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March, 2009 | |||
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The Rhoda Family Here is what we call a Hat Trick: The Rhoda Family is one of our first clients to have all three of our systems installed in their home. A solar hot water, wood pellet boiler, and solar electric system later - we wanted to know what inspired the Rhoda family to move forward with each of these projects, so we asked. Lucky for us, Chris and his wife were happy to share their thoughts and experiences. Below is their interesting story as to the processes and measures they took to restructure their home into one that is now providing almost all of its energy usage from renewable resources making this energy efficient home considerably close to net zero. Narrative by Chris Rhoda: After moving to our new (new to us, built in 1989) 3,000 square foot home in Belgrade last April, we started upgrading our home cosmetically: repainting, re-shingling, etc. In mid winter it occurred to us that energy saving designs had not been on the minds of those who originally built the home. In our attempts to rectify, we first did the easy steps to improve our energy efficiencies. We replaced incandescent light bulbs with CFL bulbs, put shades in windows to keep in heat. In January we experienced an ice dam on the roof which caused leak damage. We were told the damage was presumably due to the heat in our house going into the shingles and decided then to find the root to our home's heating inefficiencies; we decided to have an energy audit performed. From the State of Maine web site, I contacted three certified energy auditors listed and decided on Kennebec Home Performance (Charlie Holly) to do the work. Charlie projected competence and gave a 'quick tip' to check around the chimney for air leaks and then explained how to seal them. During the audit, Charlie found lots of air leaks and suggested some easy projects I could do myself (electrical plate caulking/insulated covers, pipe wrap, etc). He recommended two companies for attic and basement insulation work and Revision Energy for solar thermal. He gave me some suggestions for measuring my electrical consumption and tips to lower it to prepare for the future installation of a solar electric system. At that time my wife and I were also able to estimate our first year's oil usage at about 1300 gallons. With rising oil prices, we had a strong desire to work on reducing that usage. After gaining a sense of the energy we were using, we could make good decisions to what systems we wanted to move forward with. My focus was primarily business-related. Incorporating energy efficient systems to me was more about saving money, so items that had a quicker payback received higher attention. My wife, originally from Vermont, was primarily focused on the environmental aspects of energy efficient systems, how they would decrease the amount of fossil fuels we used, and reduce our carbon footprint. We both were inspired by our daughter to set a good example for her. Combining these focuses made doing these types of projects both interesting and helpful to us. We moved forward on what we call our three paths:
Solar Thermal: I had visited the Augusta Civic Center Home Expo last fall with my father and thought about having a solar thermal system added then. The one vendor I had contacted at the time hadn't given me a quote so I contacted ReVision Energy and two others. While Revision's quote was slightly higher in comparison, I felt the most comfortable with John Luft's knowledge on the systems and with the company's reputation. Also having ReVision come to me recommended by Charlie was a good start since I was already impressed with his work and knowledge. As we were in the middle of re-insulating our home we decided that was the time to move forward with the solar hot water installation. We were able to take advantage of the state rebate, then $2,500 as well as the federal tax credit, at that time 30% the cost of the system capped at $2,000. Because we calculated solar hot water to have the quickest payback, this was our first path.
Wood Pellet Heating System: It was suggested that installing an outside temperature sensor on our oil boiler would increase our oil savings by 5 to 10% each year. The price for this additional component was relatively inexpensive, making the payback short so we decided to do this along with the solar thermal system. John Luft also suggested at the time a wood boiler to offset the bulk of our oil usage. I'm not able to continually feed cordwood with my full-time job(s), so John suggested we consider a wood pellet boiler. After much research I found out what the European's had already discovered, that a lot of money can be saved each year for a relatively small amount of work. For our home's heating needs we calculated that 8 tons of pellets per year would reduce the 1,300 gallons of oil used to less than 300 gallons a year and cost half the amount. I asked Revision to quote us a pellet boiler and also asked one other company. It seemed only a few businesses were installing these boilers at the time. As my wife and I were refinancing our home we decided financially it made sense to add the wood pellet boiler at this time. Now the outdoor temperature sensor is saving us 5 to 10% of 300 gallons of oil, the amount we are averaging on an annual basis. The rest of our home's heating and hot water needs are covered by wood pellets or by the sun. The systems run seamlessly with little maintenance. The only item that requires regular maintenance so far is the daily 'scoop of ash and pour of pellets' for the furnace, a 5 minute job each day, as well as cleaning the boiler every few weeks with a brush/vacuum. Solar thermal was our first path because of the payback and rebates. Wood was our second; the payback is almost as quick however there are no rebates or tax credits to take advantage of. (Note: There is now a tax credit available up to $1,500 for wood boilers installations. The $2,000 cap for solar hot water installations has been lifted. The tax credit for solar hot water is 30% the cost of the job.)
