Harnessing the sun: Solar home has lower energy costs

This photo shows the array of solar panels -- and displays that, even on the shortest day of the year, the shadow cast by the Greens' chimney falls just short of the array. (Submitted photo) [Click to enlarge]

Given the past week's bitterly-cold temperatures, many Bedford County residents probably dread the arrival of their next utility bills.

Bridget Green is not among them.

"I'm actually excited to wait for that first bill," she said.

It's not that she likes paying bills; it's that she's curious to see how much the solar panels atop her new home have reduced the bottom line.

Nick and Bridget Green moved into their new Cathey Road home in early December and the array of solar panels on the south side of its roof was certified in mid-December by Duck River Electric Membership Corporation.

A first for county

Charles McDonald of DREMC and David Crowell of Shelbyville Power, Water and Sewerage System confirmed that the Greens' home is the first such solar-powered home in Bedford County, although McDonald said at least one other local customer is working on such a system and there are solar homes elsewhere in DREMC's multi-county service area. Crowell said he, too, expects customers to begin exploring the solar option.

The Greens planned for solar power from the outset, even making sure that the home was sited at just the right angle to catch the sun's rays.

Keeping it 'green'

"I guess we've just always been environmentally-conscious," said Nick, who works with Jacobs Technology in Tullahoma. Bridget is the former owner of Happy Tails Pet Care in Tullahoma. In addition to the solar panels, their home features a tankless water heater, an energy-efficient heat pump and the latest in insulated windows.

"We've tried to be as efficient as possible," said Bridget.

Nick can trace his concern for the environment back to his Boy Scout days, and the couple say they want to leave behind a better planet for their four children.

Cost-efficient

The 20 SunPower solar panels atop their home were installed by LightWave Solar Electric in Nashville. They are expected to produce about 5,500 kilowatt-hours of electricity in an average year, according to a LightWave news release.

The Greens will sell that power back to Tennessee Valley Authority for 22 cents per kilowatt-hour, which is more than twice the average price most people pay for their electricity. The power generated by the solar panels is expected to produce about $1,200 in credits on the Greens' electric bills each year.

The Greens can track what is being generated with a small, wireless LCD display. Obviously, the system doesn't produce as much power on overcast days, but even then it produces some.

The electricity generated by the Greens' solar panels won't have to be generated by coal-fired power plants or other carbon-generating sources. LightWave said the power generated over the 25-year life of the panels will represent a benefit to the environment equal to planting 30 acres of trees.

The system cost about $36,000, but the Greens qualify for a tax credit which will give them back 30 percent of that figure.

Careful plans

Nick and Bridget Green pose on their back deck, with solar panels visible on the roof above them. (T-G Photo by John I. Carney) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

The Greens moved from Tullahoma to Bedford County last April and lived in a trailer on the property until their home was complete. Nick said he spent two to three months researching solar power, both on the net and by talking to others. He researched the handful of companies that make solar power, and discovered that most of the installers who sell those products are based in big cities like Nashville and are geared to commercial, rather than residential, customers.

The Greens eventually found LightWave and praised the company for its efforts.

The company, meanwhile, was pleased to be involved so early in the process, telling the Greens that it's the first time they've ever had a homeowner ask about the proper angle before breaking ground on a house.

The Greens explored various options. The solar panels they chose sit on top of a traditional roof. Another option is a wafer system where the solar panels actually replace shingles as a roofing material. That system is cheaper but does not generate as much power.

Fortunate angle

The design of the house itself wasn't picked with solar in mind, but the Greens lucked out in one respect: the angle of the roof is exactly right for solar power. LightWave carefully laid out the solar panels so that even on the winter solstice, when the sun is at its lowest in the sky, the Greens' chimney wouldn't cast a shadow on them.

The DC power generated by the panels is converted to AC by a fuse box-sized inverter in the home's basement.

The process of getting the installation certified for connection to the TVA system, and eligible for tax credits, was an involved one, but the Greens say they may have paved the way for it to go more easily for local residents who come after them. Hemlock Semiconductor's decision to locate a huge solar panel manufacturing plant in Clarksville may help raise awareness of solar power in the Volunteer State, the Greens said.