SNI Project 3kW Solar Home Texas

"$1 = $20"

When a person considers purchasing a renewable energy system for their home they tend to have environmental and economic interests in mind. I like to call it "double-green vision" (money and earth). Their economic interests typically lay in big future savings as well as, consistent (read: predictable) energy bills. However, something new to consider recently crossed my plate...

...According to the National Appraisers Association, for every $1 spent on annual energy savings, the value of a home increases $20. Therefore, homeowners who save $1000 a year in electricity costs could see their home's value jump $20,000!

More great news for modern energy! Such news seems endless these days. I know what you're thinking.

"He's going to tell us to go out and get our renewable energy assessment today."

Wrong! I was going to tell you to do it tomorrow. We're busy doing everyone else's assessment today.

Give Your Input on the National Green Building Standard

Homes like the Sage showcase home will continue to gain popularity in the coming years (see previous posts--or tour the home already!). Realizing the growing interest in green building, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the International Code Council (ICC), and the NAHB Research Center have initiated a process for the development of an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard for green home building construction practices. The working draft of the National Green Building Standards, which is based on the NAHB's Green Building Guidelines, is now available for public comment.  See the "Public Input Submission Form" at the following link.

The green building movement is still in its infancy and therefore, we are given the great opportunity to weigh in on the national standards. Opportunities like this don't happen often--share your ideas  by April 15, 2007!!!

The Best Little 3kW House in Texas

"What is the good of having a nice house without having a decent planet to put it on?" --Henry David Thoreau

A good question posed by the ever-quotable Mr. Thoreau. A good question that he asked about 150 years ago. A good question that more and more people are beginning to ask today. I'm sure Henry'd be disappointed that most of us waited so long to ask such a question, but delighted that we are actually (finally) asking it. Plus, he'd probably fancy himself quite the sage for being so far ahead of the game.

Although Henry downed trees to build his popular home near Walden Pond (the average mature tree absorbs almost 50 lbs. of CO2 per year), and kept it warm with a wood burning (CO2 emitting) stove and fireplace, Henry's environmental impact was minuscule at most. His ecological footprint would have been equivalent to that of an ant a baby ant. Whereas, the current average American's ecological footprint may be best likened to that of an elephant an obese elephant an obese elephant with an outrageously slow metabolism.

That being the case, it is always inspiring when individuals take it upon themselves to reduce their impact. I previously posted that the 3kW solar home in Texas projects to produce up to 500 kWh per month. Thus, it stands to produce up to 6,000 kWh per year. This production, in the form of clean, renewable energy will keep approximately 3.64 tons of CO2 from being emitted into the environment! Reducing the impact of the ecological footprint of this Texas family to something more similar to that of a healthy, young armadillo.

Henry would be proud.

Brown and Black Makes Green

Mix a little black and brown paint together and you've got yourself...nasty looking dark brown paint.

Add a black solar array to a brown Texas roof and you've got yourself a green home.

This is what the homeowners were hoping for when they added Solar Night Industries'  3 kW solar array to the roof of their Texas home early this month. A 3kW solar array should produce up to 500 kWh per month. Such an output will no doubt leave them satisfied with the green-ness of their home. And, over time, we can only hope their neighbors and friends are paying attention so that someday this family can be satisfied with the green-ness of their neighborhood (their state? their country?--why not?!).

The panels on this home were installed by Cherokee Diversified Services Inc. in Texas. Check out our friends at Cherokee Diversified on their new website www.ckdsi.com .

March 5, 2007: 3kW Project in Dallas, Texas

Solar Night Industries completed a 3kW Solar Install in Dallas, Texas the week of March 5, 2007.