photovoltaic / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

...photovoltaic solar panels The current market is dominated for the most part by two types of photovoltaic panels: those with silicon-crystalline modules and panels with thin-film modules. Silicon-crystalline modules are the most widespread, accounting for 90-95% of global production. The latter generally use a mixture o...

Generate power with PV coatings on windows The transition toward net-zero building has traditionally focused on rooftops, but energy-generating glass coatings are now turning the building envelope itself into a power plant. By integrating transparent photovoltaic (TPV) technology directly into windows and facades, home...

...photovoltaic solar panels and using the power they generate to heat water with a traditional water heater. This is due to the continually advancing technologies and dropping costs in the photovoltaic industry, while solar thermal collection technology and cost has remained fairly stagnant over the same period. They’re ...

...Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels Without getting overly technical, Photovoltaic solar panels essentially convert the sun’s rays into electricity. Systems can be large enough to provide your entire home power needs, and be either stored in batteries or fed back into the power grid. When you hear the words ‘net metering’, ...

...photovoltaic cells; the goal being to increase the watts produced per panel. Joshua M. Pearce, professor of engineering at Michigan Technology University, recently published an article in Green Building Advisor that demonstrates the results of his research on this. Working in conjunction with a study group in Canada, h...

...photovoltaic solar over the last 10 years Now you know about home batteries and power storage. Read more about moving away from fossil fuels and how to reduce your carbon footprint in the following pages and in the Ecohome Green Building Guide. Building a near Zero Energy home on a budget  10 questions to ask a...

What to consider before buying a home solar power system Update your appliances and get your demand down as low as possible. Convert any appliances that you are intending to convert (such as installing heat pumps to replace those that use fossil fuels).  Replace any incandescent bulbs with LEDs. Now you are ready to ...

...photovoltaic (PV) solar panel system on their home. But at some point, you need to hand the reins over to a trustworthy contractor. To get to that point of trust, you need to ask questions to confirm you’re getting the best equipment and service for the best deal. Don’t be shy when it comes to grilling your solar insta...

...photovoltaic power generation). The remaining 25% of required energy would be provided via a gasoline-powered generator. Collecting and purifying rainwater The most crucial prerequisite to designing a successful autonomous home water system is to reduce consumption. For example, this house includes a toilet that consu...

...photovoltaics (PV) as they are technically called - generate an electric current by catching light particles from the sun called photons. These photons then knock free the electrons in the panels’ solar cells and produce an electric current. This current is transferred to wires that lead to an inverter. The inverter co...

...photovoltaic solar panels and wind, propane is typically used for cooking, and in colder climates water heating.   Rainwater is collected, stored in large plastic cisterns and filtered for residential use; waste water is treated on site and used for growing food. The south-facing wall is all windows and acts as a heat ...