Schwartz House
2810 N Creekwood Dr.
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I’ve always wanted to be a good steward of the environment, but didn’t really have the means or information to do so. The hardest part is deciding to take the first step. Then you find it’s not nearly as hard as you thought it would be, and very rewarding.
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Renewable energy features
Solar PV
kW: 7 kW
Installation Date: September 2014
Installer: Universal Solar Systems
Equipment
Renesola 250 W panels
Enphase micro-inverters
Retail Electric Provider
Green Mountain
Energy Monitoring
Via the Enphase microinverters
Green features:
- Rainwater catchment self-installed using food grad plastic barrels
- Drip irrigation in vegetable garden
- Composting, mulching
- CFL & LED lighting
- Electric Vehicle – 2018 Chevy Bolt
Host Comments
I’ve always wanted to be a good steward of the environment, but didn’t really have the means or information to do so. It’s gotten easier with advances in technology and access to information. We’ll share with you the few things we have been able to accomplish for are and how easy these things can be. The exchange of the knowledge and passion is why we are a part of this tour.
With the addition of PV (photovoltaic) solar panels we realized an immediate drop in electric bills into negative numbers. Not every month has been a net zero such as the most recent very hot months. We hope after a year we will see at least a net zero overall. If your timing is such that you take full advantage of rebates and tax credits you can install a system for one fifth of the retail cost. It was a no brainer for us!
Our water barrels have been an awesome addition for watering our vegetable garden. We could just as easily use city water. But we wanted to grow as organically as possible which includes eliminating the chemicals that are added to the city water supply such as chlorine and fluorine. We make the barrels very visible from the street to try to be a good influence on the neighborhood and passersby.
When I’m tending the garden people will sometimes stop to ask about the solar panels or the garden. It is encouraging to see that there is indeed interest in these things, or at least a curiosity. The hardest part is deciding to take the first step. Then you find it’s not nearly as hard as you thought it would be, and very rewarding. :-)