GREEN SYSTEMS B. SHADY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 74 BS:What advancements,


improvements and trends do you predict we will see in the near future that will make building net zero energy homes even more feasible? DK: The improvement in


installation efficiency and lower material costs will contribute to


lowering the overall installed cost per kwh of solar electric systems. In Germany, systems are routinely installed for about $3.50 per watt as compared to the $5.50 per watt rate I used in my SPER chart. However, as prices decline, incentives will probably be lowered as well.


NZEC up close Dan Chiles has been on the forefront of the radiant heating business since 1975 and


is a board member of The Radiant Panel Association. Dan is the mayor pro-tem of Springfield, Missouri. He is currently in the planning stages of building his net zero energy home. BS:What were your reasons for deciding to build a net zero energy home? DC: I liked the idea of being energy independent. Here in Missouri, which is coal


country, electric rates may be low now, but they are only going up. As a council member, I just voted on a 16% rate hike for residential homeowners and another 7% for commercial dwellings. I like having the assurance that NZEC locks in your rate and that you essentially become your own utility. My home also will be a working farm, and I plan to put a solar electric array on the barn and reserve space on the roof to produce enough electricity to power an electric car.


As an environmentalist, I want to reduce my carbon footprint. The Supreme Court 76


just ruled that coal is a pollutant, and 85% or our energy in Missouri comes from coal. We are part of the problem. The rest of country is in the middle of the PV revolution and the Midwest is in the dark ages. I want to change the mindset that solar electric is some kind of exotic California technology that isn’t practical anywhere else.


Another improvement we are


starting to see is solar electric panels incorporated into conventional building products such as roofing tiles and skylights, which makes it easier for architects to integrate the solar production into the design of the home. Also, a few products are just coming to market in the United States that combine solar electric and solar thermal production in the same panel. These panels not only produce hot water for space and domestic uses but they also increase the electricity production on the panels by cooling them on hot days. As LED lights, which are about


five times more efficient than incandescent, become more reasonably priced, the energy required for cooling will be reduced as well, since more efficient lighting creates less strain on an air conditioning system, which contributes to lowering cooling loads. We will start to see higher COP’s


for air-to-water heat pumps at lower ambient temperatures. According to the California Energy Commission (CEC), about 50% of a household’s energy use goes to space conditioning and domestic hot water. The higher the COP, the smaller and less expensive the solar electric system will have to be.


Another big trend is the


connection between home and transportation, as more homeowners are installing enough solar electric to provide sufficient electricity for at least one electric car. Finally, real time


monitoring for both energy consumption and solar production will allow homeowners to compare not only how much energy they are using but also how much they are producing. This is just now available and NZEC is slated to install our first system at the end of this year. All of these factors make


building net zero energy homes even more feasible, practical and affordable. ;


Beth Shady is the president and director of marketing for Sustainable Design and Product Management. Beth is a LEED Green Associate and holds an M.S. in Internet marketing. She is a freelance writer and Internet marketing consultant to the renewable energy construction industry.


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phc january 2011 www.phcnews.com


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