Professional Practice
Increasing Energy Efficiency: Residential Solar power
The use of solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems on homes has exploded in popularity. According to , some 1.3 million homes have installed rooftop solar panels, and along with centralized solar farms, they together produce 40 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power 6.5 million American homes. The states that the nation’s total installed capacity for solar PV systems is expected to triple in the next five years.
Globally, solar PV systems are growing worldwide with 75 gigawatts installed in 2016, bringing the total global PV capacity to 303 gigawatts. Germany and a number of Scandinavian countries are leaders in residential solar power use.
A number of U.S. states, including California, provide a range of incentives for homeowners to install rooftop solar energy systems, giving homeowners the opportunity to reduce energy costs and even sell their energy back to the central grid. And some cities, like and , have gone even further, mandating the use of solar panels for new buildings or even some renovations.
If added through an integrated site design process, solar power systems can be incorporated into structures or leverage other energy efficient technologies. As a part of integrated site design, landscape architects can (1) integrate into canopies and pergolas, (2) determine where homeowners can site solar arrays to achieve the most solar gain with the least visual impact, or (3) co-join solar and green roof systems to further improve energy efficiency, extend the value of solar systems, and provide more biodiversity on the roof.
Residential solar power benefits include:
- Cost efficiency: Solar panels or tiles can significantly reduce electricity bill especially during winter time
- Economic incentives: Net metering and tax incentives
- Grid-connection: Homeowners can sell excess power back to the central grid
Sources: "," U.S. Department of Energy and "," How Stuff Works.com, “,” Solar Energy Industries Association
Organizations
Resources
, U.S. Department of Energy
, eHow
, Environmental Protection Agency
, Environmental Protection Agency
, Solar Energy Industries Association
, EY
, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
, Engineering 360
, The Miami Herald
Research
“,” Michael Boxwell, Greenstream Publishing
“,” Dan Chiras, New Society Publishers
Government Resources
, U.S. Department of Energy
, Australian Government
, State of Oregon
, U.S. Department of Energy
, U.S. Department of Energy
, Philadelphia Energy Authority
, San Francisco Planning Department
Projects
Sonoma Retreat, Sonoma, California
Aidlin Darling Design
, U.S. Department of Energy
Combined Green Roof + Solar
Solar power and renewable energy technologies can be combined with other landscape design practices to support energy efficiency. For example, incorporating solar panels onto green roofs can enhance the benefits of both technologies. The cooling effect of the green roof can increase solar cell efficiency while shade from solar panels can increase biodiversity on the green roof by providing shade in an otherwise full sunlight location. Green roofs can also be combined with solar thermal systems. Solar thermal systems capture heat from the sun and use it to process hot water.
Source: “,” Building Green
Organizations
Resources
, International Green Roof Association
, CleanTechnica
, Building Green
, Waterproof Magazine
, Triple Pundit
Research
“,” Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong
“,” Manfred Kohler, Marco Schmidt, Michael Laar, Ulrike Wachsmann, Stefan Krauter, University of Applied Sciences Neubrandenurg, Germany
“,” Roland Appl & Wolfgang Ansel, 2012
“Vegetated Roofs (Green Roofs) Combined with Photovoltaic Panels,” Jorg Breuning & Robert Tilson, 2013 ASLA annual meeting
Projects
, Washington, D.C.
DC Greenworks
, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
Charles Rose Architects
Community Solar
Community solar, also known as community solar gardens and shared solar, are models that connect community stakeholders to solar power generated at a central location. These systems can extend distributed solar market participation to residential and commercial customers unable to install solar PV systems on their own roofs.
To achieve certification with the use of a community renewable energy system, the project must show actual ownership in the system or a signed lease agreement for a period of at least 15 years and the system must also be located within the same utility service area as the facility claiming the use.
Organizations
Resources
, Australian Government Department of the Environment and Energy
, NREL
, Interstate Renewable Energy Council
Research
, Energy Sage
, Minnesota Government
Projects
, Buffalo, New York
Hood Studio
, Masonic Villages Retirement Community