Having been involved in sustainable design for so many years in the work environment, the thought of extending what we, as architects, preach to our clients into my personal life has always been in the back of my mind. After moving to a new home a couple years ago (a 3700 SF suburban home fueled by oil and electricity) my husband and I started to seriously consider alternate energy sources. We knew that solar was our best option, given the size of our roof, and the orientation of the house in a very open lot. After researching companies and proposals we decided to hire Endless Mountain Solar to design and install our system. We have divided the project in two phases; with Phase One producing enough solar power to take care of our electric bill, hot water and the heating/cooling of our first floor. Phase One of the project took roughly 3 weeks to complete, and we went live on September 29, 2015.
A few details:
System size: 18 Kwh
What: (60) 300 watt LG MC4 panels, (60) Enphase M250 micro inverters, (1) 80 gallon heat pump hot water, (1) Fujitsu Minisplit pump RLS3H series (capable of handling temperatures as low as -15F)
Warranty: 25 years
System
Energy produced in October: 1.86 MWh
Carbon offset for October: 1.29 tons (33 trees equivalent)
Year to date energy produced: 1.93 MWh
“You have to do a really good job to do what society needs. That’s something that is worth it.”
Payette’s Jim Collins reflects on the importance of architecture in creating spaces for future generations to enjoy.
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