Another old update for you all pertains to the HVAC solution we ultimately installed for our 3rd floor “loft” (a.k.a., finished attic) that, despite our insulation and air sealing measures, would still get quite cold in winter and quite warm in summer because it didn’t have any direct heating or cooling system feeding it.

Introducing…the ductless mini-split heat pump!

What’s that ugly box on the wall, you say? That’s the indoor unit of the mini-split system. And as the “ductless” name implies, it is connected by a refrigerant line-set (insulated copper tubes) to an outdoor unit, which can be mounted almost anywhere you can imagine as long as there’s about a foot of clearance in front of it. If you really do find the indoor wall-mount unit ugly, there are actually several other options including concealed ceiling units that are only visible in the living space as the gratings/registers we all know and love.

Here’s the deal with these things: the reason they’re so efficient at heating and cooling a space is that they don’t generate heat (like a furnace) – they just move it from one place to another. And they’re so good at it that for every unit of energy they use, they can move 3-4 units of energy to the place you want it. It sounds like science fiction when you think about it that way, but it’s completely real.

So in the summer, it moves heat from the inside to the outside. In the winter, it moves heat from the outside (!) to the inside.

Wait, what? Heat from outside winter air? And how’s that different from an air conditioner? Well really, it’s not — it’s just using the same fundamental refrigeration cycle — BUT the winter-time function is not traditionally something A/C systems or even early versions of these devices have been very good at doing. Recent technological advancements, particularly those commercialized by Mitsubishi’s “Hyper” models, enable the heat pump to operate at 100% heating capacity even when outside air is 5 degrees F (it actually works down to -13 degrees F, but not at 100% capacity). So the next time you are outside in 5 degree temperatures, just think: “There’s heat in this air!” — but you may have to go inside a room conditioned by a mini-split before you’ll believe it.

One last note on their efficiency is that they also operate “continuously” – so unlike an A/C or furnace that cranks on in cycles, gets the room to the right temperature, then lets you slowly suffer as the room rises or falls past the setpoint for initiating a new cycle, there is a constant circulation of heat and consequently more even climate control. It’s like geothermal heating and cooling, but without having to dig 🙂

We are looking at installing more of these throughout our house this year. Because they operate efficiently off of electricity, they will help us reach our goal of moving all systems (including our natural gas heating system) off of fossil fuels.

Dearest friends, we are back from a long blogging hiatus to bring you a series of updates. The first such update is nearly a year out of date already, but nevertheless was promised to all those waiting with bated breath for the completion of our solar panel system installation.

In the summer of 2014, following decisions and guidance from the Detroit Historic District Commission, we constructed a new carport in the backyard for mounting our last 6 panels. This was an alternative to the house’s front porch roof, which was considered too visible from the public right of way and therefore too disruptive to the historic nature of the structure if we were to mount solar panels on’t.

We built the carport using a pole barn design with a two-pitch truss system, working from plans provided by Drew’s uncle. The south-facing pitch is roughly 270 square feet for mounting panels. We chose aluminum for the roofing material because we knew we wanted to collect rain water for the vegetable garden. Most photos here are credited to Dan!

BEFORE:

DURING:

             

         

So there’s a little new construction to mix with the old. Then we were finally ready to add the panels…

    

COMPLETE:

After now having the system fully installed, we are tracking our use and generation on an hourly basis. Since about March of 2015, we started producing more electricity daily than we use. The result is that we accumulate the credited kWh which go to the grid on our utility account until we are ready to use them at a later time, which is how grid-tied systems with Net Metering work. This fall, when we start getting less sun and also use more energy for heating, we will start using that accumulated credit. The goal with our current setup is to “use the grid as the battery” and get very close to net-zero electricity use on an annual basis.

In the month of July, the solar panels generated over 534 kWh but we only used about 241 kWh, leading to 293 kWh being banked with our utility until we are ready to use them this winter. At this rate of production and usage, we are looking at an estimated 8-10 year period where the panels generate enough (green) electricity to pay themselves off — in other words, the “payback period” is the length of time before we would have spent that much money on coal-fired electricity bills anyway — followed by a 20-30 year period where they continue to generate free, green electricity. So it’s going to be a lot of sitting back and enjoying what nature’s given us. Thanks, nature.

