Quote:
Originally Posted by Sliver
They spent a lot of money on the most efficient appliances, had compact florescents, sensors that turn lights off when you leave the room, etc. They put a lot of money and thought into making a really efficient home (aside from it being pretty large). If they put in lines right out of the gates that would be one thing, but it just seems like they had all their ducks in a row to be on solar, and abandoned the mission at the finish line. I did email him, so hopefully he gives a satisfying answer...
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I'm guessing it was just a matter of the system not being big enough. It's not too hard, once you work out the amounts, to figure out how big a system you will need.
A system design to the right size, and installed well shouldn't have any problems, and should be able to supply power from the batteries without a sunny day for a week or so in the winter.
To be completely off grid, the energy system could cost a decent percentage of the house costs.
Did they just have solar for power, or did they have have it for heat as well?