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August 5th, 2010
Solar On A Rental: Have I Lost My Mind? Or Found The Key?
Some of my investor friends say I’ve finally lost it, gone completely overboard with this green energy thing … and my wife thinks they may be right.
This week I installed a Photovoltaic Solar System on one of my renovation houses. The fact that it was on a rental is where my friends thought I took leave of my senses.
But I’m liking the idea more and more as the results are unfolding. It looks like the ultimate Win, Win, Win, Win, Win. You see, I had made a classic Investor mistake: I had mis-judged the neighborhood and over built for what the neighborhood would appraise for. I wanted a sale price of $160,000 for the completely renovated 1200 square footer with energy efficient everything in Fresno CA. The appraiser said $153,000, so I could absorb the $7,000 hit or change strategies and play a different game.
Here’s the new game plan:
1. Refinance and get all or most of my money back so I can continue in the Energy Wise Investment game.
2. Advertise for the highest rent in the neighborhood. (This is easy when you’ve mastered the Wow! factor.)
3. Add Solar to bring the Electric Bill close to Zero. (This wont take much, because you’ve built a tight building envelope and a great HVAC system)
4. Tenants will be happy with the rent when they know the utility bill is going to come down more than enough to compensate for it. (Educating the tenant cannot be left to chance)
5. You enjoy a strong positive cash flow. And the tax credit and the rebate.
6. Your tenant is happy and paying less monthly than if you hadn’t added Solar.
7. You know you’re doing the right thing for the planet and the community
8. And to come full circle: —The low-ball appraisal becomes irrelevant.
Unlocking the Puzzle We'll continue to investigate How, Why and When Installing PV Solar makes sense to the Energy Wise Investor.
That’s a lot to like and I’ll be putting Solar on more and more rental homes.
In the first 3 1/2 days the system has generated 100 kilowatt hours. Here in Central California with our 5 tier billing system (PG&E) that means somewhere between $11 and $48. Not bad for the 2.81 KW system in 3 1/2 days. For more details see last Tuesday’s webinar slides in Planetsavers University right here on GreenEarthEquities.com. Next Tuesday, I’ll interview Terry Shelton, the Solar Contractor on the Tuesday Webinar. We’ll talk more about the counterintuitive case where It makes sense for Investors to put Solar on their rentals!!! If you haven’t already, fill out a comment form and we’ll send you an invite with details on each Tuesday’s Webinar.
BTW For some incisive thoughts on our housing stock and Home Star, see Arthur Beekin’s thought provoking piece in the Healdsburg Tribune. Whether Home Star passes or not, Energy Wise Renovators hold a powerful key to fixing our inadequate housing stock and saving our Planet, One House At A Time … Especially when their renovations are tight and efficient and then they go to Near Net Zero with a small PV system! Stay tuned…..
May 28th, 2010
Passiv Haus, Dresden, Day 1
The first day of the PassivHaus conference in Dresden showed some clear similarities in the Home Performance Industry in Europe and America as well as some huge differences. 
Similarities:
1. The industry on both continents is developing with a strong reliance on subsidies, either government grants or tax credits, or utility rebates. Testing and certification is essential to this approach and is a backbone of both industries.
2. The early adopters of deep energy retrofits are usually very expensive. One home that was showcased today had a $574,000 Euro price tag for the retrofit. This obviously takes significant subsidy or a “true believer” with plenty of money to act on their beliefs about peak oil, climate change or stewardship of the planet. … and there are more and more of those folks. This expensive retrofit was a combination of a government grant and a true believer with money to spend.
3. Later, Energy Efficient building gets systemized and the craftsmen learn the craft, and the building gets a lot cheaper. A factory built wood Passive House from Norway was demonstrated.
4. Occupant behavior is essential to the success of a Home Performance project. Occupant education and buy in has as much impact on performance as the quality of the work. This is especially true in the multi family projects that were demonstrated.
