PV as an investment [RE-wrenches]

Jim Hartley grail at inil.com
Mon Sep 10 14:59:11 PDT 2001


jay peltz wrote:
> Hi All,
> 
> Heres my question.  Sure I give the customer many angles to make the 
> system cost
> effective, but how many people run into problems when you suggest:
> 
> "Well its cheaper to reduce than produce.  We need to get you a new 
> refer, washer,
> lights etc etc.  "
> 
> Then I show them the math, and its like major blank time.
> 
> Just wondering what you all have run into.

That's called a double whammy. Or, severe sphinctoring time.

Existing housing stock will pose a lot of problems.  You also can't move 
the house on its lot.  What you see is what you gotta deal with.  You 
all know what the difficulties are likely to be so I won't go there in 
any detail.  New construction is an altogther different thing since much 
of the time these homes will require new appliances anyway.  That's 
where you can slip them in sensibly.  There's a lot more congenial 
latitude to work with in other respects as well. You can also control 
the lot siting far better, by the way.

I just wrote an architect friend about a notion I have.  This fellow has 
spent years specializing in extremely energy efficient home designs as 
his primary design priority.  He is aiming precisely at your "reducing" 
formula FIRST.  He's very successful at that too, even to include 
lowering air exchanges to unheard of levels without sacrificing air 
quality.

My question to him had to do with new construction where more is 
possible for comparatively less money usually.  My idea for him had to 
do with designing the home first, primarily and purposely AROUND the 
power system and the other utilitarian equipment [furnace, AC, 
sumps,lights etc.]. The challenge would be in the finishing out of the 
house and its facade so it was a pleasing thing.  Curb appeal is what 
usually sells houses, be they new or existing.  So the task would be to 
wrap the "power plant" in curb appeal.  These new homes could be 
initially relatively modest starter homes maybe.  Considering the 
various energy concerns developing nationwide, this approach may make a 
lot more sense than we may fully realize at the moment as to longterm 
marketability.  Perceptions are in flux right now.  I bet they won't be 
five years from now.

Around here, the various high schools design and build homes in their 
building trades programs.  They always sell.  Some programs have worked 
with alternative energy concepts as well. Some years ago I was a 
building/energy consultant working under contract to the state energy 
office with such building trades programs with respect to passive and 
active solar thermal systems.  I think this is another opportunity to 
check out on a local basis - working with RE systems on these school 
sponsored projects.  This gets some young people familiarized with what 
is what and some of them may be hire-able as pre-indoctrinated RE 
workers later on.  I suppose you might consider this a way of 
infiltrating the larger infrastructure that is responsible for creating 
tomorrow's homes. And what's wrong with that?  There is nothing whatever 
nefarious about it.

So, returning, to your specific observation, there are ways of lessening 
that sticker shot confrontation.  But you have to choose your candidates 
well.  It's called a new home mortgage where all sorts of things get 
buried out of sight, out of mind.  Besides, what woman would want to 
bring into her new home a ten year old refrigerator?  Not many if they 
had a choice.

Jim Hartley

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