Elyce Hues-WP-Case Study

By Elyce Hues

In the Silverton Ice Storm 2021, we watched three Oregon white oaks fall, right outside our window. Immediately after patching the broken water main from the first one, we had stepped back to breathe a sigh of relief, only to watch the next tree fall. The third tree went down early the next morning and uprooted every service line to the house: gas, electricity, internet, and the water main a second time. The house was unoccupiable for over a month; my two daughters and I felt like veritable climate refugees, living for that time in a single hotel room. Maybe that’s too dramatic, but we felt it. Still, I couldn’t miss the potential silver lining: did this mean I could now get solar PV (photovoltaic) panels on my roof?

I started clicking on ads for solar. I got calls from out-of-town companies who told me I didn’t qualify, based on the pre-storm satellite imagery (“I don’t even see a roof!”). I began searching locally; a Salem company came out and said I could do it, if I removed four more trees. Then I found Silverton-based Pure Energy; their simulation suggested that I could get enough sunlight without taking down any more trees. Pure Energy also taught me about the actual panel options - the different materials and technologies used, as well as differences in durability, performance, and longevity. We even went over end-of-life recycling options for the panels.

I was amped (pun not intended), and ready to sign on the dotted line. Energy prices are expected to rise and inflation is here. Could I stabilize my energy bills, save money in the long term, AND help the planet?? I want my footprint to wander but not plunder. Let thy footprint be light, and quickly grown over. I was ready to transform my home to net zero, but my 60-year old home simultaneously needs other big work: the original galvanized plumbing needs to be replaced, along with the water heater. I discovered I could add the cost of that job to my solar financing contract, which offered a great rate. I began to look at my solar install within the total context of my home.

With a new water heater, I think, maybe I’ll use less electricity and could downsize my PV system. While I’m at it, I think, why not get solatubes to increase the natural light in my home? I’ve always wanted more natural light, and how much energy might that save? As the complexity grew, my head began to spin. Also, the price tag for all this work had started to feel impossible. Lucky for me, right at this time, Megan Benedict announced that Sustainable Silverton would be hosting a solar informational event. I breathed deep, and resolved to put all decisions on hold until after the event.

At the solar event, I met guest speaker Nancy Evenson, a volunteer with Seeds for Sol, a Corvallis-based organization partnering with Sustainable Silverton to help lower-income households get solar energy systems installed and experience financial relief in the way of miniscule electricity bills. Two weeks later, Nancy and I were on a Zoom call for a totally free home energy audit. I’d sent her my completed “homework” before the call, and she came to the meeting with a pressing question: Why was I using so much electricity? The question surprised me; I didn’t know I was using more than expected. My focus has now shifted from “Get Solar!” to “Get Efficient!”

Next up is an in-home visit with Nancy and Seeds for Sol founder, Julie Williams, to help identify any energy guzzlers in my home. I may be able to reduce both my electricity use AND my solar system size!

What will happen next for our PV hopeful??

Will she and her Seeds for Sol team be able to identify the electricity wasting culprits??

Just how much will she be able to downsize her solar system design???

STAY TUNED for the next installment in the live case study in Solarizing in Silverton!

Solarizing in Silverton - an active Case Study, Part 2 The Mystery Persists

Father’s Day arrived. I had not brought up these problems to my dad, since I am always bringing him dad-problems to solve. I thought I’d try to work with the pros and give Dad a break. On Father’s Day, having struck out for an answer from the electrician, I gave in and told my dad what’s been going on. Like a whip, he cracked off these thoughts:

1- It wouldn’t be the circuit breaker. As long as the circuits trip when they should (they do) and an electrician measured that the amperage of each circuit was correct (he did), replacing the panel (price tag: $4,100) would not address the problem.

2- Houses of this age were often wired with aluminum instead of copper, which is much less conductive and requires more energy to push the electricity through. That could explain a higher than typical electricity use, to a degree. However, my dad had worked on my house enough to know that the wiring is copper.

Then I told him about the usage pattern, according to that smart PGE lady (extreme usage spikes about twice a day). In response, he asked about the age of my water heater (oh, 30+ years is all). To his next question, I replied: why yes, the upstairs fixtures are receiving very little hot water, and my dad quickly concluded that the water heater is the prime suspect.

“Change that out and see what that does to your electricity bills,” said my dad. “If that doesn’t do it, the next step would be to measure and sum the electricity use of your appliances and see how far off your total usage is from the sum of your appliances.” The water heater will be changed out soon; hopefully in time to report in next month’s installment the findings!

Now, for the surprise. The non-local PV installers had all declined to model solar for my roof based on the tree cover seen in the pre-storm aerial photos. They were unswayed by the news that three trees had come down in an ice storm. Then a Salem-based PV installer agreed to come look, and said they could do it if I took down four more oaks. Then a Silverton-based installer said they could do it without taking down any more trees.

On the beautiful, sunny day that Julie, Nancy and I stood looking up at my roof, Julie shook her head and said, “I don’t see how your roof is a candidate for solar even if you did take down more trees.” She has seen many a good candidate, and she has also had first-hand experience with what a little shade will do to a PV system’s productivity.

“However,” she continued, “have you heard of community solar?” I had not. Turns out, it is a brand new program that allows people to purchase panels on a solar farm.

Pros:

• You own the panels and all electricity they generate.

• You can sell the panels back to the solar farm owner at any time.

• You can move, and you don’t leave your panels back at your old house.

• Solar power suddenly becomes viable for renters or homeowners with too much shade.

