Martin House
5812 Furneaux Drive
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My philosophy has always been that technology would solve our environmental issues and I felt it was finally possible to start doing so economically and without changing our family’s lifestyle.I would not have done the solar unless it made economic sense. I would not have chosen electric vehicles unless we could drive them normally without inconvenience. I am glad that all that has been possible and happy to share our story with others. |
Renewable energy features
Solar PV
kW 6.0
Installation Date : November, 2012
Installer: Jones Solar
Equipment
24 Solar World panels, SMA Sunnyboy Inverter
Retail Electric Provider
Pennywise Power (I change often for best rates)
Energy Monitoring
Installation date: August, 2013
Installer: Self, Pecan Street Project
Equipment: eGauge monitoring 40 circuits, Rainforest Eagle Energy Gateway linked to Bidgely.com
Owner Update… Since I sent you info on the house, The Pecan Street Project has provided us with eGuage Energy Monitors so we can monitor about 40 individual circuits in the house in real time. I will be glad to demo that, it sure has helped me track down things around the house that were using electricity unnecessarily.
Green features
Electric Vehicle(s):
2014 Chevy Volt, 2014 BMW i3, 2015 Chevy Volt
CFL or LED lighting:
All lighting in home except for a couple of lamps and a ceiling fan are CFL or LED.
Host Comments
It all started with the lease of a Nissan Leaf. I was always intrigued by the thought of having an electric vehicle and the availability of the Leaf from a major manufacturer and the evGo fast charging infrastructure in the metroplex made it look like a good time. I looked into a small solar initially thinking it would be just enough to generate enough to compensate for the Leaf charging, but soon discovered that the economics of a larger system made much more sense. The popularity of electric driving in the family led to leasing 2 Volts, my wife and I each drive a Volt, and we have now replaced the Leaf with a BMW i3. My philosophy has always been that technology would solve our environmental issues and I felt it was finally possible to start doing so economically and without changing our family’s lifestyle. I would not have done the solar unless it made economic sense. I would not have chosen electric vehicles unless we could drive them normally without inconvenience. I am glad that all that has been possible and happy to share our story with others.