1970s Fixer-upper Transforms into Sustainable Spotlight
In 2006, Patrick did not want to buy a fixer-upper, but his wife Sheila, an avid home designer, did. In addition to completing all of the stonework around the house, she played a large role in many of the home’s renovations including the installation of a solar water heating system to keep their pool warm well into the fall.
Solar electric came next. Patrick did a ton of research to educate himself about photovoltaic systems and discovered a new passion for solar and sustainable technologies. He uses two monitoring systems to track his production and consumption, including a BIDGELY monitoring package, which incorporates SDG&E Green Button Data to monitor home consumption and specific appliances. He can see how home energy use relates to solar production and its value in relation to SDG&E rates on a real-time basis.
“I was fanatical about watching the system production at first, which is probably pretty common with new solar owners, but now I’m happy with a daily summary screen shot,” Patrick said. “Green technologies make a lot of sense.”
Other Sustainability Measures
Renewable Energy
- Solar water heating – 11 unglazed flat
- plate collectors (heat swimming pool)
Energy Efficiency
- Noritz tankless water heater
- LED lighting throughout the house
- Double-paned glass on windows
- and French doors
- Insulation in all walls
- Energy-efficient pool pump
Alternative Transportation
- Toyota Prius Plug-in
- Tesla Model S