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for…

PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR PANEL INSTALLATION, PART I

This May, we completed Phase 1 of our solar panel installation project. This represented the culmination of several months of planning and regulatory (Historic District approval) work and included the installation of 12, 270-Watt panels (total peak power = 3.24 kW) on our house roof and a 5 kW grid-tied inverter in our basement as made available through the Michigan Solar Works program we mentioned previously. We opted for the larger inverter now because we will be completing construction of our Solar Pavilion (A.K.A. carport) soon and will be adding another 6 panels onto that (1.62 kW, for a total system size of of 4.86 kW).

A Note on the System Components and Capacity
Our entire system was made in the USA and has a 25-year performance guarantee (more information here). The panels are from an Oregon-based manufacturer and the inverter (necessary for converting the DC current produced by the panels into AC used by the grid and all appliances) was made by Michigan-based Renovo Power Systems. It is estimated that over 25 years, we will generate over 150,000 kWh of green energy worth approximately $30,000 (that’s a 3X ROI!) and avoid the production of more than 100 metric tons of CO2.

A Note on Financing
The best currently available financial incentive is a 30% federal tax incentive on all forms of renewable energy (solar, geothermal, wind). This is dramatic, cutting our system price-tag of about $15,000 down to $10,500. The current incentive expires in 2016, so go get ’em!

A Note on the Experience
Whew, we must admit it has been a bit of a journey, taking almost a year to go from the concept and planning phase to completed installation and approval. But, that’s what happens when you are undertaking the first single-family historic district residential solar installation in the City of Detroit!

First-Hand Performance Data
Our system comes with a monitoring system that tells you in 5-minute increments how much power you are producing through a website that can be checked from anywhere in the world.

   

We have received our first electric bill after turning the system on and our system, which is 67% complete at this time, is providing approximately 60% of our electricity use. We believe that the rest of our panels combined with further conservation efforts will bring us to net zero electricity use.

Stay tuned for the completion of the Solar Pavilion!!!

Spring is finally in the air, and we decided it would be a good time to say that we still exist and write a post about our choice of appliances before we get into full warrior mode for the spring and summer home improvement seasons.

We meant to do this a while ago – our appliances have all been in service since August of last year – but in some ways, it’s great to do it now because we can also attest to their performance over the last 8 months.

Washer & Dryer

We chose Maytag (now a division of Michigan-based Whirlpool) MVWX500XW and MEDC200XW.

GoodGuide is a…good…guide for choosing efficient appliances (and many other types of products). It’s nice because it talks about the appliance itself but also the impacts of the manufacturer’s practices and policies on society and the environment. They don’t have ratings for every appliance out there (including our range and dishwasher below), but usually you can find a similar model to the one you’re eyeing, and what they do have is pretty extensive.

The washer we chose has Energy Star certification, CEE tier III (highest), and also conserves water. It has a large capacity and works well.

The dryer we chose is electric. As such, it uses a lot of energy and therefore does not have Energy Star certification. Why did we choose it?

• Although electric dryers, heating elements in ovens, dishwashers, space heaters, etc. consume a lot of watts to do their jobs, they are actually 100% efficient in the sense that all of the energy that goes into the appliance is used to produce heat. This is in contrast to a natural gas-burning appliance where, despite many great advances and sometimes getting very close, it can never convert 100% of the energy content of the fuel into heat. Now…in Michigan, 75% of our electricity is still generated by non-renewable resources (mostly coal – what about your state?), so unfortunately this means that while our end-point use (the dryer) is 100% efficient, our use still supports the burning of fossil fuels (which, even if your conscience is dark enough to dismiss, is not 100% efficient). Add to that the fact that, while they’re both non-renewable fossil fuels, coal does not burn nearly as cleanly as natural gas, which by burning at our end-point dryer would be effectively cleaner in the short-term. But that brings us to our next point:
• We’re going solar in May of this year (stay tuned). When we do this, we’ll be offsetting or completely annihilating said support of a doomed energy infrastructure. Buying electric appliances up front means we’ll already be “compatible” when we get solar.
• Our friend and housemate Griffin built a clothesline in the basement, which is great for drying some or all of our clothes without using any additional energy. We’re lucky to have a well designed and dry basement, so drying clothes this way only takes about 1-3 hours depending on the garment.

