The first month in 2012 was a good solar month...lots of sun and fairly warm weather for a Maine January. We generated 321 kWhrs of electricity which got this year off to a good start.
We've received a great deal of media attention over the years. The video below is a sampling as well as an inside look are living in Maine in the winter in a solar house. When I refer to the "ten years" of solar living, keep in mind that it is now 18 years of great solar living.
Solar is an answer, all be it an expensive answer, to keeping Mainers warm in the winter. The stories of residents without heat are heart-rending. You can read a New York Times report on their plight.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 08 February 2012 21:32
December, 2011 Power Production and 2011 Total
Written by Administrator
Saturday, 31 December 2011 17:06
A fairly strong December allowed us to exceed the magic 4,200 kWhr mark for 2011.
In the 12th month of the year, we generated 256 kWhrs of electricity. That was enough to bring our annual total to 4,237 kWhrs - 4,200 kWhrs being an average year.
The two inverters continue to hum quietly and generate very little heat.
Our solar thermal panels generated December heat at a fine pace - the heated water is stored in two, 500-gallons tanks in the basement and is then circulated in our radiant floors. The hot water tanks have average 130 degrees during sunny days.
Now in our 18th year, our home is a living testimony to the value of solar investment over the long term.
UPDATE: On January 1, 2012, we had a sunny day with temperatures in the mid-40s. When the solar thermal pumps began circulating the water on the roof in the morning, the tank temperature was 95 degrees. It ended up at 130 by mid afternoon. If my calculations are correct, the sun gave us 291,900 BTU of heat for overnight use in our radiant floors. Thanks be to God's creation!
Last Updated on Thursday, 02 February 2012 14:12
National Solar Tour - 2011 - Inspite of...
Written by Administrator
Saturday, 27 August 2011 05:56
...rain, fog, etc! Thankfully, there was no snow.
Solar enthusiasts are a hardy bunch. The sun must have been visiting other solar homes in the country, because it passed us by.
Our hot water tanks, heated by the previous day's sun, still showed 138 degrees and the PV panels generated a paltry 600 watts instead of the 20,000 watts usually manufactured during a sunny day in the fall. It was impressive, even to me, to see that 'daylight' was capable of generating any wattage at all.
Power output continues strong as we head toward the end of the year.
We generated 312 kWhrs in November which pushes us near the 4,000 kWhr mark (3,981). Depending on the amount of sun this month, we'll likely hit the 4,200 kWhr mark which has been our average annual output since the panels were installed 18 years ago.
The unusual warm fall means that I'll be harvesting the last spinach crop today or tomorrow. Life is good when solar delivers the goods!
2010 Power Generation Summary
Written by Administrator
Friday, 31 December 2010 18:58
Another strong year for electrical production from our 4.2 kW array: 4,229 kWhrs! That's an average of 352 kWhrs per month.
In December we generated 205 kWhrs of electricity...on the low side, but now the days are getting longer as the sun rises higher in the sky each day.
As you can see from the chart, it's not quite a bell curve but does reflect higher output in the middle months with a decided decline in the fall through the end of the year.
We're now in our 16th year and the PV array continues to deliver electricity in the 4,200 kWhr range annually. That's some 62,000 kWhrs over the first 15 years which is, as they say in Maine, 'wicked good!'
The first month in 2012 was a good solar month...lots of sun and fairly warm weather for a Maine January. We generated 321 kWhrs of electricity which got this year off to a good start.
A fairly strong December allowed us to exceed the magic 4,200 kWhr mark for 2011.
...rain, fog, etc! Thankfully, there was no snow.
Power output continues strong as we head toward the end of the year.
Another strong year for electrical production from our 4.2 kW array: 4,229 kWhrs! That's an average of 352 kWhrs per month.