Power Cost Is Zero For Minnesota Home

Power Cost Is Zero For Minnesota Home ENERGY Alternative Fuels Van Gooch and his wife pay nothing to heat light or operate their all-electric home in west central Minnesota Even in years of heavy snow and frigid cold the home has zero energy cost Photovoltaic solar panels more than offset electric energy needs for the energy efficient home     “We produce enough energy in the summer to more than offset energy we get from our local electric co-op in the winter ” says Gooch “We’re on off-peak dual fuel When we buy back energy it’s at about half the normal rate but we sell to them at the full rate It’s working well and we are ahead of the game producing about 104 percent of the energy we use ”
    The design of the house makes it possible for Gooch to get by with only 7 74 kW capacity solar panels It includes a compact 1 596 sq ft of living space built for minimal heat loss
    Double stud walls with a 3-in space between 2 by 4’s and 2 by 6’s are filled with 12 in of dense packed cellulose insulation The house is covered from inside out with a plastic sheet foam sheet vapor barrier and cement board The walls are R-43 rated
    Gooch used triple pane windows that have an R-5 rating while the nearly 17 in of cellulose above the ceiling gives an R-60 rating
    Even the concrete slab has an R-40 rating thanks to 8 in of XPS foam underneath it The ICF insulated concrete form foundation walls have an R-23 rating while the continuous vapor barrier minimizes air leakage at all joints seams and edges
    “This house uses about 40 percent of the energy use of our previous home ” notes Gooch
    Passive solar plays a big role in the home’s energy balance A large south- facing window lets in the winter sun producing a heat gain of 10 degrees over the thermostat setting Heat is absorbed by the tile-over-concrete floor and released as the sun goes down
    “We don’t want the heat in the summer so the architect designed the house with 4-ft eaves ” says Gooch “We get no solar gain in the summer ”
    Additional heat is provided predominantly by a ground source heat pump and in-floor heat The in-floor heat extends to the garage which is maintained at 41 degrees throughout the winter
    When built the home was outfitted with all Energy Star appliances and LED and fluorescent lighting Ceiling fans extend the comfort zone and reduce cooling load in the summer
    Van estimates the house with all its energy-saving features cost about 30 percent more than a conventional build The solar panels have dropped in price by 50 percent since the house was built 6 years ago Tax credits and grants reduced the price to about $30 000 at the time
    “We get back about $1 000 a year ” says Gooch “I don’t expect to see a full payback However when the house is sold I expect the solar will be appreciated by the buyer ”
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Van Gooch 9329 Rachel Shrs SW Farwell Minn 56327 ph 320 283-5222; goochv@morris umn edu

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