House in Leadville

I remember my house in Leadville, Co. It faced Mt. Elbert and we would get around 300 sunny days. It was awesome because it didn't take much to heat the house! Also, the snow we did get was almost like an insulation barrier. We had built the house from the ground up, it took a long time, but I was so much more appreciative of it because of all the hard work. The only thing I wish I had added was solar energy. This post reminded me a lot of that house. Kimberly Tracey

PV Fire hazards

Troy Marquard

I though it would be interesting to note can the PV catch on fire? California has tracked several of these fires with their investigation results summarized. The conclusions are that the majority of the fires started were caused by "other system" components. In short this relates to the quality of the installation. See pages 16 and 17 for a listing of fires around the state.
If the link does not open try opening it in a new browser.

http://osfm.fire.ca.gov/training/pdf/Photovoltaics/Fire%20Ops%20PV%20lo%20resl.pdf

Passive Buildings ~Z Williams

It happened with wine and it is finally happening with homes too. The old world's ingenuity and style are finally making their way to the new world's shores. True to form, these innovations are sure to change the way we think about something very basic. In a not too distant time it was wine making that was touched and a multi-billion dollar New World Wine industry is the result today. This time it is buildings.

   Putting the walls to work may not be at the top of conversation in offices around the United States but the German born concept is quickly gaining ground here in the U.S. Rather than using various technologies to regulate temperatures within the building the construction of the building is such that (due to materials used, walls facing at certain angles, etc.) the structure works to maintain its own temperature. This creates increased energy efficiency but demands exceptional insulation and low air leakage.
  According to one care2.org article:

"[O]ccupants of a passive house may use up to 5 kWh per square foot for heating and cooling according to the building standard used in Germany, but they don’t have to.
And in fact, when the house is well-designed, they don’t need to. The temperature shouldn’t fluctuate considerably, and the minimized leakage of air keeps humidity levels stable as well. The end result is a home that can be slightly cooler in the winter or warmer in the summer than is conventional, but one that uses far less energy than its neighbors. There’s also much less waste: thermal imaging studies of passive houses versus conventional ones illustrate how great they are at conserving heat in the winter and keeping heat out in the summer"

Imagine coupling this with a small solar array. Since one of the commonly touted disadvantages of solar is the necessity for a large array area, having a reduced energy load/consumption rate would greatly affect the area required for an efficient PV system. All of a sudden BAM! An architectural prodigy unites with a solar genius and Beethoven's 9th get's married to Daft Punk. The result is pure bliss. Yet, as technologies continue to evolve so will the sweet sounds of efficient and responsible energy consumption.