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Rochester Solar News |
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O'Connell Electric Co. PV installer Jeff Conte becomes NYSERDA approved!
By Julie Sherwood, staff writer
Posted Feb 22, 2010 @ 11:04 AM
Last update Feb 22, 2010 @ 12:47 PM
Naples, N.Y. —
When John Braun retired a few years ago after decades of operating Glenside Organic Vineyards on County Road 36 in Naples, he decided to make an investment in his family’s centuries-old farm.
The winemaker looked no further than the sun that for years has sweetened his hillside grapes.
Last year, 24 solar panels installed on the roof of his wine building — near the two-story farmhouse he shares with his wife, Shirley — began producing electricity. While the entire system, which includes some cable and monitoring boxes, intrigued him, it was a bill he got in July that really tickled his fancy.
“I got a got a credit of $180,” Bruan said.
He also got “bills” that were zero, he said.
The electricity wasn’t free, by any means, but the couple did save money and their system contributed electricity to the national grid.
Shirley did a quick calculation that showed they paid about $800 for electricity in 2008. After converting to solar in January 2009, they ended up paying about $200 last year.
Braun is part of a growing number of homeowners and businesses cashing in on the power of the sun.
Encouragement
Government grants and tax credits abound for the conversion to solar. In January, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced $10 million in federal stimulus funds for installation of solar systems statewide. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand this month introduced legislation encouraging the installation of 10 million solar systems in the state over the next decade.
The 10 Million Solar Roofs and 10 Million Gallons of Solar Hot Water Act would provide consumers and businesses with rebates to help them handle the pricey upfront cost.
“A recent report shows that solar power could help make every state more energy independent if solar units were installed on available rooftop space, because every state can meet 10 percent or more of its electricity needs just through rooftop solar,” Gillibrand said.
Costs, payoffs
The total cost of Braun’s system was nearly $45,000. Braun paid $23,000, with NYSERDA covering the balance.
“I felt it was a good way to go, a good investment,” said Braun.
He figures it will add about $20,000 to the value of his family farm, in addition to his reduced electric bill.
Shawn Lessord, manager for the solar division of O’Connell Electric Co., Rochester Solar Technologies in Victor, who installed Braun’s system, said Braun has an ideal location, with its “nice open field” and roof a well situated to catch the sun.
Lessord said he has seen the popularity in solar systems rise dramatically in the past few years. When he started in the business seven years ago, he did one or two a year, he said. In 2009, it was close to 60. The higher demand has created more jobs, as well.
A few years ago, he and one other employee did all the solar systems, he said. Now, the company has six employees.
Government incentives and lower upfront costs for installation have helped fuel the recent demand for solar systems, Lessord said.
Three or four years ago, the payback was 25 to 30 years, he said. Now, customers recoup their costs in six or seven years.
And not all are as pricey as the system installed at the Brauns’ farm. A recent system Lessord put in cost about $20,000, he said. With tax credits, the customer ended up paying about $7,200.
In giving examples of home solar systems, the company noted annual utility bill savings of about $230, based on current utility pricing (www.solarrochester.com).
“I am no big crusader,” said Braun of his solar system. “I figure people will make their own decision.”
But he is pleased with the decision he made.
“I felt it was a good way to go,” he said.
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Webster Home Owner Goes Green
Tuesday, 17 November 2009 Nicole Santacesaria
Solar energy may sound like something of the future for homeowners but thanks to Shawn Lessord of Rochester Solar Technologies, it is within reach and very much in demand.
As a division of O’Connell Electric Company, Rochester Solar Technologies is bringing solar and wind renewable energy to businesses and homeowners across the Rochester area.
Saving money on electric has always been a concern for anyone who owns a home or business. Now, with solar energy a possibility, customers can save tons of money along with receiving incentives for using solar energy.
A State incentive of cash back, Federal tax credit and New York State tax credit are all opportunities available when installing a solar energy system. The installation typically takes about one week from start to finish.
Options for installing a solar panel can be on the roof of the home or business or along side of the building on its own. The panels weigh about two to three pounds per square foot. If installed on the roof, they are placed right on top of the shingles.
The system works by powering the building throughout the day and then turns off at night, then switching to electric. The homeowner does not notice any switch, as it happens simultaneously.
While being powered by solar energy, the homeowner is actually selling power back to the electric company as they are required to purchase energy from anyone generating power. At the end of the billing period, the homeowner will then have the credits earned with the solar unit deducted from their bill and pay the remaining balance.
