Originally posted at www.clackamasreview.com

Written by Ellen Spitaleri, The Clackamas Review, Mar 19, 2008

Nondis Taylor and Tim Nielson wanted to do their part to help the environment when they built their home. Even though they live in one of the most notoriously cloudy states in the country, they found that one of their best options was to look toward the sun.

The Oregon City residents, who are both artists, wanted to “live normally and still leave a small footprint,” Taylor said. The best way they found to do that was to use solar energy to power their home.

“We worked with Kathy Kremer, an architect that we worked with before, and we knew she was in to green building. So we started looking to find a piece of land with southern exposure to maximize the solar panels.

Kremer designed a roof with angles that allowed for maximum exposure to sunlight with the help of a device called a solar pathfinder.

By the way, for those who think that Oregon is not suitable for solar energy, Bruce Barney, project manager for customer energy resources with PGE, describes the state as having “tremendous solar resources.”

In fact, he added, “If you compare what we have here to Germany, the world leader in solar power, we have as much or more than they do.”

Going green

Once Taylor and Nielson had picked out their lot on S. Sprague Road, they turned to builder Bob McCurdy of Alpenglow Homes.

“He is [known as] a green builder, so we did as much green as we could,” Taylor noted.

“I just see [green building] as a responsible way to go. We only have so many resources — there is only so much property or trees or air.

“We are going to build homes that are more energy efficient and livable. They may cost more, but in the long run they are better for families,” McCurdy said.

He added, “We only have so much power available. You look at other countries in the world getting into solar and wind power, and they are cutting down on their dependency on oil and coal.”

McCurdy noted that Taylor and Nielson’s home has been just been certified by Earth Advantage, which means “that the highest standards of energy efficiency, indoor air quality, resource efficiency and environmental responsibility are being met.”

Going solar

Taylor said that Mr. Sun Solar did all the actual work, installing one set of solar panels that powers the electricity in the couple’s home and another set for the hot water heater.

“We went online, looked up the Oregon Energy Trust and found that Mr. Sun Solar was an approved vendor, and we went to a home and garden show,” to learn more about solar power.

“We took a leap of faith with all this stuff,” Nielson said.

“The Oregon Energy Trust was founded about five our six years ago by the state legislature, because it might not have been the best thing in the world to have utilities in the business of promoting energy efficiency.

“It is the trust’s purpose in life to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy,” Barney explained.

The trust also wants to “incentivize people to invest in wind power and solar power — and they want to ensure that the solar panels are installed correctly,” he added.

The OET has compiled a list of “trade ally contractors to handle all the paperwork and construction,” and anyone wishing to install solar panels in their home must use one of the trade allies in order to get the OET-sponsored incentive, Barney noted.

“Upon completion of the project, the OET sends someone out to look at the project and then the incentive check [usually] goes directly to the contractor,” he added.

The contractor then “deducts that amount” from the cost to the homeowner, Nielson said.

Two other more complex advantages to using solar power are the federal and state tax credits that the homeowner may be eligible for. Barney noted that the OET Web site has links to the tax credit information.

Barney also said that homes that are not suitable for solar may benefit from other forms or renewable energy.

Floors and a fireplace warm up the house

Kremer said that an interest in “solar energy got me into architecture,” and noted that solar power can create “pleasant spaces.”

Taylor and Nielson’s house uses solar-powered “hydronic radiant floor heat,” Kremer explained.

“It is the most healthy form of heating — it heats the same way as a fireplace, in that it heats objects as opposed to heating air. You can set the thermostat lower and feel warm all throughout the house,” she added.

Taylor and Nielson moved into their new home this past December, and Nielson said, “There is a learning curve to this — we are getting used to living in this house to be the most efficient.”

He added, “The floors are concrete and there is plastic tubing inside the floor and all the rooms have their own thermostat. If we have a really cold morning, we can make a fire and that supplements the heat.”

“The fireplace is EPA certified and operates like a wood stove,” Kremer noted.

Dollars and sense

When they were contemplating the move to solar power, Nielson said they looked at different options.

“We couldn’t afford to go off grid, but we did have a desire to live cleaner,” he said.

Residences with solar power take advantage of “two-way getting.” If they produce excess energy, their local provider credits them. If they under produce, they’re charged for pwoer.

Ultimately, Barney said, homeowners need to look at converting to solar power as an investment that will take a while to pay for itself.

“If you look strictly at the dollars and cents, it’s a long payback on the order of 20 years — that is a huge commitment.

“Looking at the realty market in California, where there is a lot of experience with solar power, the resale value of the house” goes up, Barney said.

“So the payback comes back at you almost instantly, if you really look at the big picture, not just at the reduction in your electric bill,” he added.

And homeowners need to calculate in the added advantage of incentives and tax credits, Kremer pointed out.

“What kind of industry would you rather support? It’s like buying organic produce from a local farmer, as opposed to[buying from] a giant” conglomerate, Nielson said.

“We built this with the long term in mind — we will live here the rest of our lives,” Taylor said.

Her husband added, “This isn’t some hippie thing — you can blend form with function and be sensitive to the environment. You can use emerging energy technology — this is the changing face of solar.”

Fast Facts

Thinking about solar or other sources of renewable energy?

• Call Bruce Barney, project manager for customer energy resources for PGE, at 503-464-7812 or e-mail him at bruce.barney@pgn.com

• Visit the Oregon Energy Trust Web site at: www.energytrust.org

• For educational articles and information about solar energy or alternative energy sources, visit the Solar Oregon Web site at: www.solaroregon.org and visit the Home Power Web site at: www.homepower.com

• Northwest Solar Expo, April 16 through April 20, at the Oregon Convention Center. Visit the Web site at: http://www.nwsolarexpo.com

• To contact Bob McCurdy of Alpenglow Homes, e-mail him at bobthebuilder4U@msn.com Alpenglow Homes is a trade ally of the Oregon Energy Trust.

• To contact Kathy Kremer, residential architect, call 503-636-1977.

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