Sunshine keeps his green house humming
Published: Sun, Oct. 08, 2006 12:00AM
Modified Fri, Oct. 13, 2006 08:46PM
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CORRECTION
In a story on energy conservation that ran in the Work & Money section Sunday, an information box contained inaccurate information about the cost of compact fluorescent light bulbs. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, most compact fluorescent bulbs cost three to 10 times as much as comparable incandescent light bulbs, and they last six to 15 times as long (6,000 to 15,000 hours).
TAKING BABY STEPS
You don't have to a build a "green" home from the ground up. You can start small by improving efficiency and conservation in your current house. Here are good places to start:
FLUORESCENT BULBS
These bulbs cost more but are more energy efficient and last much longer. Artificial lighting consumes almost 15 percent of the electricity a house uses. Fluorescent bulbs use about a quarter of the energy used by incandescent lamps but provide the same amount of illumination. Although compact fluorescent lights cost 10 to 20 times more than incandescent bulbs, they last 10 to 15 times as long (7,000 to 24,000 hours).
CEILING FANS
If you use air conditioning, a ceiling fan will allow you to raise the thermostat setting about 4 degrees Fahrenheit with no reduction in comfort. During moderate weather, ceiling fans can allow homeowners to avoid using air conditioning altogether. Ceiling fans are only appropriate in rooms with ceilings at least eight feet high.
SOLAR WATER HEATER
This technology costs several thousand dollars, compared with several hundred dollars for a conventional water heater. But a solar water heater will reduce water heating bills by as much as 80 percent. If you're building a new home or refinancing, including the price of a solar water heater in a 30-year mortgage typically would add $13 to $20 per month. Tax credits would reduce the cost.
ENERGY-EFFICIENT APPLIANCES
You can save up to 30 percent on your energy bills by upgrading to efficient appliances. The biggest savings come from dishwashers, washing machines, refrigerators and central air conditioners that have an Energy Star certification.
PROFESSIONAL ENERGY AUDIT
An energy auditor will spent four to five hours going through your house room by room. The audit costs about $450, depending on the size of the house. Many professional energy audits will include a test and an infrared scan to detect air leaks. The auditing company typically prepares a report with a diagnosis of the home's energy performance and recommended improvements.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, SOUTHERN ENERGY MANAGEMENT
TAX BREAKS
Investing in energy-efficient equipment and home modifications can be pricey, with some equipment costing as much as a luxury automobile. But homeowners can recoup about half their investment through state and federal tax credits.
North Carolina is known for having one of the most generous tax credit programs in the nation for renewable energy.
The state offers a 35 percent income tax credit for solar panels and wind power. The program allows homeowners to subtract 35 percent of the cost of the installed renewable energy system from their income tax bill, up to $10,500 for photovoltaic solar electric panels or small wind energy systems and up to $1,400 for a solar water heating system.
Personal and corporate state tax credits are also available for solar space heating, passive solar design and other renewable energy technologies.
Additionally, the Internal Revenue Service offers a federal tax credit that allows homeowners to subtract from their income tax bill 30 percent of the equipment cost of a solar energy system, up to $2,000 for the photovoltaics and another $2,000 for a water heating system.
More details on state and federal tax credits for renewable energy are available at www.dsireusa.org, a site run by the Solar Center at N.C. State University for the U.S. Department of Energy.
RESOURCES
BOOKS
"The Home Energy Diet: How to Save Money by Making Your House Energy-Smart," by Paul Scheckel ($18.95, New Society Publishers)
"The Complete Guide to Reducing Energy Costs," published by Consumer Reports ($15.95, Consumers Union)
MAGAZINES
"Home Power," "Mother Earth News," "Smart HomeOwner"
ONLINE
* www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c= home_improvement.hm_improvement_index
* www.energync.net/efficiency/residential.html
* www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c= products.pr_tax_credits
* www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/
* http://eber.ed.ornl.gov/look2green _products.html
* www.southface.org/web/resources&services/publications/sf_publications.htm
More G Work & Money
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In an ideal world, Mark Marcoplos would rely exclusively on solar power to run his 3,100-square-foot home in Orange County. His backup system of 12 batteries can get the family through a cloudy spell.
But with two teenage sons at home, Marcoplos sometimes needs supplemental electricity from Duke Energy, so he stays connected to the grid.
On a sun-drenched midmorning last week, his roof-mounted solar panels generated a surplus of electricity. The excess power was charging his backup batteries.
The self-taught designer and builder of custom homes strode toward a gray metallic panel mounted in the laundry room and started flicking switches.
"We'll give Duke Energy a few pennies here," he said.
With that simple maneuver, Marcoplos demonstrated how easily he can shift over to Duke Energy's electricity grid and draw electricity primarily generated by the Charlotte utility's coal and nuclear plants.
But it's just as easy to switch Duke off.
Not long after he built the house, the ice storm of 2002 left some in the state powerless for weeks, but Marcoplos felt like he was in Shangri-La.
"Right after the storm, it was so sunny for a few days," he said. "We went nuts using the microwave. We were so smug."
The trade-off: no central air conditioning. However, Marcoplos prefers to view it as a few thousand bucks saved by not having to install compressors and ducts.
The house is cooled by eight ceiling fans and a convection system that draws out hot summer air. The summertime temperature in the house maxes out in the low 80s.
His monthly bill to Duke Energy is usually between $40 and $50 for his family of four, and that's in a house with two full-time offices: one for Marcoplos, a home builder, and the other for his wife, Wanda Sundermann, a massage therapist.
This one-of-a-kind lodge cost $300,000 in materials and labor, with much of the work done by Marcoplos and his wife. The photovoltaic system cost about $35,000; the solar thermal water heater, $5,000. He recouped much of the investment through government incentive programs. "I didn't have to pay half my state taxes for the past five years," he said.
The dwelling was built with a passive solar design. It faces south, blocking out summer sun that would bake the house and letting in winter sunlight for warmth. Large windows eliminate the need for artificial light during the day. The flooring is heated underneath by pipes sloshing with 105-degree water that's warmed by a 80-gallon solar water heater on the roof.
The house has a television, washing machine, dishwasher, refrigerator and microwave. The family dries clothes on an outdoor line or uses a propane gas dryer. Propane is also used for cooking. Winter heating is provided by a wood-burning stove.
"This house has more environmental features than just about any house you'll see," Marcoplos said. "Everything from recycled [plastic and wood particle] material in the decking to 1938 heart pine flooring salvaged from a deconstructed Chapel Hill building."
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