Solar Retrofit 2007
* * * This house is now for sale! * * *
(On Page 5, read about the blower door test and my energy rating!)
When I bought this house in 1999, this remodel was immediately part of my dream. I saw the potential to grow food and heat the house at the same time. It took me eight years to pull it together, but in June 2007, I got serious.
It started with a call to Valverde Energy to see about putting in solar hot water. We decided to install one solar panel, based on my current and future hot water use. We also decided I should ditch my propane tank and bring in natural gas from the new subdivision adjacent to my property. I am on a shared well, and for years, we have been talking about replacing the aging water lines. The money has never been available to do the entire job, so I went ahead and replaced my own. I would have a completely new infrastructure!
I called a contractor to do some work in conjunction with Valverde. Lots of things needed to be shuffled around as the new plumbing went in - walls, sinks, water heaters, and so on. I asked the contractor to bid the construction job, and the results are documented below and on the next four pages.
This area was a concrete slab that we had to remove to run the new water line from the well. The concrete is piled up on the right side, and the new water line connection is sticking up in the corner by the door.
Front view of the same area. This faces due southwest, which is not an optimal orientation for a solar greenhouse, but I was working with what I had.
page 2, page 3, page 4, page 5
Read more about solar power and green building on my blog, desert verde.