Assessing How We Use Electricity: Prior to Charlie's arrival I had read that 20% of a home's water use can be toilets. My wife and I decided to change one of our three 3.5 gpf toilets to a 1.6 gpf toilet on the second floor to see if it would save on electricity since we had a whole-house Reverse Osmosis (RO) system. We knew we would save almost 7,000 gallons of water each year (10 flushes per day x 1.9 gallons x 365 days). We were pleasantly surprised when receiving our next electric bill to find out it had dropped by $20. Later we came to learn that our RO system was over-spec'd. Our 220 volt motor was not required for hot water, 2nd floor toilets, or our washing machine. We also realized that we only had slightly elevated arsenic levels which affect our drinking and cooking only water but not our bathing, clothing, or dish washing water. We decided we were best suited for a kitchen point of use iron oxide system versus a whole house point of entry system. We have now disconnected the whole-house RO system and replaced it with a point of use filtration system giving us safe drinking water in our kitchen and refrigerator ice maker. Other discoveries we made were that certain appliances were using watts when not in use. For example an inexpensive radio was costing us over $1.30 per month simply by remaining plugged in all the time. We haven't had time to investigate all of our electrical appliances, but plan to in the future. The fact that we started to take steps to reduce our electrical consumption put us in a good position to consider a solar electric or photovoltaic (PV) system. While the payback is longer than hot water or wood boilers, we feel it will be a selling point for the house when we are ready to move in that direction. For now, however, this project was important enough for us to move forward with regardless of payback. The third path for our family was installing a 3.5kW solar electric system with the ability to add more panels in the future. This system is connected to the utility grid. Our utility provider installed a second meter free of charge. One meter reads the amount of electricity that our home is using; the second meter reads the electricity the solar panels are making. We then get billed or credited the difference. In Conclusion: The installation technicians were both personable and conscientious throughout the processes. Some of the highlights so far are how little our oil furnace now runs, and how consistent the hot water temperatures are. Also, our house is much more comfortable now that we can heat it for less. We've raised the temperature in most rooms from 64 to 68 degrees and opened parts that were once closed off in the winter. One more bonus, we now have a warm basement due to our new boiler. There is a game room down there that is now more comfortable in the winter. The best feeling though is no longer watching the price of oil, as we've only used 30 gallons in the past 11 months, and especially looking forward to each sunny day. Habitat Project Complete
The Habitat for Humanity project is now complete and ready for the homeowners to move in. ReVision Energy did the installation of a solar hot water and high efficiency gas boiler for this new Portland home. ReVision Energy and its purveyors provided the Habitat project with all parts and materials needed for this Demerest Street project. The staff from ReVision Energy donated their time and labor to get these high efficiency systems in place. This project is the first LEED Habitat for Humanity home built in the greater Portland area. LEED is an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. This house was designed to provide the new home owners with long term energy solutions. Daniel Wallace, Construction Manager for the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland 'wishes to thank Revision Energy and all of its employees and suppliers who volunteered time and donated materials to make our first solar thermal assisted heating system a reality. We believe we can now achieve a LEED platinum rating - a wonderful success story for building green and affordable in southern Maine We couldn't have done it without you!' | |||
 Solar hot water collector array installed by ReVision Energy on a home in Jackson, NH. This evacuated tube system is expected to reduce household CO2 emissions by roughly 2,500 lbs. per year DOVER, NH - February marked the opening of the New Hampshire branch office of ReVision Energy LLC, the foremost installer of solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, and wood-pellet boilers in Maine. Dover resident Will Kessler is leading the project, with backing from a team that includes engineers from M.I.T and Brown, installers certified by the North American board of Certified Energy Professionals (NABCEP), and a crew of professionals experienced at installing robust renewable energy systems in our challenging New England climate. ReVision Energy sees a tremendous opportunity in NH to further its mission to reduce fossil fuel energy dependence and CO2 emissions. Technological advances in solar photovoltaic and solar hot water collectors now make it economically and environmentally worthwhile to harvest sunlight at northern latitudes to produce renewable energy. The company has installed more than 1,000 solar electric and solar hot water systems in Maine during the past five years. Residents of NH have the opportunity to take advantage of an array of renewable energy financial incentives from New Hampshire's Public Utility Commission, the federal government and individual utility companies, which enable solar technologies to pay for themselves within several years. Starting in July 2009, residents can receive up to $6,000 per solar photovoltaic system. "We are battling the fact that roughly $1 billion leaves the state of New Hampshire every year when residents purchase oil, natural gas and coal-generated energy," says Kessler, who has experience installing solar photovoltaic systems. "These state incentives are definitely a good step towards stopping that outflow of fossil fuel energy dollars." Contact Phil Coupe at 207-232-6595 for more information on ReVision Energy, or phil@revisionenergy.com | |||
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Getting to know Geoff Sparrow
Born and raised in the greater Portland area, Geoff graduated high school from Westbrook where his interests were strongest in Math and Science. Geoff continued his education at the University of New Hampshire to obtain a BS in Mechanical Engineering. Upon completion of a degree and eager to gain experience in carpentry Geoff decided to build his own camp. It was a successful experience and from there he decided to venture a career path that involved hands on work. He started his own handyman business which gave him knowledge and foresight into the building trades and construction industry.  Geoff Sparrow and John Capron In 2006 an article published that a solar energy company, then Energyworks, was going to be opening a shop in Portland. After reading this Geoff knew it was going to be the place where he would start his new career. Hired as one of the first installers of ReVision Energy's Portland branch, his position has since grown into Project Supervisor where his responsibilities include designing and supervising the installations of solar thermal and photovoltaic energy systems. Geoff is one of the lead installers for solar electric or photovoltaic systems within ReVision Energy. He is a NABCEP certified installer. NABCEP is an acronym for the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners. NABCEP is a voluntary certification program providing a set of national standards that show distinguishing characteristics of professionalism and skill. When Geoff is not busy installing solar systems for ReVision Energy, he is enjoying the outdoors, hunting and fishing, and spending time with his wife of four years Meg, and their golden retriever Lizzie. | |||
 Lunch & Learn Program Free Lunch and Learn Program at Your Workplace Would you like for a ReVision Energy representative to provide a lunchtime presentation at your work place? ReVision Energy is offering a free lunch and learn program, where we will send one of technicians out to talk about energy efficiencies and active solar installations for the home and business owner. We're happy to do this free of charge and will even provide the pizza! We would like to set it up for a time when at least 15 or more interested employees will be available to attend. | |||
 "Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the Become a Renewable Energy Advocate Do the following thoughts appeal to you?
