The Solar Patriot

(Page 4 of 4)

August/September 2003
By Amanda Griscom  
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The DOE is now helping coordinate zero net-energy building projects in more than a dozen cities across the country, including San Francisco, Las Vegas, Orlando, Austin and Tucson.

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"As the nation cries out for energy independence," says Bradley, "going solar is really becoming the ultimate patriotic act."

Such an effort is certainly timely, given today's political and environmental concerns. "If just 10 percent of American families were to do what our family has done, we could wipe out our dependence on Iraqi oil and surpass the original Kyoto goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions," says Alden. We're offering a simple, grassroots Solution to the biggest challenge of our time."

Big Energy Saving

The Hathaways' 3,000-square-foot Patriot Home saves enough in annual energy costs to finance the photovoltaic system and other cutting-edge energy technologies.

Passive-solar design: Direct-gain passive design with cement board and the floors used as thermal mass. South-facing low-e windows, 2-foot-wide overhangs. Cross ventilation with operable windows. Sun-Tube skylight provides daylighting in master bathroom.

Insulation: R-45 ceiling, R-24 exterior walls.

Photovoltaics: The Solar Patriot's family of five uses 24 kilowatt-hours of electricity per day, compared to the average of 55 kwh for conventional houses of its size. A 4-kilowatt Uni-Solar thin-film array on the house's roof and a 2-kw array of BP Solar modules on the garage roof meet most of their electricity needs. Eight 200-amp-hour batteries provide backup power. When state regulations allow, the Hathaways expect to sell some of their green energy back to the utility company.

Heating and cooling: ECR Technologies Earthlinked geothermal heat-pump system; Heat-N-Glow wood-burning fireplace insert.

Water heating: Closed-loop system, consisting of two 4-by-6 1/2-foot Solargenix solar panels. (In the summertime, the panels produce 90 percent to 95 percent of the family's hot water needs; in the winter, 40 percent to 45 percent.) Backup is a hot-water loop off the geothermal system.

Water conservation: Low-flow showerheads and faucets; low-flush toilets.

Other efficiency features: Ceiling fans and compact fluorescent lightbulbs.

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