Solar Powered Homes

Including a home solar system when building your home allows you to use strategies that keep energy needs at a minimum.

This page looks at guidelines specific to building solar powered houses from the ground up.
If you want information about adding a solar array to an existing home check out this page

Solar powered homes don't become the dynamos that they are without a lot of planning.


There's much to be said for planning to install a home solar power system before you build the house. Options are open to you at this stage of the game that are just not available on an existing home.

Every choice you make, lot selection, orientation of the house, angle of your roof, incorporating passive concepts, even the appliances you select will make a difference and those differences can add up to BIG savings in your photovoltaic array while still providing a solar power house that has all the comforts of...well...home.

When building solar powered homes, properly applying the following techniques can save you tens of thousands of dollars over the lifetime of the residence. Before you even look at a photovoltaic system check these out.

• Passive Solar Considerations

  Start by looking at how you can use passive solar design to keep energy demands low. You'll be surprised at how easy it is to employ these techniques when building solar powered houses from the beginning. Some of these tips are difficult or impossible to use once the home has been built so check them out before you start digging.




• Reduce Your Electricity Consumption

  Consider how you use the electricity in your home. Here are lots of tips for saving energy at home.




• Install a Solar Hot Water Heater

  One quarter to one third of your energy costs are from heating water. Save money on your photovoltaic array by using a less expensive and lower tech method to heat your water. Save the high tech stuff for where you really need it. There are a couple of water heating options below.





The new kid on the block is the tankless water heater that heats only the water you need and never runs out.





• Energy Efficient Appliances

  Choose the most energy efficient appliances available on the market. Some appliances demand so much power that it is not cost effective to run them with solar energy. Switch whatever you can to gas, this includes stovetop, dryer, oven, etc. Buy the most energy efficient washer, freezer, fridge, dishwasher, etc. available on the market.

Once you've addressed the topics above you're ready to size your home solar power system.

In some cases you'll have no choice but to build a home solar power system that powers all of your needs. In remote areas, for instance, there is no grid to tie into and stringing power lines and poles to your building site may be impossible or so expensive that it makes the relative expense of solar power seem cheap by comparison. These systems must be sized properly to ensure that you have enough power during high use times as well as times of the year when the sun has less strength.

Now that you've trimmed your energy costs, start looking at prices. Remember there are new technologies being researched every day and it won't be long before lighter weight and more efficient solar collectors will be on the market.

Check for Incentive Programs

Many countries, states/provinces and municipalities offer generous incentives for switching to renewable energy. If you live in the US check here for available incentive programs. Some energy efficient appliances also qualify for rebates.

Size Your System

Sizing a system is just a fancy term for figuring out how many solar panels you require. Solar powered homes can be divided into two categories. Those that power all of the households needs with the photovoltaic array or those thattie into the existing grid.

An independent system should be sized to the month in which you used the mostpower. Hopefully you've reduced the amount of energy your house needs by using the tips above so you'll need to make some adjustments to your numbers accordingly. You can always add panels to your solar array at a later date. Remember that the actual panels represent only about half of the cost of an independent solar energy system. A battery bank, inverter, a variety of installation hardware and the cost of installation will make up the rest.

If you intend to tie into your neighborhood power grid sizing the system is not necessary. Just install what you can afford. The grid power picks up where the solar power system leaves off. Make sure you can add on to your system at a later date if you wish. Check to see if tying into the grid is an option in your area.

Decide Where to Install Your Solar Power System

Most solar powered homes have the array installed on the roof. There are other options like the ground, on posts or building a veranda roof. If you intend to use the roof, check below for some roof considerations.

Select Your Solar Panel Provider

There are numerous companies that manufacture solar panels. Kyocera, Siemens and Evergreen are brand names that we've been very happy with. Many distrubutors deal in more than one brand, particularly on the internet.

Find an Installer

Try to get at least three installation quotes along with references before you select your installer. Look at solar powered homes in your county and talk to the owners about their installers and what they liked about them as well as anything they didn't like.

If you intend to install your solar array on the roof, following are some roofing considerations for solar powered homes.

• Weight

  Solar powered homes require a solid roof structure to be able to carry the weight of your roofing materials and the additional weight that a solar array will contribute.




• Expected Life

  The longer the better. Roof repairs or replacement on solar powered homes can not be undertaken with a solar array in place. That means that the array would have to be removed and reinstalled in order to work on the roof itself, an expensive undertaking. There are solar panels out there that were installed on roofs in the '60's and are still functional, so choose roofing materials that have a long life and a lengthy warranty. Fiber-cement composite materials offer a long life and usually a class A fire rating. Although some roofs carry a 40 year warranty, you'll find that it usually only covers manufacturer's defects.




• Orientation

  Ideally, you want a roof that faces the sun for most of the day and is not shaded for any length of time by trees or buildings. In the Northern hemisphere the best orientation for solar powered homes is true South followed by West then East. In the Southern hemisphere it's true North then West then East.




• Cant or Angle

  The angle at which the panels are displayed is also important. The further you live from the equator the sharper this angle is. Solar panels are most effective when the angle of cant equals your degree of latitude plus or minus 15 degrees. The 15 degree adjustment compensates for the change in the sun's angle between summer and winter. In the northern hemisphere add 15 degrees in the winter (the sharper angle follows the low angle of the winter sun). In the summer, subtract 15 degrees to account for the high arc the summer sun makes over your home. Reverse this in the southern hemisphere.
  
  

• Mounting Panels in a Fixed Position

  When panels will be permanently mounted and non adjustable most homeowners choose to place the array in the position that works best for the month in which the most power is used. Check your monthly power bills from last year to determine which month that is.
  
  Same thing when installing solar shingles or solar materials that are incorporated directly into the roofing materials, the cant and orientation of your roof becomes more important because you won't be able to adjust the panels or angle them at a more favourable pitch. If possible when mounting panels in a fixed position have them in a position that directly faces the sun at noon during your high power use season.

Well thought out solar powered homes can be expected to provide comfort and warmth to their inhabitants for decades without the nasty carbon footprint that accompanies homes dependent on fossil fuels.

Some alternative building techniques combine beautifully with solar concepts. Straw bale construction marries well with solar powered homes and they are well insulated and beautiful to look at.


I probably don't have to tell you that solar power is not the least expensive form of energy available but there are emerging technologies that promise to cut the cost of solar power in half or better. If you want to know what kinds of solar technologies are peeking over the horizon check our solar news page.

Continue your solar power theme by turning your yard and garden into a tranquil retreat with some fabulous solar products. From landscape lighting to pond fountains solar energy has it covered.