Perhaps you have considered a long term energy savings plan that incorporates the use of renewable energy. If you have friends and neighbors who have also considered these ideas you may benefit by leveraging together to receive a discount for installing multiple solar systems. In honor of President Obama, ReVision Energy is offering a Be That Change discount. Within your community if two of you sign up together, each doing your own solar hot water, solar electric, or combination system, you will each receive $200 off the bottom line of your proposal. If you get four members to sign up we will take off $400 each person's proposal. Six or more members equal a $600 discount a piece! How do you start? Start by becoming a renewable energy advocate for your community. We will give you the tools to help you spread the word to the members of your town. We will set up site evaluations for the same day to maximize efficiency. No installations will begin until all the members of the group have been contracted to start. If you would like to learn more, please call or email Jen at 221-6342 or jen@revisionenergy.com | |||
 March 3 - Getting Off Oil: Making the Switch from Oil to a High Efficiency Cord Wood or Wood Pellet Central Heating System Come and learn from the experts how these carbon neutral, cost effective systems may be your sustainable heating solution. View a system in action and learn how these gasification boilers can significantly reduce or eliminate your need for oil! This seminar will be located at ReVision Energy's north location: 91 W Main Street Liberty, ME 04949. The event will be held on Tuesday March 3rd, from 5-7pm. The event is free, and all are welcome. Please call or email Holly with any questions 589-4171 or holly@revisionenergy.com. April 16 - Solar House Party! Join us April 16th from 6-7:30pm for our first solar house party! The event will be located at 8 Abby Lane in Richmond, Maine. This home is super insulated, has radiant concrete floors, and is designed to utilize both active and passive solar techniques. The solar house party is a chance for people to view the solar designs used in this home and mingle with the homeowner as well as ReVision Energy representatives to talk about the feasibility of solar and green design. The event is free and all are welcome. This home will be featured in our next newsletter to give you more information to what you will see.
April 17-18th - Midcoast Sustainable Living Expo Make sure not to miss the third annual energy Expo in Damariscotta. This year's Sustainable Living Expo will be held April 17 and 18 at the Central Lincoln County YMCA. This is an opportunity for consumers to learn about energy saving and affordable options for a more environmentally responsible lifestyle. ReVision Energy will be there both days. We will have a booth set up inside displaying our solar hot water and solar electric technologies. Outside we will have a wood boiler displayed with experts on hand to answer all of your questions. To learn more about this event CLICK HERE | |||
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Maine Green Building Supply Sustainable building products and systems . . . bringing responsible options to a changing world. Maine Green Building Supply was founded in 2002 to promote superior building products and bring responsible and sustainable practices to the construction industry. We supply environmentally responsible materials, non-toxic finishes and important innovations in the energy systems. We do the research and sourcing to make building green easier for you.
Maine Green Building Supply F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies
Whether you're getting ready to go solar and need to rent a Kill-a-Watt meter, or you already have gone solar and need a solar laptop bag to recharge your computer, come and see us! We're at 56 Maine Street in Brunswick, and online at www.FWHorch.com. Warmly, | |||
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There might still be snow, but spring is just around the corner! We want to remind everyone that we do work all through out the winter. We are able to do indoor work when the weather conditions are poor and save the roof work for when the weather is more favorable. As always, please call us with any questions you may have. We would be more than happy to help you find a long term solution to your energy saving needs. Thank You! | |||
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Come visit our showroom, we're open Monday through Friday 8am - 5pm, and Saturday 8am - noon.
Helping you get the most value from your renewable energy systems is our goal at