Utility Costs

Between $141 and $266 for lowest to highest states per month for gas and electric. See nice map at [1]

This means that in the design of the Seed Eco-Home, we put in the extra effort to make electrical costs less over lifetime. We can also strive to make those costs 0 up front via energy loans.

Basics of high PV profile - use 20kW.

Invest in concrete pipe (it leaks [2]) for water storage when sealed and insulated.

Transcending the System - Calculations

• 20kW PV - raw cost of $7k, down to $5.8k in bulk.
• Water from 59F to 110F (15 to 44) - 30C rise. For 250 gallons.
• Industry standards - 80 gal heater - 21 gal recovery rate per hour with 9kW. [3]
• Max gallons recovered with 18 kW electric - 42 gal/hr - or 250 gallons per day.
• Perhaps the large 80 gal heater is the way to go as a basic, off-the-shelf unit running on solar. Keep it on only during the hottest sun time. Heat loss of a hot water heater is 1-2.5 kWhr/day - [4]. This means that if it took 4 hours to heat the 80 gallon tank at 9kW - then it took 36kWhr, so daily loss of 2.5 kWhr means it would take 14 days for all heat to be lost? That means, we lost 1/14 * 50F = 3.5F per day? If we went to 110F, then after 3 days we are still at about 100F!

Point of Action

Make costs of the following go away with solar:

1. Heating
2. Cooling
3. Hot water
4. Cooking - induction. No problem. Energy use requirement?
5. Refrigeration - easy during day - and off at night. Not a problem at all.
6. Lights, computers - need them at night if one is staying up. Take typical time up to midnight, which means tha you are using X units of energy. Calculate case scenarios. Monitor - 20w abd 0.5W - [5], Ryzen 3600 65W [6], GPU - 100W - [7]