Category Archives: energy retrofitting

How to get your Condo or apartment off the grid

Posted on July 10, 2016 | Leave a comment

solar apt

Solar panels have become cheaper and more efficient in recent years, but they are far from a universal solution, even in sunny regions. One reason is that a typical solar photovoltaic (PV) installation is still beyond the budget of many people. The average pricing for a 5kW residential PV system completed in 2014 varied from $11,000 in Germany to $16,450 in the USA. [1, 2] Roughly half of that amount concerns the installation costs. [3]

A second obstacle for solar power is that not everybody lives in a single-family dwelling with access to a private roof. Those who reside in apartment buildings have little chance of harvesting solar power with a conventional roof-mounted system. Furthermore, in apartment buildings, the roof would quickly become too crowded to cover the electricity use of all residents, a problem that grows larger the more floors there are in a building. Lastly, a typical solar installation is problematic when you’re renting a place, whether it’s a house or an apartment.

These conditions allow me to get through the winter without a heating system, relying only on solar heat and thermal underclothing. Hot water is supplied by a solar boiler, which was installed by the landlord. Clothes are dried on the balcony. While tinkering with solar panels for an art project, I got an idea: with the sun already powering so much of my living space, wouldn’t it also be possible to harvest solar power from the window sills and the balcony and take my apartment off the electricity grid? Such a PV installation would solve my problems:

I don’t need access to the roof.
I can install the system myself, which makes it much cheaper.
I can take the solar installation with me if I move to another place.

Obviously, the big question is whether or not such an unconventional solar system could generate the necessary electricity. As a first experiment, I decided to power my 10 m2 home office with solar panels placed on the 2.8 m long window ledge that runs along the windows of the office and the adjacent bedroom.

disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only

Choosing the right-sized solar energy system for your home

Posted on April 22, 2016 | Leave a comment

solar

Solar energy is growing in popularity, especially as solar equipment prices fall and the cost of electricity continues to rise in most parts of the country.

Let’s assume that you have decided to go solar. The next question you may be asking is “how do I choose the right size solar photovoltaic (PV) system for my home?”

Will solar add value to your home? Contact the appraisers at www.scappraisals.com for your solar value needs.

In addition to determining how much solar energy you can produce where you live, there are a number of other factors to consider, such as the amount of electricity you use, the size, orientation and design of your roof, and the state/municipal/utility policies that affect the cost of going solar.

Ultimately, a qualified solar installer will need to come to your home and go over the particularities of your situation with you, but it’s always a good idea to have a better understanding of the situation before this stage, so that you can follow the discussion and ask the right questions.

Electricity Use

One of the first things to consider is how much electricity you typically use, and how it varies with the seasons. For example, do you have an air conditioner that runs at full blast in the summer, or do you heat your home with electric baseboard heaters during the cold winter months?

The most accurate way to calculate how much electricity you use is to dig up your utility bills for the past 12 months (or longer if the past year was unseasonably warm or cold). If you don’t have your bills on hand, you can use our Power Consumption Calculator to estimate your electricity usage.

Disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only

San Diego #2 in Nation for Solar

Posted on April 9, 2016 | Leave a comment

Solar installations in San Diego have grown 76.6 percent in two years, making the city the metropolitan area with the second-highest number of solar panels in the country, according to a report released by an environmental group.

“San Diego really shines when it comes to solar power,” Michelle Kinman, clean energy advocate for Environment California Research and Policy Center, said at a news conference Friday.

In its annual report, Environment California looked at 64 cities nationwide. With 189 megawatts of installed photovoltaic capacity at the end of 2015, San Diego trails only Los Angeles, which ended the year at 215 megawatts.

But San Diego finished above Los Angeles on a per capita basis.

Does solar add value to your home? Contact the appraiser at www.scappraisals.com they specialize in solar and energy-efficient properties.

San Diego averaged 136 watts of installed solar per person while Los Angeles had 55 watts. Nationally, San Diego finished fourth in per capita solar, trailing only Honolulu, Indianapolis and San Jose.

In the each of three years of the Environment California rankings, San Diego has finished No. 2 in the nation in total solar installations. The city grew 76.6 percent since the end of 2013 and increased 26 percent from last year’s rankings.