Sustainable living and treading gently on the planet are everyday topics of conversation at the home-office of Powerfully Green, where we make every effort to use resources gently, and harness the free and clean solar energy available to us at our home.
With solar electric systems, solar domestic hot water heating, solar day-lighting, rainwater recapture for our organic gardens, dual-flush toilets and cork flooring, a plug-in Prius that gets its electricity from the sun, and even a solar-powered trailer for use at job sites, there’s a lot going on here, and always something to learn. With all of these renewable energy systems and our energy efficiency improvements, our modest home in Champlin, Minnesota has nearly net zero electric bills, meaning we produce as much electricity as we use over the course of a year.
My partner Dan Williams and I regularly give tours of our home to allow people to see working solar systems up close and in action. Having whole-house and solar monitoring provides live data throughout the day and helps us watch our solar production and be ever mindful of energy conservation and efficiency measures. Just a little proof that solar works in Minnesota!
Project Details
- Installed 12/1/07:
- 1.26 kW PV parallel to south-facing garage roof (Evergreen modules/Sunny Boy inverter)
- Installed 09/30/10:
- 1.82 kW PV stand-offs on west-facing roof (REC/Enphase)
- 2.16 kW PV cedar pergola (Silicon Energy/Power One)
- Solar Domestic Hot Water (Solar Skies/Caleffi)
- Installed 10/1/11:
- Solar Trailer, Off-grid set-up (Sanyo/Xantrex)
Watch a video of us and our solar home as our superhero alter egos, Little Miss Sunshine and Watt Weenie!
