taste of the tour
illinois: This small house in Evanston, built in 1952,
got 128 square feet ( 12 square meters) of solar water-
heating panels in 1985. The system produces about
three-quarters of the home’s hot water. hot water from
the panels also circulates through a heat exchanger
near the furnace fan, reducing the fuel burned to run
the forced-air space heating. The owner estimates the
system saves about $500 a year on the gas bill.
JEFF BALCH
Missouri: This award-winning home in stockton lake,
designed by orlo stitt, boasts three bedrooms and two
offices in 3,718 square feet (345 square meters) — with an
average monthly electric bill of $57. The home’s passive
solar design features large south-facing windows and
super-insulated walls and roof, with a hillside sheltering the
site from north and west winds. a sharp 3-k W grid-tied PV
array provides over 50 percent of the home’s electric needs
(plus battery back-up) and water-heating panels feed an
80-gallon tank to supply all domestic hot water.
MIKE MALONEY, MALONEY MARKETING GROUP
alaska: rock island
lodge is an off-grid
getaway cabin on Cook
inlet, with five bedrooms
and three baths. it uses
an 840-watt PV array and
two wind turbines totaling
1,400 watts, plus a 6-k W
diesel backup generator.
all power sources feed
a 920-amp hour, 24-volt
battery bank capable of
storing 22,000 watt-hours.
a 4,000-watt inverter deliv-
ers aC power to the house.
Propane tanks provide gas
for cooking and hot water.
Most of the power equip-