The system is not affected by storms or rain and can handle a few inches of snow covering it. It is an unnoticed and low maintenance system which will cut energy costs drastically.
Recently, Roy and Meredith Green had a system installed by Rochester Solar Technologies next to their home in Webster. The installer took one week to complete the installation and no wires were visible when the installation was completed. Along with cutting costs, solar power is environmentally friendly for anyone trying to live a more “Green” lifestyle.
Under NYSERDA you can get incentive rebates which can save you thousands of dollars off the cost of your system. Shawn Lessord and Tim Ehmann of Rochester Solar Technologies are NYSERDA approved installers and can get you these rebates. On top of these rebates you maybe able to take advantage of the New York State tax credit and Federal Tax credit to help you with your renewable energy purchase. We have helped many of our customers with these rebates and tax credits.
For more information on solar energy, tax incentives and Rochester Solar Technologies can be found at solarrochester.com.
Addtional information can be found at greenmadesimple.com
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Solar power energizes new career
Erica Bryant • Staff writer • November 10, 2009
Rochester may not strike the average person as the ideal spot to generate solar energy. But improvements in solar technology, government incentives and growing interest in "green" power have meant more solar panels on local rooftops. And more work for Jeff Conte, a specialized photovoltaic electrical installer.
Conte sets up solar energy systems for O'Connell Electric and Rochester Solar Technologies. His recent projects include solar panel installations at the Rochester Museum and Science Center, the Indian Community Center, Dansville Dental Associates and several homes.
Originally trained as a traditional electrician, Conte decided to branch out into solar energy about four years ago. This involved learning a new set of electricity safety codes and techniques for connecting solar panels to existing electrical infrastructure.
Mark Peterson, president and CEO of Greater Rochester Enterprise, expects demand for people with these skills to increase. GRE, a regional economic development organization, is working on 19 potential business expansion projects and six of them are solar. "That's a pretty good indicator of how hot this industry is," Peterson said.
Conte's work can be seen on south facing roofs across Monroe County. He says that pockets of solar panels have sprouted on streets in Brighton, Honeoye, Holley and Kendall and that the panels often advertise themselves.
"Somebody sees them and they go and talk to their neighbor," he said. "People like the up and coming technology."
In January, New York started requiring power companies to purchase solar energy from commercial and non-profit organizations when they produce more than they can use. Since then Conte says his workload has shifted from mostly residential to an even amount coming from homes and businesses or community organizations. He recently installed more than 200 solar panels at the India Community Center in Macedon, for example, enabling the center to meet all its needs with solar energy.
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Solar energy catching on
It's quiet, it's clean and one Victor businessman says it's catching on. It's solar energy generated by panels on houses and businesses.
Raj Rajan had solar panels installed on his home in Victor when he first built it several years ago and he says he loves producing his own energy. “On a real sunny day I’m thinking, that's a 40-kilowatt hour day! I’m not thinking it's a sunny day, I’m thinking, I’m going to make a lot of solar power today!
This summer, Rajan had an additional set of solar panel installed by O'Connell Electric, an electrical construction company where employees say they're going green. They added their own solar panels to the building just last week and Shaun Lessord says they're receiving 20 calls or emails every day about solar energy.
“With the state of the economy they also want to save costs. Solar panels are a cost-saving measure to give people a lower electric bill.”
In fact one of the company's senior project managers is heading to Washington to tell the Small Business Committee of Congress all about renewable energy and its benefits.
Tim Ehmann of O’Connell Electric said, This is permanent. It's installed. It's producing today. It's producing tomorrow. It's going to be producing ten, 25 years from now. It will have taken its chunk out of the worldwide problem. And this is going to sustain not only with electrical, producing electricity, but also sustaining some jobs in the future.
Rajan says with the new panels from O’Connell Electric, he'll be producing 95-percent of his home's energy using solar panels. “That is exciting for people. It only gets better. It gets cheaper, it gets better. More efficient.”
New York State offers tax credits to customers who buy solar panels so they can get some money back. Also, when a person installs a solar panel system in their house and it starts producing power, they can sell excess power that they're not using back to the electric company.
Bed & Breakfast Goes Green
Reported by: Jecoliah Ellis
Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 @04:31pm EST
A historic bed and breakfast in
Adams
Basin is going green. Using solar panels and a solar power inverter the innkeepers expect to save big on energy bills. It's all about the old meeting the new.
Built in the 1800’s, Adams Basin Inn sits on the
Erie Canal between Spencerport and Brockport. It's been a bed and breakfast for 25 years. "It's a large house with all the guest coming in there's always electricity running TV's all that and so just to have that money," said Pat Haines.
