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Solar Power

From "Best Built Home"
episode DBBH-104F

Imagine using the sun to generate your own electricity. In this segment host Lynda Lyday travels to Southern California to see how a builder there is installing solar power systems. These systems allow homeowners to generate their own power and sell back any extra energy they don't use. This can make their utility bills equal zero over the course of a year. The solar panels on the house have gone through such an evolution that they're hardly noticeable from the street -- gone are those big ugly panels on the roof. Using the sun for power is state-of-the-art for making a home energy efficient.

Today's home buyers have become more interested in ways to save energy and lower their utility bills. An energy-efficient house is good for the environment and good for the homeowner's pocketbook.

Aaron and Michelle Smith of San Diego love their home for this reason. "Being energy efficient and environmentally friendly sort of more on the conservation side of life is where I was raised," Michelle said. Looking after the earth is the theme here. "That is even more important to me than perhaps the financial savings, [which] is a great bonus."

The Smith's builder, Pardee Homes, take energy efficiency to a new level. Not only do they adhere to the Energy Star® program (discussed in the last segment), they also build something called a zero-energy house. "A zero-energy home needs to have an energy producing component," Joyce Mason, V.P. of marketing for Pardee Homes, said, "and for us here in San Diego where the sun shines brightly most days of the year, solar made the most sense."

Pardee Homes build solar panels "discreetly" into the roof of their homes ...

or into the patio trellis as seen here.

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

Solar panels (see the images, above and middle right) are the key to Pardee's energy-efficiency success. The photovoltaic solar panels are roof integrated and contribute to energy production.

Special meters (figure A) installed in the garage tell the homeowner how much energy is being created versus how much is being used with everyday appliances, etc. Ideally the solar panels will not only meet the energy needs of the home but exceed them.

"The excess power goes back to the grid," Joyce said, "and then somebody else in the community is using it." The homeowner gets "credit" for the extra energy that returns to the grid, and this results in a savings on their energy bill. Joyce hopes eventually, working with Pardee's energy consultants and new technologies, to be able to build homes that really do have "zero" energy usage. "I think the struggle with anything that's environmentally friendly or energy efficient," Aaron said, "is balancing price versus benefit."

The discreet solar panels add to the mainstream acceptability of the system. They blend in so well with the regular roof tiles that you have to look closely to even notice. Addison Marks, solar technologies for GE Energy, says, "We have to point out to the home buyers often times that this is where the solar panels are (figure B)."

A homeowner has the capability to use an underutilized asset of their house -- the roof -- to add value and functionality to their home. It's basically installing an appliance that generates electricity while all the other appliances use electricity.

Note: The basic component of a solar system consists of a solar cell, which converts sunlight directly into electricity. It's fed into a converter (figure C) that converts it to normal household power.

Forward thinking homeowners have another reason to consider solar power --

Recent studies have shown that homes with a solar system receive a price premium in the resale market. The homeowner can save money every month on their utility bills, and when they get ready to sell later they can receive a price premium. In fact, in some states and municipalities offer rebates or tax incentives for homes with solar power.

Note: The people at GE predict that solar power will continue to grow as market demands increase.

In the final on-air segment Lynda visits Michael Dickens, CEO of Build IQ, to discuss better lighting options for your home, and Michael explains the differences between fluorescent versus incandescent lighting.