The Dark and Dirty Side of Solar DIY

**aperkins01096** · 11-06-2010 12:45 PM

Before adding a solar array of any type you should be sure you've insulated, and plugged any electrical/thermal leaches. We're getting ready for an expansion on our house, with a radiant heat floor that will (eventually) be solar powered. Our contractor has mentioned insulating further, as well as air exchange. Quite a difference from the previous contractor that said "...well, the house has to breathe!" when questioned about the gaps in the "wrap" they'd put on before adding the siding.

"... the dark side of solar heating is the fact that if you don't have sufficient insulation and you haven't made your envelope as tight as possible, your hard work is silently drifting out of your home. The same is true for solar electric: if you haven't reduced or eliminated the phantom power leeches from your home, that array is going to take longer to pay for itself. ..." from The Dark Side of Making Heat | MakeHeat

**Val** · 03-06-2011 11:04 AM

I heard of people building Earthships but instead of working with the land, jack hammered and blasted radon rock for the "perfect fit" and view. They ended up having to vent the solar heated air out for radon mitigation, and thus defeat the whole idea of the Earthship.
The thread title is an error. Do it yourself solar, with proper education, has no real dark side at all. The people above did not have the proper education about the land and rocks around them. Everything takes research. That includes both solar thermal, active and passive solar power. When done right, the sweat equity and electric bill savings will eventually, in just a few years make it so you can be mortgage free. We were mortgage free in 8 years. That is real freedom!!!

The Dark and Dirty Side of Solar DIY
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