Pat Haines loves to cook. So two years ago she and husband David bought the inn. "We love meeting people. We love entertaining. We cook like this ourselves so why not share it with someone else," said Pat Haines.
Business is good. But then there are the bills. "Gas and electricity were huge. Kind of through the roof so we had to do something. Being an old house I started caulking the inside. Then we did little things like putting foam insulation on all the duplexes then we went and replaced all the windows," said David Haines.
The Haines decided to install 18 sun power panels on the roof of the inn's carriage house. The technology can produce more than 4,000 kilowatt hours a year. "At some point we generate more electricity than we use that goes back into the grid. If we use more than we're generating then of course we're paying for that," said David Haines.
The Haines expect to save 40% on their energy bills in a year's time. "It's neat when you take something real old and use some brand new technology but still keep the old flavor of the inn," said David Haines.
The best of both. Rest assured that's what you'll find at the Adams Basin Inn. The Haines spent $35,000 on the solar power technology. Two thirds of the bill will be reimbursed through a state energy rebate program.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
19th Century B&B Goes Green
01/05/2009 11:40 AM
photo by Tim Keegan
Adams Basin Inn
An historic 19th century bed & breakfast on the Erie Canal in Adams Basin, just north of Spencerport, is using state of the art sun power.
Pat and David Haines have been caretakers at the Adams Basin Inn on Washington St. for the last two years. Since then, they've added "green" touches throughout the home to save energy and money.
They insulated every seam, doorway and outlet, installed new windows and use the latest in solar module technology for power. The roof of their carriage house is covered in solar modules.
"The only way you can tell we have it is if you go up on the towpath then you can see it. Otherwise guests will never see it,” said David Haines. "Everything we have done is to make sure that the house will not only be here but be used by lots of people in the next
200 years."
The Haines estimate solar power will generate about forty percent of their electrical needs. Anything left over will be sold back to RG&E.
Brockport home runs on ‘green’ technology
By Carrie Ann Grippo
Shawn Lessord stands in front of a pole-mounted Evergreen Solar Panel in the backyard of his 73 Valleyview Drive home in Brockport. This Saturday, the Lessords will welcome in members of the public as one of over 400 in four northeastern states featured in the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association’s Green Buildings Open House.
By Mike Costanza, correspondent
Hilton-Spencerport Post
Wed Oct 03, 2007, 10:33 AM EDT
Brockport, N.Y. -
Shawn Lessord’s home looks much like many others in Brockport. The front yard of his family’s rambling two-story home is filled with grass and other growing things. Two cars sit in the driveway, and children scamper about. A dog that welcomes visitors awaits a pat on the head.
What you might not notice is the wind turbine on one corner of the house or the solar panels on its roof. Since 2001, the Lessords and their two young children have used such devices and power-saving home appliances to cut the family’s consumption of power from their local supplier, National Grid, by more than half.
“We started in 2001 at about 14,800 kilowatt-hours,” Lessord said. “We’re down to about 4,800 now, with energy conservation and solar stuff.”
The kilowatt-hour is a standard measure of power consumption. The changes have cut the Lessords’ use of power from polluting sources, such as generating plants that burn fossil fuels or use nuclear fuel, and their costs.
“Our bills were about $160 a month,” Lessord said. “Now, they’re down to $80 a month.”
The journey to greater power self-sufficiency started with a single step – a solar-powered doorbell. While that might seem to be a very small step to take toward saving thousands of kilowatt-hours of electricity, Lessord said the original doorbell drew a “phantom load” of current, whether it was being rung or not.
“The average house has about 25 phantom loads,” he said.
Though a single phantom load might not amount to much, the power drawn by microwaves awaiting food to heat, stereos and televisions waiting for signals from remotes and cell phone chargers standing ready to charge our favorite communications devices 24 hours a day pile up over time. Lessord, a power systems engineer for a local communications company, installed the new doorbell. The small, flat solar array that powers it still sits on the side of the Lessord’s house, exotic looking but easy to miss.
Then, you might say, Lessord went in for home power generation in a big way. Since his solar-powered doorbell first sounded, Lessord has installed arrays of solar power collectors on the roof and in the backyard. The wind turbine and a device called an “inverter” converts the power they collect to a form in which the house can use. A bank of batteries – much like large car batteries in appearance – sits in the basement of the house, storing the collectors’ output for later use. In a power outage, they can supply the power the family would need to run its furnace, refrigerator and other basic appliances.
