This past summer at the Minnesota State Fair's Eco-Experience, I met Rebecca Lundberg, owner and president of Powerfully Green. The company installs solar electric and thermal systems and was featuring some of its products and services on the Eco-house design.
We were interested in solar energy as an option for our home so we hired Powerfully Green to do a site inspection and home energy audit.
An audit also helps homeowners find ways to reduce home energy needs. This one was different from the one we had done for our EnergyStar rating because it was based on current needs and consumption, and the potential to offset those with a solar energy system.
For the site inspection, Lundberg and Dan Williams, her business partner, went onto the roof and measured the surface area. Then they determined the ideal direction for placement and measured the solar potential of the roof during prime hours, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Next they determined where the solar energy system would have an electrical connection to provide service. We face directly south and have almost no obstructions, so our house has an ideal setting for solar water heating and a photovoltaic system.
After the site assessment, we reviewed our latest energy bills and talked about system sizing.
Lundberg advised us on ways to reduce energy consumption. Using a device called a "Kill-a-Watt Meter," we went through our house and identified devices such as cable or satellite box receivers that appear to be "off," but are continually using energy. The most surprising was our coffeemaker, which was using 20 watts an hour when "off" and more than 900 watts an hour when "on."
She shared a couple of tricks to manage energy waste and reduce energy bills, such as connecting devices to power strips and turning the entire strip off when not needed.
The average Minnesotan uses about 815 kWh (kilowatt hours) a month for home energy needs. At our house, we use 750 kWh a month.
Lundberg recommended that we first reduce energy use through simple conservation methods and then determine what would be a cost-effective solar energy system to supplement our energy needs.
I don't plan to put in a system now, but maybe we'll invest in one in a few years. For the time being, we are working to trim our daily energy needs. For information about a Powerfully Green site survey (cost is $175, credited to a solar system if purchased), go to www.powerfullygreen.com or call 763-438-1976.
To learn more about Jason Hammond's new house and to see photos and previous blog posts, go to www.startribune.com/newhouse. Or e-mail him at hammond@mojosolo.com.
