Like most folks who live in the White Mountain region, Tony and Jenny Simone relish the jaw-dropping natural beauty that surrounds them, and the robust outdoor recreational opportunities the mountains afford: rock-climbing, skiing, hiking. As the couple entered their 70s, they were looking at building the home they were going to retire in, and they wanted to do it right. Why not build a home that could ensure a lifetime of low/no energy bills, and offer as minimal impact as possible on the wild landscape they so love?
"Solar was a no brainer for us," says Tony Simone. "Our daughter - Meg - was the first in our family to go solar with ReVision, and we were impressed with everything we saw. It started when Meg and her partner Dave got a solar hot water system, then solar electric panels. Meg had glowing things to say about ReVision and we were impressed with the workmanship, and, importantly, how the systems performed."
Financial realities influence every major purchasing decision, and the Simones were pleasantly surprised that solar was a better deal than they first expected.
"We loved the idea of solar, but weren't sure it made financial sense. We first asked - hey, we're in our late 60s, will the payback be worth it for us?" Tony says. "The further we dug into that question, the more we realized the answer was a resounding YES."
After consulting with ReVision Energy as to their energy needs and capabilities of solar harvest on-site, the Simones hired us to design and install a 4.9kw dual-axis solar tracker built by Vermont-based AllEarth Renewables , and a solar hot water system to meet domestic hot water needs. The solar tracker is driven by GPS and rotates to face the ideal angle of the sun, allowing it to harvest roughly 40% more sunshine than a fixed-mount array installed in the same location.
For the Simones, their system 'payback' is not only the energy savings each month by not having to pay for conventional forms of energy for electricity and heating, but also the smile they get on their faces when they see the sunshine and know that it is making free energy for their home.
"This coming April it will be four years living with solar," Tony says, "The system has done exactly what we were told it was going to do. The only time there was an issue - we weren't even aware it was happening - ReVision reached out to us and had a technician here to fix it the next day. That's customer service!"
What's next for the Simones? Apart from more skiing, probably more solar! They would like to electrify more aspects of their life - for example, get an electric car - and to meet those growing needs, would like to install more solar energy.
Keep the forward thinking going Tony and Jenny!
Dual-axis solar trackers harvest about 40% more sunshine than an equivalent fixed-mount solar array installed in the same location. They are incredibly robust and reliable systems and built by Vermont-based AllEarth Renewables.
In the past, most of our fixed-ground mounts came at a premium compared to rooftop arrays. However, with the advent of our Solar Foundations Division and Pauselli pile driver machine , we have been able to reduce the cost of fixed-mount solar arrays by over 26%, as compared to previous mounting technologies.
Whether you're looking for a tracking solar array, a fixed-mount system, or a ground mount solar project, we have the project expertise and creativity to design and build a system that will meet you energy needs for decades to come!