“We could go three, four days with no electric,” Lessord said.
When the collectors’ output is more than the family needs, the Lessords sell the excess back to National Grid at the same rate they’d have to pay if it was bought from the supplier. On a cloudy, fairly calm day last week, the collectors still put out fraction of a kilowatt-hour of excess power.
While generating a substantial amount of their own power, the Lessords have also cut their consumption through installing energy-saving home devices.
Small fluorescent lamps consume a fraction of the electricity of standard incandescent light bulbs. An on-demand water heater in the basement provides hot water when the taps above are turned on, eliminating the power needed to heat a tankful of water all the time. The Lessords’ furnace, refrigerator, stove and clothes dryer were all selected for energy efficiency, and Lessord recently installed a new stove in his living room that burns pellets of compressed sawdust, dried wheat, corn and sunflower seeds. With software upgrades, it should be able to burn other materials, such as switchgrass – an easily grown organic material.
“They’re going to be able to burn switchgrass and cherry pits,” he said, with a grin.
Lessord said the solar and wind collectors and energy-saving devices cost about $15,000, but the family’s electric bills have dropped by about 50 percent since 2001.
Reducing the amount of power used by American homes and industries could have a positive effect on the environment.
“Electrical production accounts for about 40 percent of our carbon output into the atmosphere,” said Mark Norris, an assistant professor in the environmental science department of the SUNY College at Brockport.
The use of efficient wood pellet-burning stoves could also help cut pollution.
“You can harvest trees sustainably because they’re a renewable resource,” he said. “The process of burning wood is a much more localized process and a much less energy-intensive process.”
Two years ago, Lessord founded Rochester Solar Technologies, a firm that installed home solar and wind power systems. O’Connell Electric, a local firm, bought Lessord’s company and he’s now the company’s solar division manager. This Saturday, the Lessord home will be open to those seeking to know more about solar energy collection systems. The home will be one of more than 400 in four states featured in the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association’s Green Buildings Open House.
“By educating people and showing people what can be done we can make a difference,” Lessord said.
Soaking up the sun
By Jack Haley
Installer Jeff Conte of Greece fastens a section of a solar panel on a rooftop in Victor.
By Morgan Wesson, correspondent
Daily Messenger
Fri Sep 19, 2008, 11:00 AM EDT
Victor, N.Y. -
Raj Rajan was a pioneer five years ago when he bought solar panels for his Victor home.
Now, as he upgrades his system, he’s fast becoming one of the crowd.
Renewable energy systems for homes, including solar panels, are so popular that the state grant program that helps pay for them ran out of money last month.
“For now the monies won’t flow. But we will take applications with the hope, not the guarantee, that the Public Service Commission will devote another $30 million to the program” in November, said Tom Lynch, director of external affairs at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
Shawn Lessord, founder of Rochester Solar Technologies, now a division of O’Connell Electric in Victor, said the grants, which pay for half the cost of installation, have driven demand for his service.
“Ninety percent of our customers would not do this (buy photovoltaic home power systems) if there weren’t NYSERDA subsidies,” he said. “We still can do applications, but they will be put on hold. The growth is double what they thought it was.”
The agency had anticipated giving homeowners a total of $1.5 million per month in 2008; it handed out more than $2.3 million in June and again in July.
| Power from the sun |
Photovoltaic, or solar, panels use no fossil fuel and emit no heat, gases, carbon or other elements that contribute to global warming. Thank a long line of inventors and theorists for discovering the photoelectric effect (Cesar Becquerel, 1835; Willoughby Smith, 1873) and then understanding what that actually meant (Heinrich Hertz, Max Planck, Albert Einstein, Julius Elster and others).
The manufacture of power-producing solar cells did not begin in earnest until after 1954, and the American space program was an early customer. Electricity is generated when a series of electrical conductors convert light, or photons, into electrons. A good photovoltaic cell is sensitive to the widest possible range of solar radiation, both visible and infrared.
The race for better solar panels today is all about building cheaper, durable cells that can compete with fossil-fuel generation systems and other green technologies such as wind and hydro-power.
Solar panels have advantages. The technology is silent, compact and unobtrusive. It’s long lasting, relatively maintenance free, and offers few design and installation issues, save maximum orientation to the sun in the sky and enough space for a solar collector. Modern residential roofs are good sites for panels. “We’re adding solar panels on roofs at 2 to 3 pounds per square foot. That’s nothing,” said Shawn Lessord, founder of Rochester Solar Technologies of Victor.
