Solar Energy: What Does it Cost?

How much does solar energy cost? Our friends over at the Clear Mountain Solar Store are glad to help with the answer:

Although we cannot emphasize enough that it all depends on many factors: your lifestyle, your individual needs, your site (how much sun you receive, roof space, shading), whether you will be on-grid, off grid, on-grid w/battery backup, using a pole mounted tracking system, etc. However, there are some broad guidelines that we detail below to give you some idea of the gross “installed” cost.

Remember, your net cost will likely be 50-80% lower after deducting federal, state, and local incentives. For solar hot water we have only detailed equipment cost because installation expense can vary significantly, especially if the system is a retrofit on an existing home. And don’t forget, solar energy systems installed in Vermont are EXEMPT FROM RETAIL SALES TAX! As of October 2008, 77 cities and towns in New Hampshire have adopted a property tax exemption for one or more
renewable energy sources.

Photovoltaic (Solar Electric)
Grid-tie
$8-10/watt typical installed
cost - residential
$6-8/watt typical installed cost - commercial

Grid-tie with battery
backup
$12-13/watt typical installed cost

Off-grid
$15/watt typical
installed cost

Solar Thermal (Domestic Hot Water & Space
Heating)*
Solar Hot Water for a family of 2 - $2,848
Solar Hot Water for a family of 4 - $4,649
Space Heating for 1,000 sq. ft. - $12,500
Space Heating for 2,000 sq. ft. - $16,500
Pool Heating - $1,200-$3,500

*Approximate costs not including installation, but before federal tax credits and state incentives. Installation expense typically adds $4,000-6,000 to the figures above.

Energy-conscious families can reduce their emissions by up to two-thirds by using renewable energy systems. (And if you are building a new home, you have a great opportunity to incorporate energy efficient systems and materials to reduce your carbon footprint.)

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10 Questions to Ask Your Architect

If you are building a new home, hiring an architect for the design and project management of the home can make the whole process go smoothly. Here are 10 questions you will want to ask the architects you interview for your project:

1. What does the architect see as important issues or considerations in your project? What are the challenges of the project?


2. How will the architect establish priorities and make decisions?
   
3. How busy is the architect?


4. What sets this architect apart from the rest?


5. How does the architect establish fees? When will fee payments be expected?
   
6. What are the steps in the design process?


7. How does the architect organize the process?


8. What does the architect expect you to provide?


9. If the scope of the project changes later in the project, will there be additional fees? How will these fees be justified?
10. What services does the architect provide during construction

Bonin Architects & Associates offers full architectural design services, limited drafting services based on your project needs, and optional project management services. Our architectural design services and fees are listed in detail on our website. Give us a call or send an email to tell us about your project and let's discuss how we can work together!

Questions courtesy Boston Society of Architects / AIA

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Are you Living Sustainably?

If you think you’re living sustainably and are up for a little challenge, check out “Consumer Consequences”, an interactive game designed to illustrate the impact of our lifestyles on the Earth. Consumer Consequences is part of American Public Media's™ special series, "Consumed," which explores whether the modern American lifestyle is sustainable in the long run.

Consumer Consequences asks a series of questions about your lifestyle, and as you play, it will show you how many "Earths" of natural resources it would take to sustain all 6.6 billion humans… if everyone lived like you.

The impact of your lifestyle is calculated based on the "ecological footprint" model created by American Public Media’s research partner, Redefining Progress.

Consumer Consequences lets you compare your lifestyle with other players and gives you a chance to modify your choices and reduce your footprint.

Ready to play? Click here

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Small Wind Energy Project Opportunities

Economic Climate Opens Door for Small Wind Energy Projects

With utility-scale wind project developers cash-strapped and unable to obtain financing for large wind farms, small wind power project developers see a window of opportunity. by Sarah Lozanova, Contributor Wisconsin, United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com]

Very few large-scale wind projects are able to obtain financing under the current economic climate. But falling turbine, steel and labor prices have created the perfect environment for mid-scale wind energy projects to thrive. Although total new installed capacity in 2009 may not rival the impressive 8,900 MW installed in North America in 2008, a golden opportunity exists for smaller wind development.

Small wind projects range in size from 100 kW to 30 MW and typically serve schools, farms, rural villages, businesses and municipal utility companies. Because these type of installations can access funding from various sources, they are less vulnerable to the credit crisis than their large-scale wind farm counterparts.

