Green energy: Selecting what works for you

 

There are multiple green ways to power your home. These include geothermal energy, solar water heating and solar electric photovoltaic (PV) panels or shingles. These all involve using renewable sources of energy rather than fossil fuels, which pollute the environment. Utilizing geothermal energy, a PV system or solar water heating decreases the amount of emissions produced and the energy costs involved. 

 

Geothermal energy comes from the earth’s core and provides power consistently. Because of this dependability, remodelers recommend geothermal over the other two methods mentioned above. Solar energy, in contrast, is generated by the sun and depends on access to light to function. For more extensive definitions of these three energy sources, refer to the article, “Greening the kitchen,” and the section, “Save on energy with natural light or other options.”

 

Unfortunately, using geothermal energy would be unworkable for homeowners with relatively small yards. This is because at least part of the geothermal system must be buried underground. If this is the case, Ron Cowgill, CR, CKBR, GCP, of D/R Services Unlimited, Inc. in Glenview, Ill., recommends choosing solar water heating next, followed by PV panels or shingles. The order of his suggestions is based on the speed of your return on investment, meaning how quickly you will recover the money spent on purchasing and installing the system. For more cost analysis, please visit the above listed article and section.

 

The three systems overlap somewhat in function. Both solar water heating systems and geothermal energy can provide hot water. They differ in that geothermal is primarily a source of heating and cooling. PVs, in contrast, can power an entire residence, depending on the size of the home and the number of panels or shingles, installed.

 

“There are a lot of issues that need to be looked at before you decide what system to use,” Cowgill says.

 

In addition to yard size, other factors to consider include the amount of space on the roof, the direction of the residence’s roof lines and the geographic area in which the home is located. If the roof is too small, then it cannot support many PV panels, says Dennis Tuskey, CR, CLC, GCP, vice president and co-owner of IHM Remodeling Repair Contractors in Downers Grove, Ill.. However, if the aim is to generate a limited amount of energy, then this is not a consideration.

 

Although the choice for or against PV shingles is less related to the size of the roof than is the decision to use PV panels, the two PV systems share the following fundamental requirements.

 

The direction of roof lines on the house helps to determine which way PV panels or shingles on the roof would face. This is relevant because if trees are planted in front of either PV system, foliage would likely prevent sunlight from reaching—and therefore powering—the panels. If pines or evergreens were in the yard, then having enough light reach the panels would be a year-round problem; with hardwoods, the conflict would only occur in the warmer months. If homeowners prefer to power their homes with clean energy mainly in the cooler months of the year, however, then this would not be an issue.

 

A South-facing home is best-suited for PVs and requires fewer panels or shingles. “The sun hits them all day,” Cowgill says. If the home is directed toward the East or the West, then a PV system would work but with twice as many PV panels as if the residence faced South. If the residence is North-facing, then geothermal energy and solar water heating are both preferable to PVs, according to Cowgill.

 

In addition to considering the direction the home faces, take into account the geographic region in which it is located. Although the Southwest region of the United States is the best area for PVs or for solar water heating because of the nearly constant sunlight, the sun in the Southeast region would also power PVs or a solar water heating system effectively. However, in areas that are cloudy more than half of the time, such as the Midwest and the Northeast, geothermal energy is preferable because it will be consistent, despite the lack of frequent sunlight. PV and solar hot water systems, however, are less dependable.

 

PVs, in particular, are still being developed, with the goal of increased consistency of the energy source. One of the sources of research and development of photovoltaics is the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Solar Energy Technologies Program (SETP). The goal of the SETP research is to minimize the cost of solar power, according to the SETP Web site.

 

“Although electricity from PV systems is still more expensive than electricity from the utility grid, demand from PV technology systems has the potential to expand rapidly and become a significant part of the national energy supply,” according to the SETP Web site. 

Although the advice from professional contractors may be different in the future, for now, at least, geothermal wins out. “Geothermal works best year-round because you can cool or heat whether or not there’s sun,” Cowgill says.