Because solar is a seasonal technology, with panels producing less energy in winter, a two-way net metering arrangement is available from most power companies, meaning customers can buy power in the winter but sell extra power in the summer.
For information about NYSERDA call 1-866-NYSERDA or go to www.nyserda.org. For information about PV incentives go to www.powernaturally.org/programs/solar/incentives/asp.
For information about Rochester Solar Technologies, a Division of O’Connell Electric, go to www.Rochestersolar.com. |
The grant program is part of the state’s push to increase the use of renewable energy in New York from 19 to 25 percent by 2013. James Denn, spokesman for the Public Service Commission, could not say when the PSC would decide whether to commit more money to the homeowner grant program this year.
Another factor in the demand may be a federal income tax credit that expires this year. Any solar water heating or photovoltaic system placed in service by Dec. 31 qualifies for a tax credit of 30 percent of the cost of the system, up to $2,000. That’s not a deduction, but $2,000 off the tax bill itself.
In his Phillips Road office, Lessord carefully arranged a stack of pictures of trim upstate homes with new photovoltaic panels on their roofs. He has installed more than 100 systems since launching his company in 2005.
As he talked, Lessord pointed out hybrid cars in driveways. He drives a company hybrid Ford Escape out to customer meetings. He is not looking forward to explaining a subsidy problem.
“It’s a scary thought. There are all these (state) budget issues, and now we’re out of subsidy funds. It could have an effect on our business,” Lessord said.
He has sat around enough kitchen tables with homeowners to sense pent up demand and a new willingness to try the technology. Rising power bills, expensive heating oil, natural gas and gasoline has nudged solar power back to the front burner.
“It’s the homeowner minimizing his or her overhead. People are burdened too much already. Right now, it is cost effective, with the subsidy,” Lessord said of solar or PV, short for photovoltaic, panels.
Or, perhaps even without the subsidy. Raj Rajan looks at it this way: “Think about it as a hot tub, as a home improvement project.”
As rising energy costs nip the McMansion era in the bud, Rajan wants to know, “What’s the payback on the granite tabletop in your kitchen?”
His own 5-year-old $20,000, 2.5-kilowatt photovoltaic panel array still works perfectly. It can make 165 watts of direct current power per panel. The current runs through an AC power inverter connected to the utility power grid. Each year, Rajan, who built his home oriented to the sun for solar panels, has produced more electric power from his first modest system than Department of Energy data said was possible. Now he is a repeat customer.
Earlier this month, Rajan put up a second 5.5-kilowatt row of Sunpower PV panels from Rochester Solar Technologies.
“The Sunpower is smaller, but it is 230 watts per panel, cheaper. My original 2.5-kilowatt setup was $20,000. The new installation is ... $40,000,” he said.
Actually the second deal cost Rajan $20,000, as he turned in his subsidy before August.
“With my full installation, I’ll produce 18 to 19 kilowatts per day. A typical house consumes 600 kilowatt hours per month,” said Rajan. The new panels could let Rajan and his wife, Kavitha Sitaram, break even on their electric power use. Year-round, the couple may only pay utility grid connection fees of $20 a month.
“I will be buying power in the winter,” said Rajan, but making more power than he uses in the summer. His net metering deal from Rochester Gas & Electric will average out charges over the year. Long-term, Rajan figures a 10-year payback for his newly configured solar power system. The new Sunpower panels have a 25-year warranty.
“I am an environmental engineer. I practice some of this for a living,” said Rajan of alternative energy sources. His job with Ecovation, at Eastgate Square in Victor, involves harnessing biogas power for clients like cheesemakers Kraft and Polly-O.
Though homeowners may have to wait for more subsidy money, Gov. David Paterson’s signing of a new net-metering law opened the way for businesses and non-profits to start getting subsidies for solar systems, too.
“If you study Governor Paterson’s renewable energy task force, it is a road map to get 100 megawatts of photovoltaic solar installed in the state. We are in the 15 megawatt range statewide now,” said NYSERDA’s Tom Lynch.
“David Paterson has been working on the renewable energy program for over a year now,” well before he became governor, Lynch added.
Now, larger power users like Rochester Institute of Technology, the city of Buffalo, several school districts and other clients of Rochester Solar can look to larger PV systems, and Lessord confirms more inquiries along those lines.
“It’s 10-to 15-year payback with state and federal tax incentives and NYSERDA covering 45 percent of the cost,” Lessord said.
That leaves cloudy skies as the prime upstate drawback. Or not.
