Sustainability

Notes from the Field – Life Inside a Solar Home

BY MARYLISE REILLY

When I started living in a solar house in 1994, I learned very quickly that I’d need to change my habits to reap the benefits of harnessing the sun. Ironing, toasting, microwaving – everything took more energy than I’d imagined. Many of my old kitchen and bathroom appliances were energy hogs. Decisions had to be made, so I gave up microwaving, even chose to live without a dryer and, in turn, began saving a tremendous amount of energy dollars.

I began to time my housework around the sun’s schedule, not my own. Laundry, for instance, is best tackled in the middle of the day, around lunchtime, when the sun is at its peak. I learned to switch lights off when I left a room, to never let the water run, and to become accustomed to showers, rather than baths.

When we bought equipment for our home, we chose a hot water heater linked to a solar system that also powered a water pump linked to an artesian well. I learned to switch the inverter on and off (a device that converts the energy collected by the voltaic cells on the solar panels and stores it in batteries. At night, we use that energy stored in the battery bank.) We’d ask about amperage on new appliances we needed, forgoing the clocks, electronic igniters and self-cleaning devices, all of which carry phantom loads. We turned off our computer when we weren’t using it, and bought LED lightbulbs.

Sure, there are seasonal challenges to living solar. We wipe the snow off our solar panels in the winter so the UV rays can reach the cells, but we had the panels ground mounted rather than installed on the roof. (It’s not an easy, safe task to wipe off snow from panels on your roof!)

So, what’s so special about a solar house? It’s a real thrill to be able to listen to music or work on my computer courtesy of the sun – and not a utility company in sight. When friends have power outages due to high winds or storms, I smile and say, “We never lost power! We live in a solar house.” Sure there are sacrifices, but nothing that isn’t easy to get used to and hugely beneficial to quality of life and financial peace of mind.

For more information, contact Marylise & Steve Reilly, Owners of All Solar | Solar & Alternative Energy, Munsonville, NH at 603.355.7337 or www.allsolarinstallations.com.