CoSEIA's Virtual Tour of Solar Homes

This page contains information on Home #2 on the CoSEIA Virtual Tour of Solar Homes. A short description, along with a home general location is included.

If you would like to get more information on a particular feature shown with this home, please send an email to Lynn at info@coseia.org and she will pass the question along to the homeowner. The homeowner will either contact you directly or reply to Lynn who will send the answer on to you.

Home #2

. Two levels @ 1635 ft ² each, lower level is a walk out basement . Radiant floor heating - 7 zones, 3 downstairs and 4 upstairs . Six 4' X 10' Solar Heating panels for DHW and space heating - LPG boiler back up . Drain back solar heat collection system . Quadra-Fire 3100 wood stove . LPG used for cooking, clothes dryer, boiler, generator . 2680 Watts PV (1200 watts of Photowatt modules [originally this was 1600 watts but two Photowatt modules failed. Therefore the string of four modules has been replaced with Kyocera modules] & 1480 watts of Kyocera modules), two Trace SW4048 inverters . One Outback MX-60 MPPT charge controller . 10 KW Kohler 10RY62 LPG backup generator We love living in this house. It's so comfortable in both winter and summer. We especially like the low yearly electric ($0.00) and propane ($132 - $150 per year) bills. We also cut our own wood from our land for the wood stove. So, that's free except for the work required.	This house is located in Southern Park County, Colorado. To ask this homeowner a question, send an email to Lynn at info@coseia.org and she will forward your question to the homeowner. Please refer to the JK-Park County home.
	Kitchen . Has Peerless-Premier propane stove . Sears-Kenmore 120 volt energy efficient refrigerator - uses 1.077 kw-hr per day . KitchenAid Dishwasher . Sears-Kenmore microwave oven
Wood Stove Corner . Quadra-Fire 3100 wood stove . Used ~ 1 ¼ cord of wood for 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, and 2007-08 heating seasons - anticipate a similar amount for the 2008-09 heating season.
	PV Array . 2680 Watts PV (1200 watts of Photowatt modules [originally this was 1600 watts but two Photowatt modules failed. Therefore the string of four modules has been replaced with Kyocera modules] & 1480 watts of Kyocera modules), shown at summer tilt angle), two Trace SW4048 inverters . One Outback MX-60 MPPT charge controller . PV system placed into operation on 10-24-01 . Moved into house on 8-26-03 . Average electrical usage ~ 8.5 KW-hrs per day ~ 15% is for solar heat collection ~ 12.7% is for the refrigerator . Maintenance ~ 3 - 4 months add ~ 2-3 gal. water to batteries, requiring ~ ¾ hr (40 T-105, 220 A-H batteries, wired for 48 VDC)
Mechanical room . Drain back solar heat collection system - used for space heating and domestic hot water . 400 gallon insulated stainless steel solar storage tank . Buderus 40 gallon water heater and backup boiler . 2004, used 130 gal. LPG (@ $1.15/gal, $149.50), ~ 36 gal for generator (18.3 hr) . 2005, used 115 gal. LPG (@ $1.15/gal, $132.25), ~ 30 gal for generator (14.9 hr) . LPG fill up on 9-28-05 @ $1.739/gal . LPG usage from 9-28-05 to 9-30-06 was 68 gallons, generator was used 2 1/2 hr during this time period. . LPG usage from 9-30-06 to 9-30-07 was 147.5 gallons, generator was used 8.2 hr during this time period. . LPG usage from 9-30-07 to 6-30-08 was 95 gallons, generator was used 2.1 hr during this time period.

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Contact CoSEIA at any of the addresses below.

Main office -
8745 W. 14th Ave., Lakewood, CO 80215
Denver metro phone: 303 333-7342
Non-metro phone: 1 866 633-9764
E-mail: info@coseia.org

CoSEIA Records -
PO Box 77, Como, CO 80432
Phone: 719 836-4804
E-mail: coseiarecords@hughes.net

This page last updated on 6-30-08