Fridge

We chose an Energy Star Frigidaire (model LFHT1817LF). Different fridge/freezer “styles” also have different efficiencies, so while you may like that bottom-mount freezer or side-by side double door contraption, top-freezer models in the 16-20 cu ft range without door dispensers are the most efficient.

Dishwasher

Our house actually came with a working dishwasher, but even after running a cleaning agent through it, it still smelled like Cheerios. It was also inefficient and older. We chose the Energy Star Whirlpool WDF310PAAS. Having lived in apartments for many years, it is amazing to see how well a new/well-maintained dishwasher works.

Range

This guy was the most expensive, and coolest, appliance we bought. With a name like WFI910H0AS-Whirlpool Gold(R) 6.2 cu. ft. Capacity Induction Range with TimeSavor(TM) Plus True Convection Cooking System, you can’t go wrong. It has a huge oven with convection capabilities, but what makes this thing amazing is the induction cooktop.

Induction is a type of cooking that uses electricity (again, remember we’re going solar) but has the benefit of heating things up even faster than gas cooking. It uses an electromagnetic field to send all the energy into the pot itself, not just whatever happens to be on top of the burner or the room itself, so it’s also extremely efficient. This actually puts an end to the “watched pot never boils” saying. It does require you use steel or iron cookware (if a magnet sticks, it works), but spilled food (or your hand) will not burn on the surface and it’s very easy to wipe clean. Not all flat-top electric ranges are induction; many are just regular electric elements below the surface to simplify cleaning.

This thing is efficient and really impressive. Some of the more experienced cooks in our house have said it does take some adjusting to learn its personality when coming from a gas cooking background. It seems harder to burn things which is good, but sometimes that’s what you’re going for (e.g., searing or blackening) and you have to figure out how to do it with this system. Also, if you place incompatible metals on the surface (even if you’re just setting something there for a minute), it emits a rather annoying beeping sound. These small complaints set aside, we’re very happy with it and would recommend it to others.

Wishing you all a happy holiday season and an incredible 2014! Stay tuned for what’s in store for our household next year… In the meantime, don’t forget to use LED holiday lights, keep ’em on timers to save electricity, and bundle rather than set those thermostats anywhere north of 70 degrees (rule of thumb is 68 degrees, but nothing is so simplistic–check out this page to learn more).
Love from the Homestead!

This post is purely to whet the appetite of those observers who have been watching us transform our Ole House into a New Home. While Phase 1 (interior improvements) is coming to a close, we look forward to solar panels before the spring when we commence Phase 2 (landscaping love).

Enjoy this photo montage. We are thankful for our beautiful home and that we get to build it together, and with all your support!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today, I’d like to talk some trash.

In the spirit of aiming to achieve zero waste, I share with you our waste disposal practices and general frequency of collection/disposal. First, a photo.

These containers carry our “trash.” Here are the stats on a five person household’s waste generation over a month:

– We take our recyclables to a single-stream recycling dumpster once a week (the blue and pink bins). By we, I mean Drew. Drew does this on his way to work in Ann Arbor every week because the City of Detroit does not currently provide curbside recycling or compost service. However, we have every intention of supporting our local independent “greencycling business,” or, Detroit Greencycle. This amazing company actually picks up recyclables and compost by bicycle in our fair town. We will get around to this soon, we promise…

While every city/recycling service can be slightly different, Waste Management offers some tips on what can be recycled, and what those numbers mean on your recyclable plastic. Check out their note to residential recyclers here. It’s pretty helpful.

– Drew (yep, Drew) takes out our compost pail twice a week to our backyard community garden, Shipherd Greens. (No bones! But we are a relatively meat-free house, so we don’t break any rules…)

– Drew hauls out our 96-gallon city-issued trash bin twice a month. Yup, we barely fill our trash bin twice a month. The majority of our “waste” is recyclable or compostable.