With the economic crisis taking its toll on wind energy development in 2009, large turbine manufacturers are paying more attention to the mid-scale market, giving smaller projects greater accessibility to utility-grade turbines.

Incentives for Small Wind Project Development

U.S. government support for wind energy through net-metering laws and an extension of the renewable energy production and investment tax credits offers stability to the industry, while stimulus funding provides a boost. In addition to the $1.6 billion in CREBs that is available to state and local governments, municipal utility companies and rural electric cooperatives, some state or local governments also offer grant or rebate programs.

Such incentives make wind projects more attractive, as do lower commodity and labor costs. “We’re already seeing manufacturers come back and say, ‘The steel prices have come down so much that the tower is now $100,000 cheaper,’” says -- Wes Slaymaker, of WES Engineering. “Since the economic collapse in late 2008, steel prices have come down at least 50 percent. The cost of labor has also come down because there are a lot of contractors looking for work.”

While these factors also benefit large wind projects, the financing difficulties that are plaguing the industry now have made it harder for large wind developers to take advantage of them so smaller developers, with greater access to capital, can step right in.

This special window of opportunity for smaller projects will not last forever. Although some encouraging factors will remain, the large-scale wind industry is likely to pick up as soon as liquidity returns to the market.

Although 2009 may be a year to survive for some players in the wind industry, it presents a golden opportunity for the mid-scale market. Time will tell if this opening will result in a boom in this segment of the industry. “If this opportunity for smaller projects is successful, we will start seeing the turbines ordered this year for projects to be installed later in the year or in 2010,” says Slaymaker. “It sounds like there are a number of small to mid-size projects working towards turbine purchase right now.”

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Log & Timber Home Show - Hartford, CT

Timber homes are popular green homes. Make plans to join us at the Log & Timber Home Show in Hartford, CT this October!

Bonin Architects & Associates
Booth #514

Connecticut Expo Center
Hartford, CT
October 16-18, 2009

Click for additional information, including show times, directions, and discounted tickets
Discounted Home Show Tickets

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Congressman Hodes NH Clean Economy Expo

Bonin Architects & Associates is proud to be participating in the Clean Economy Expo to be held Monday, August 24th in Concord, NH. Clean energy businesses from all over the state will be on hand to demonstrate how they are creating New Hampshire jobs and helping produce clean, local energy.

The Clean Economy Expo is sponsored by Congressman Paul Hodes, and cosponsored by the American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and Repower America.

Federal, State, and Regional leaders will be available to discuss current initiatives and opportunities.

NH Clean Economy Expo
Monday, August 24, 2009
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
IBEW Hall,
48 Airport Road,
Concord, NH 03301

THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

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Structural Insulated Panels in a Green Home

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) are helping homeowners cut their heating bills in half.

SIP panels, sometimes known as stress skin panels, are made of an insulating foam core with OSB (oriented strand board) bonded to either side. There are three types of foam cores – EPS (expanded polystyrene), XPS (extruded polystyrene), and urethane (either polyisocyanurate or polyurethane), ranging in R-Values from 13 to 40 (R-value refers to a materials ability to resist transferring heat), far above conventional wall construction with fiberglass or cellulose insulation.

Panels are typically installed vertically on the home walls. Panel connections are fastened with splines or cams and then expanding foam insulation is sprayed directly into the remaining space, sealing the connection and creating a continuous thermal insulating wall for the home. (In a timber frame or post and beam home, the panels are wrapped around the exterior of the timber frame.)

Panel wall R-Values differ according to insulation type and thickness, but all are superior when compared to conventional construction. Walls made of 2x material with fiberglass or cellulose insulation have a reduction in R-Value at every stud, but panel walls form a continuous thermal envelope with no reduction in R-Values. This means increased energy efficiency, lower heating and cooling costs and a drastic reduction in drafts in the home.

If reducing your energy costs by close to 50% isn’t enough, SIPs provide other benefits; a healthy living environment, reduced construction site waste, design flexibility, fast installation and reduced labor costs, a finish-ready exterior and superior strength to meet wind and snow loads.

For an estimate on building a green home with structural insulated panels, give us a call or send an email describing your project.

Source: http://timberframeblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/structural-insulated-panels-in-green.html

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