Solar home tour reflects interest in energy-efficienct tech

NORFOLK

On a heavily wooded retreat-like lot in the heart of the city lives a progressive architect whose thoughts, work and home's design revolve around the sun and the far-reaching implications of its abundant, free energy.

The majority if his windows face south. They span from near-floor to near-ceiling beneath exterior overhangs and sport insulated shades with radiant barriers on weatherized tracks indoors because they're older than their modern-day energy-efficient counterparts.

Richard Fitts, a partner at The Design Collaborative architectural firm in Virginia Beach, designed the home in Norfolk's Riverfront neighborhood for himself in 1979.

He'd caught the solar bug that decade, when oil crises modified American lifestyles and saving energy suddenly "became very personal to a lot of people," he said.

His firm became dedicated to learning, teaching and implementing the principles of passive solar and other sustainable methodology.

"I believed in it," Fitts, 67, said. So much so, he explained, that he entered a competition in 1978 for real-world integration of passive solar energy in residential design. The contest was sponsored by the United States departments of Energy and Department of Housing and Urban Development.

"I was building this simple, small home (for myself), and I was interested in solar energy," Fitts recounted.

With a good site assessment during the design phase he could not only strategize window placement for a savings of up to 50 percent in heating and cooling costs, but he might win $5,000 to boot.

Flash forward to 2011: The $5,000 has been spent, and Fitts estimates he saves 30 to 40 percent annually on heating and cooling costs at home. Meanwhile, his award-winning Design Collaborative specializes in sustainable and energy-efficient design of custom homes and retail, office and municipal buildings in three states.

Lighting and air conditioning can drive half of a building's annual energy cost, Fitts noted. The use of day lighting, passive-solar heating principles and cooling-load reduction strategies really make a difference.

"It's all about the relationship to the sun," which is high in summer and low in winter, Fitts said.

As the seasons change "there's a natural rhythm that we can align with - or not." In southeastern Virginia,south-facing windows enable good passive control of the sun's impact with the use of exterior and interior shading devices.

Morning and afternoon sun from east/west-facing windows, however, while still important in smaller doses, is more difficult to control.

Fitts admitted being gung ho about these concepts decades ago, when he expected the new solar and sustainable building science to take off nationwide. Today, he's happy to see the recent surge in interest in Hampton Roads as people move toward less dependency on fossil fuel sources and realize how affordable solar energy can be when planned right.

"If you build on a site with good access to the sun and you plan your building wisely, you can use the same elements, at the same cost, but save significantly on your energy costs for the life of the building," Fitts said.

In addition, today's double- and triple-glazed, gas-filled windows with low-E coatings, low U-factors and non-metal frames provide excellent temperature and air migration control at an array of price points.

Solar Services Inc. in Virginia Beach has installed about 300 active solar systems annually since 2001, said Richard Good, the company president. They include hot-water, photovoltaic-electric and pool-heating systems.

Depending on volume of water used, the annual return on investment for a solar water heater with electric backup is 10 to 15 percent, Good said. Those with gas backup return about 7 to 10 percent.

Grid-tied solar electric systems can create enough energy on sunny days to drastically reduce utility demand, if not eliminate it completely.

When qualified active solar electric and water-heating systems produce an excess the energy can be sold back to electricity suppliers in the form of Solar Renewable Energy Certificates, or SRECs.

Such is the case in the McElroy home in Norfolk's Lakewood section, where a $30,000 photovoltaic system is expected to pay for itself within 12 years and then start generating an income of sorts. The system has already been partially offset by a $9,000 federal tax credit, the homeowners said, and has yielded lower electric bills.

Additionally, Ruth McElroy expects her family's solar water heater to pay for itself in three.

And if that wasn't enough, the McElroys installed a green roof over part of their home. According to Ruth McElroy, it provides good insulation, and the drought-tolerant plants absorb the sun's energy.

It should also extend the life of her roof to 50 or 60 years, she said, adding that "it's much prettier than black asphalt."

For her school-aged sons "it's like having a little science experiment right outside the window. It's such an intimate look at nature that's always right there."

A 3,000-gallon rain-water cistern waters it when necessary and also supplies water for sprinklers, hoses and one toilet.

Folks can get a real-world look at solar and other efficiency technologies, including those within the Fitts, McElroy and Good homes, during the upcoming 2011 Hampton Roads Solar Tour.

Part of the American Solar Energy Society's National Solar Tour, this free self-guided event will feature 27 homes and businesses throughout the Southside and Peninsula. They all implement renewable and sustainable technologies and techniques to reduce costs, help protect the environment and improve quality of life.

"Right now, solar energy is slowly but steadily growing in Hampton Roads," said Ken Wright, a retired materials engineer and event organizer.

"Unfortunately," he added, "many of this isn't obvious to people. Systems tend to be hidden or in locations where folks rarely go."

The tour will show the public how simple, and often affordable, it can be to get onboard. Even boaters, he said, are beginning to use solar for onboard electricity generation.

Although she knows of no hard data regarding the increased resale value of energy-efficient homes in Tidewater, Paula Irby, a National Association of Realtors "green" Realtor with Rose and Womble Realty in Chesapeake, estimates at least a 10 percent difference between a normal home and one that's green.

She added, "it all depends on how green." Things like encapsulated crawl spaces, photovoltaic panels, geothermal HVAC systems, high-efficiency insulation and other cost-reducing technologies all add value.

Energy-efficient homes that don't command a price increase in today's competitive market are at least likely to move more quickly than low-efficiency contenders, added Suzanne Dezern, a "green" Realtor with Re/Max Alliance in Virginia Beach.

While Fitts expects Solar Tour attendees will see that solar needn't be expensive and can add greatly to a home's value, he also hopes they'll glimpse what he's discovered.

"When your house is designed in harmony with the sun, you're more in harmony with nature - and it's just a nice way to live," he said.

Nora Firestone,

nfirestone@verizon.net