• Seeds for Sol can still provide the grant money for the initial purchase; as with rooftop solar, you pay back the grant out of your savings on your electricity bill.

Cons: unclear if there are any.

This is a game-changer!

Will the new water heater fix the electricity drain? Join us next month to find out! In the meantime, if you would like more information about the community solar program, contact Dan Orzech at Oregon Clean Power Coalition - info@oregoncleanpower.coop .

Last Month, in Solarizing in Silverton...

Julie Williams and Nancy Evenson with Seeds for Sol came out for a visit and wondered at the feasibility of solar panels on the home’s roof; Julie suggested Elyce look into community solar. They also investigated possible causes of the high energy use, but when no clear culprit emerged, Elyce looped her dad in. As usual for her dad, he had excellent insights and suggested that the most likely culprit for the energy drain was the water heater that had last been changed in 1990.

Does solar make sense ANYWHERE on my site?

Julie Williams has seen dozens of solar-install projects, evaluating site conditions and the return on investment (ROI) time period for each home. So after she gazed at my roof with a raised eyebrow and said, “I don’t see how your roof is a candidate for solar, even if you did take down more trees,” I tabeled my $50k solar panel bid from Pure Energy to look into community solar. However, that quickly hit a dead end when I found no community solar available to PGE electricity users. (Good news on that below!)

I went back to the drawing board. An online article described an easy test to gather a rough idea of a site’s solar potential: Stand facing south, arms raised overhead in a “Y” shape. If you see clear sky from arm to arm, you may get enough solar exposure. Roaming my property, I found one 20’x20’ patch of land that passed the “Y” test. By this time, I had also decided to fit out my garage into a livable space. Perhaps this little patch of land could power the radiant floor heating system in the garage space. I called up the other solar installer in town, Earthlight.

“Hey,” I said, “I have this little patch of land...” Merissa pulled up my address in the company’s mapping software.

“I can’t make out anything but trees...,” she began.

“Oh yeah, well, you see,” I interjected, “four of those trees came down in the ice storm of 2021.”

Merissa informed me gently that their mapping software data is current within a week.

“Well, I have this one patch of land...,” I pressed. She offered to bring my case to an engineer on her team, and within a couple days, I was looking at a shade report generated for my property.

“The best you could do would be to harvest solar at 47% of the panels’ capacity,” Merissa said, walking me through the report. “You would be looking at a payback period of 30 years.”

I circled back with Jordan at Pure Energy. In a conference call including Julie and another partner at Pure Energy, Jordan told me that my experience was “a pretty accurate solar journey.” He explained how he had designed the system, sharing differences between the modeling and measurement tools used. Since he had physically come out to my property, he had been able to take actual measurements from my roof using the Helioscope tool, and estimated that their panels on my roof would harvest 80% of the capacity. (This will be the Total Solar Resource Fraction (TSRF) value on your quote.)

“How can a consumer like me make a wise decision in light of such different information from providers?” I asked.

“That,” replied Jordan, “is a great question.”

Last Month, in Solarizing in Silverton...

Julie Williams and Nancy Evenson with Seeds for Sol came out for a visit and wondered at the feasibility of solar panels on the home’s roof; Julie suggested Elyce look into community solar. They also investigated possible causes of the high energy use, but when no clear culprit emerged, Elyce looped her dad in. As usual for her dad, he had excellent insights and suggested that the most likely culprit for the energy drain was the water heater that had last been changed in 1990.

Does solar make sense ANYWHERE on my site?

Julie Williams has seen dozens of solar-install projects, evaluating site conditions and the return on investment (ROI) time period for each home. So after she gazed at my roof with a raised eyebrow and said, “I don’t see how your roof is a candidate for solar, even if you did take down more trees,” I tabeled my $50k solar panel bid from Pure Energy to look into community solar. However, that quickly hit a dead end when I found no community solar available to PGE electricity users. (Good news on that below!)

I went back to the drawing board. An online article described an easy test to gather a rough idea of a site’s solar potential: Stand facing south, arms raised overhead in a “Y” shape. If you see clear sky from arm to arm, you may get enough solar exposure. Roaming my property, I found one 20’x20’ patch of land that passed the “Y” test. By this time, I had also decided to fit out my garage into a livable space. Perhaps this little patch of land could power the radiant floor heating system in the garage space. I called up the other solar installer in town, Earthlight.

“Hey,” I said, “I have this little patch of land...” Merissa pulled up my address in the company’s mapping software.

“I can’t make out anything but trees...,” she began.

“Oh yeah, well, you see,” I interjected, “four of those trees came down in the ice storm of 2021.”

Merissa informed me gently that their mapping software data is current within a week.

“Well, I have this one patch of land...,” I pressed. She offered to bring my case to an engineer on her team, and within a couple days, I was looking at a shade report generated for my property.

“The best you could do would be to harvest solar at 47% of the panels’ capacity,” Merissa said, walking me through the report. “You would be looking at a payback period of 30 years.”

I circled back with Jordan at Pure Energy. In a conference call including Julie and another partner at Pure Energy, Jordan told me that my experience was “a pretty accurate solar journey.” He explained how he had designed the system, sharing differences between the modeling and measurement tools used. Since he had physically come out to my property, he had been able to take actual measurements from my roof using the Helioscope tool, and estimated that their panels on my roof would harvest 80% of the capacity. (This will be the Total Solar Resource Fraction (TSRF) value on your quote.)

“How can a consumer like me make a wise decision in light of such different information from providers?” I asked.

“That,” replied Jordan, “is a great question.”