Next time you aim for the trash can, shoot for the recycling bin instead. If it isn’t food, it is likely recyclable! And if it is food, return it to the earth. Make some more food with your food.

 

UPDATE 12/3/13: Just got word that Detroit will start curbside recycling pickup next year! Woohoo!

The City of Detroit will be receiving citywide curbside recycling beginning May of 2014. Detroit officials made the announcement in mid-November. The link below will take you to a Detroit News story with more information about the expansion of curbside recycling citywide. Thank you again for your diligence and support.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20131114/METRO/311140128

We naturally all remember that charming and endearing and now completely historic commercial for Kix and its “Kid Tested Mother Approved” tagline. Well, it seems like only yesteryear Drew and I were living a similar approval process, only… slightly different.

EcoWorks (formerly WARM Training Center) has partnered with Srinergy to get in the DOE’s Rooftop Solar Challenge to make buying and installing solar panels on homes easier than ever. The name of our Michigan game is Michigan Solar Works, aiming to solarize over 6,000 Michigan homes by the end of 2014. All PV systems for the program are designed, engineered, and assembled in Michigan.

Pretty easy, right? In theory and in terms of the Solar Works process, yes. In practice, when your home is 100+ years old and located in a Historic District, there is some red tape to cut.

Like we mention on our page of resources for solarizing a historic home, our local historic district commission must first approve any projects that could materially change the historic appearance of our property.

So, step one for the McCarreons was: Find out who to talk to from the Detroit Historic District Commission (HDC) to get the ball rolling. On April 21, 2013, we connected with Architectural Historian Jennifer Ross who has guided us through the entire application process. (Note to our dear readers: Do not be alarmed by the outdatedness of our Historic District Commission webpage; Kwame Kilpatrick is NOT our mayor.)

Step two: Roll the ball. With help from EcoWorks and Srinergy, by early June we had received an inspection and preliminary design recommendation for a 5 kW system comprised of 18 panels. This size would take care of roughly 75% of our home electricity use, given our utility bill patterns and extrapolating for five residents. We figured out how to finance the system, and gathered all the supporting documentation to get approval from the HDC.

Step three: Prepare an application describing the project, including some mock-ups to give the HDC an idea of the presumed “intrusiveness” of the panels on the “look” of our “historic home.” Drew discovered that he has a secret designer strain, and enjoys preparing renderings (please see Exhibit 1). By June 12, 2013, we submitted an application to the HDC and responded to follow-up questions as needed.

a. 

b. 

Exhibit 1. a) Aerial view of originally proposed system comprised of 20 solar panels. Image courtesy of Srinergy and Google.

b) Mock up of the potential solar panel view from across the street. Images courtesy of Dr. Drew: Designer.

CUT TO OCTOBER 9, 2013: Given the cancellation of the July HDC meeting, postponement of a scheduled August meeting, and further postponement of a September meeting, we finally made the agenda for the HDC.

Watching other people’s projects get APPROVED or DENIED at the Coleman Young Municipal Center HDC Meeting on October 9, 2013.

And the verdict you’ve all been waiting for: 12 of our 18 panels were approved. The other six panels (Exhibit 1.b) “unanimously destroy” the historic appearance of the home. However, the HDC was willing to entertain alternative or creative ideas on either a) gaining buy in from our neighbors for the project that would warrant approval of the panels as part of the West Village character or b) finding a different configuration for any other panels that would get us to 100% renewable power.

All hope is not lost, and we are actually really excited to pave the path as pioneers of this PV revolution!

Finally, a note on and special shout out to Srinergy, the solar energy company assisting with the system design and installation. We’ve got to say, we have been so impressed with a) their professionalism and skill, b) their customer service, and c) their support and encouragement along the way! Srinergy’s Business Development Manager attended the HDC meeting with us (which began at 5:30 pm) and, despite an estimated show time of 6:30 pm, stuck it out and braved through another 1.5 hours until we were up at 8 pm! Thanks to Karin who was hopefully as entertained as we were watching parking lot after parking lot after parking lot get approved in this town… After all, we all know that Michigan Needs More Parking. You can investigate Downtown Detroit’s horrific parking problem at this informative link.

We welcome your congratulations (and questions!) below!