USING SUNSHINE
TO HEAT & POWER OUR HOMES
USING SUNSHINE
TO HEAT & POWER OUR HOMES
| Type of Water Heating | Retail System Price | 40 Gal. per Day Use | 70 Gal. per Day Use | Percent Savings |
| Electric Resistance | $150- $350 | - | - | - |
| Heat Recovery Unit | $600- $1,000 | $32- $95 | $57- $166 | 20- 50% |
| Heat Pump | $900- $1,000 | $65- $95 | $113- $166 | 40- 50% |
| Natural Gas | $350- $450 | $497- $125 | $168- $217 | 59- 65% |
| Solar | $1,500- $2,500 | $81- $162 | $142- $282 | 50- 85% |
There are more than 10,000 homes in the United States that are now entirely powered by solar energy. 1
200,000 homes in the U.S. use some type of photovoltaic solar technology. 7
Building-integrated PV products such as solar roof shingles for homes and opaque glass PV facades are now available on the market. These aesthetically pleasing products replace conventional building materials while generating electricity, effectively reducing the cost of PV installation. This building integration market for these products is growing at 30% a year. 5
Designers have begun incorporating photovoltaics and passive solar into factory-built modular
The cost of installing a typical off-grid PV system in a home ranges from $15,000 to $20,000 per kilowatt (lower when installed during initial house construction). Because the cost to extend electric power lines from the electric grid averages from $20,000 to $80,000 per mile, this cost savings alone can pay for the PV system, with the homeowner never again having to pay another electric bill. 4
Another option many Americans now have available to them issomething called net metering",where electricity derived from renewable energy such as solar,can be sold back to the utility- any excess electricity producedby the homeowner that is not used can be sold to the utilitycompany on the grid. In addition, many customers will soon havethe choice of receiving electricity from their utility that was produced from a non-polluting source (such as solar) by paying aslightly higher price for the clean power. This is called"Green Pricing". Home solar systems are now even beingoffered by utilities themselves- giving the customer the optionof having their own solar photovoltaic system or solar waterheater installed on their home. Another choice people have available to them is a " wireless living" lifestyle, where they use solar energy to live completely independent in their homes and do not have to rely onthe electric grid for power at all.
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