 12.88 KW ground based system, in the back of our 3-acre property. It was anticipated to produce about 89% of our energy usage.  At last, our roof orientation issue could be affordably overcome.

The second reason was financial. Electric rates in Pennsylvania were recently de-regulated. Power companies in the area were going to be able to regularly re-adjust their rates, which in most cases had not been done in many years.  Each company hit the “de-regulated” date at various times. We saw some power companies increase their rate by 30% just in the first year. We didn’t want a surprise when it was our power company’s turn. And surely over time rates will just continue to increase.

 What’s the best part about going solar?

In addition to feeling good about doing our part to help the environment we’ve seen financial benefits. There is nothing like the first time you see your electric meter run backwards as you put your excess energy back into the grid! Due to the placement of the 56 panels in 2 arrays positioned south facing at a 39-degree angle, and the improvement of panel efficiency in the few short months between contracting and installation we actually generate over 100% of our electric generation. Although not the norm, in our best month ever we sent over 1000 kWh back to the grid!

Our electric bill? Since we installed it the only bill we get from the power company is $9.12 per month for transmission fees and taxes. All the extra power we generate goes back into the grid and once a year the power company writes us a check; all for just collecting the solar rays floating around the environment!

Photo compliments of Julianne & Mark Noonan

Our system came with a web monitor. From home, we can pull up the monitor and see exactly what the panels are doing real time any time of day.  While away from home, as long we have Internet access we can get production information periodically through the day.

Psychologically, now that we know we’ll get money back for the electricity going back to the grid we’ve even become more conscious of our electricity usage! We are more likely to remember to turn off unused lights and appliances, run only full laundry and dishwasher loads and even forgoing the use of the laundry dryer whenever possible. Obviously, this also contributes to our panels being able to meet all of our electric needs and then some.

 What would you say to the naysayers who don’t believe it would work for them?

“Does it really matter to the environment that much?”

We feel good about what we did. We are doing our part to keep Mother Nature happy.

“But we have long cold winters. “

Living in southeastern PA we can be subject to long cold winters too. Some folks questioned if we’d get enough sun to produce electricity in the winter. The fact is our best generation months are February, March and early April. The panels love the cooler weather, and while the sunny portion of the day isn’t as long as in the summer, there is no haze to block the rays. And as a bonus, with the ground based system, when there is snow on the ground we get the added benefit of the sun’s rays being reflected off the snow to the panels. And even on the cloudiest days we’re still kicking out a few kilowatts. 

“They’ll be outdated before we see any return.”

We often heard the panels wouldn’t be worth the investment because the panels would be dead and gone long before they make up for the cost. We are anticipating a full return on our investment in about 12 years. This takes into account the money we get from putting power back into the grid and the small amount we get from Pennsylvania’s SREC program. And the fact is, the panels are guaranteed for 25 years at 90%+ efficiency and it is anticipated they’ll last far longer than that.

“But how do they look?”

They are a neat feature of our landscape and we still get a bit of a thrill looking at them and all they produce. Many would say they look better than a lot of jungle gyms and backyard sheds found in most suburban neighborhoods.

“Geez, another thing in the yard to maintain.”

The fact is they are virtually maintenance free. If you live in a real dusty environment maybe you need to hose them down occasionally, but we’ve found the rain does just fine removing the occasional bird dropping. And when it snows, the slightest bit of sunshine melts a small area and the rest of the snow slides right off.

 What tips do you have for others who want to go solar?

Most importantly, do your research to find a company that you can count on. Our installer was amazing. They provided us with options that would work best for us, helped us with the township zoning process and worked through some difficulties with our local power company since the power company was sort of new to net metering.

Make sure you understand what you are getting. We wanted to be sure we did the right thing for the U.S. economy as well. We chose to go with a company that used only U.S. made panels – while it may have been a few dollars more for the materials we know we installed quality panels, from a company that has been around a long time and the warranty behind them will protect us if we ever do have an issue.

Also, figure out the zoning requirements of your township and if there are any solar access protection laws in place. If there are get written commitment that they will enforce those solar access protections laws in the future if need be. You might find that your township doesn’t even understand laws it might have put in place based on US Department of Energy suggestions, so you might even be educating them! It helps to have a solar installer versed in this area.

The American Solar Energy Society will hold the annual National Solar Tour this fall where there will be many opportunities to show your home, host a tour or go on a tour. More details on the National Solar Tour will be available in the near future.

Name:  Lynn Wakeman
Occupation: IT Professional
City & State: Evergreen, CO

What made you go solar?            

I moved into a passive solar home 25 years ago. But because everything in the house is electric, including the heat for a very open floor plan and cathedral ceiling house, the passive solar was not adequate. I began investigating panels and PV systems for two reasons.  One, was to reduce my carbon footprint, and expand the sustainable passive system. The second, and maybe more importantly was financial. I has a little bit of spare cash and with interest rates so low, a .005% interest rate, a savings account was not a good investment.  I had a personal friend who was in the solar installation business so I contacted him. He agreed a PV system was a good investment and offered to give me an estimate. I ultimately hired him after researching a couple of other companies.

What’s the best part about going solar?        

It’s so cool that I am a producer and am now getting paid by the power company rather than being a total consumer. I like to get home in the evening and see what my production was for the day. Also, with my technical background, I find it interesting how all the pieces fit and work together. I like to  talk about my experience with anyone who is interested and my co-workers, who don’t have the ideal sites for solar, get  to hear me expound on how great it is.

What tips do you have for others who want to go solar?                 

Investigate your options. There are companies who will install the system for practically no up-front money but then take part of the production payments.  Make sure you have a reputable contractor. We ran into several issues that my contractor handled.

The American Solar Energy Society will hold the annual National Solar Tour this fall where there will be many opportunities to show your home, hold a tour or go on a tour. More details on the National Solar Tour will be available in the near future.