“Lots of people typically say we get a lot of cloud cover,” Rajan said. “But Germany is almost 20 percent electricity from solar now. Even Alaska gets more sun than Germany.”
Contact Morgan Wesson at (585) 394-0770, Ext. 256, or at messenger@messengerpostmedia.com.
WROC NEWS 8 VIDEO 10-18-2007
http://rochesterhomepage.net/media_player.php?media_id=15608
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Latest Press Release 12-22-2006: Rochester Solar Technologies customer's, Charles Zettek (top) and Britton Hopkins (lower) remark on their Photovoltaic Grid connected PV systems.
Solar Energy Generates Interest After Katrina
Press coverage on 9-23-2005 Rochester Solar in the news: News source 13
Last Update: 9/23/2005 6:48:52 AM
Holly Maynard (Brockport, NY) 09/22/05 - As Texas braces for Hurricane Rita, consumers everywhere are bracing for the highest heating bills they've ever seen, and some are coping by switching to solar energy.
Analysts predict heating costs for the average home could be up to 70 percent higher than last year's levels.
Shawn Lessord owns Rochester Solar Technologies, and he has seen a 20 percent increase in interest recently, from people wanting solar heating systems installed or repaired.
Install It By Winter, Please
Lessord said, "People are saying they want their systems fixed by wintertime when gas prices are projected to increase."
Lessord said having the sun do the work can save money. With the system at his house, any electricity his family doesn't use goes back to his local utility and they pay him for it.
There are a variety of systems. Some cost as little as $2,000. Others that go as high as $50,000. Lessord said his own system is about the average, and goes for about $8,000. It will take about six years to get your money back on such a system.
Lessord's old energy bill was about $170 a month. His more recent bills are about $55 saving him about $115 a month.
There are some drawbacks. Lessord says there are few people in this area that can maintain these systems and snow could be a problem if they're not installed right.
"This is something you don't want to jump into,” he said, “you want to do research."
Incentives Available
It looks like now is a good time to do that research. Through state incentives it’s possible to get up to 40 percent off on some systems. Federal incentives are expected to come along soon.
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Earth sheltered house 11-7-07
 It's not exactly an underground house, but it's close. Homeowner Dave Fulmer Wednesday took News 10 NBC's Ray Levato on an exclusive tour of an earth-sheltered home he's finishing in East Bloomfield in Ontario County.
They started out standing on a hill on Whalen Road. "Dave, I see the solar panels. Where's the house?" Ray asked. "You're standing on top of it," said Fulmer. "Let's go downstairs and I'll show you the rest of it."
As they walked down the side of a huge mound, Fulmer said "Ray, I just planted no-mow grass. You don't have to cut it. It only grows a couple inches a year." And then the house came into view. It's actually surrounded on three sides and top with earth. Fulmer pointed out the front, which looks like the façade of a ranch-style house. It's the south side, about 90 feet long, and open to the sun with lots of glass. "Okay Ray. This is it. This is our earth sheltered house," said Fulmer. "It's been taking about ten months now to finish and we're just about done."
They walked inside through the garage and entered a ling hallway with tall ceilings. "This is the inside. You can see we've got vaulted ceilings. They go up 12 feet. Eight foot walls. 12 foot ceilings," said Fulmer.
The house actually is three separate underground domes with four feet of sand and earth and gravel and pond liners on top to keep water out. The middle dome covers a large living area that includes a kitchen and family room. The domes are about 900 square feet in size. Other domes cover the bedrooms and an in-law suite.
The walls are 10-inch thick steel reinforced concrete. And the floors will have heat radiant ceramic tile. "You've got the solar panels, and solar gain," said Levato halfway through the tour. "How important is that?" Said Fulmer, "With a combination of the two, it will give us electricity 24/7."
There are several utility rooms with ultra-modern meters to monitor all the systems. And Fulmer is adding a windmill this week and will sell power back to RG&E. The earth temperature is a constant 53 degrees. "53 degrees so the house will never have frozen pipes even if we lost electricity," said Fulmer.
The house seems bigger than its 2400 square feet. "I'm not going to have to worry about energy costs going up. And there's not a lot of maintenance on the house. I don't have to worry about gutters," said Fulmer. "You just feel so comfortable being inside." His wife Maria added "We've seen other earth sheltered houses and we like this design."
Fulmer says he was inspired by the mushroom house in Powder Mills Park. He used to live near there. And they hope to move in to their unique home later this week.
Fulmer says his new house will end up costing about $500,000.
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