5. Both continents make good use of new building technologies such as Structural Insulating Panels and Concrete Insulated Forms. Both of these were demonstrated at both conferences I’ve attended recently. (The best conference on Home Performance in the US is Affordable Comfort, which was last month in Austin)
Differences:
1. Europeans really do windows and doors right. While Americans argue over whether windows should be dual or triple pane, the Eropeans assume all windows have three panes. Vinyl isn’t hardly used. It’s all wood or fiberglass. Doors are about 3.5 inches thick and close like a bank vault. We dont even have doors like that in the US. (at least that I’ve seen)
2. Europeans are really serious about ventilation. More like Canadians. I saw more ERV-HRV’s and “Magic Boxes” (all in one, vent and heat) than I had ever seen in my life.
3. Europe is way ahead of the US on using rigid foam. They have in all configurations with the fittings & flashings to make it last 100 years.
In sum, there are more similarities than differences. The main difference is that Europe is ahead of America on almost all of the technology. I’ll write more on that after the conference.
It was good to see several California friends and a few GreenEarthEquities Planetsavers here at the conference. But it’s also good to start up a conversation with a German or a Bulgarian. This of course depends on their English, but most attendees have at least some English. Some dont, but they are still nice. One German couldn’t speak to me but he gave me a big pretzel and a smile. There is a camaradarie among Energy Geeks from all continents. It is kind of like a family and kind of like a religeon. Like in religeon and family, you do things for long term gain, rather than just short term ”best for me right now” thinking. Everyone is willing to share and everyone seems happy with other’s success. It’s a good place to be.
May 9th, 2010
Home Performance and Pretty? Can I Have Both? Quickly?
Have you ever “day dreamed” or fantasized, “What if life circumstances changed & you re-located across the country and got to choose a new place to live?” I know that if you’re reading this blog, you’re at least somewhat of a Home Performance Geek like me. And I know that only a few of us in this industry actually live in our “Home Performance Dream Home”…. So a little day dreaming and “What If?” thinking is in order for most of us.
Pretty, You Bet! Home Performance? Not So Much.
A couple months ago this Home Performance Day Dream began to come true for me. Son in Law got a job inPurcellville Virginia, so Luelle and I are “following the grandbabies” 3000 miles across the country into a whole new Climate Zone.
At first it was easy, I found a realtor who found a lot that borders on Open Space. That, plus all the “Energy Options” was all I wanted in our new home …. I’ll let my wife pick everything else and the production builder promised to be done in 120 days, maybe less. Sound pretty normal for an Energy Geek Guy?
Then I ran into the reality that maybe “Production Building” and “Home Performance” may not go together too well…
The builder’s website reveals “Last Century” framing details. 2×4 @ 16″ OC, double top plate, bulky corners. It would be so easy to do so much better, from a Home Performance point of view.
The builder has won design awards and offers a lot of pretty house for the money. My wife was sold, and I was going along… until the construction details started being revealed. The standard home was being built to the same standards that I used in 1980. 2×4 walls with no rigid insulation, R-30 ceilings, No sealing of shell or ducts, no treatment of band joists, not even all dual pane windows, Ouch! I could see that I was headed for an identity crisis.
Obviously if I want my perfect Home Performance Dream House, I’ll have to build it myself, And that’s probably what will happen over the next couple of years. But I want to move into something in 120 days. So I’m considering my options and asking for as much Home Performance as I can get from the production builder. They were adamant, no 2×6’s. Rigid Insulation, They are thinking about it. I guess no one’s ever asked for it before.
The way I see it, there are 3 areas of Energy improvement that can be done to a pretty production home:
1. The items the production builder will allow you to upgrade and pay extra for
2. The things that you or someone you hire can do on nights and weekends, additional sealing etc.
3. The things you just have to change after you move in.
So that’s where I am, negotiating for as much of #1 as I can get. And then as much of # 2 as they will allow. And wondering if I have a “breaking point” An amount of last century’s building standards that I just cant live with and still be me.
Have you ever been in this place before? Please Comment. Any tips on negotiating with a production builder who has systems in place that are working for him….? I’ll let you know how this develops.
PS I found this Top 10 List of ways to improve a new house by Martin Holladay. Would you agree? What would you add?
Here’s the new game plan:Unlocking the Puzzle We'll continue to investigate How, Why and When Installing PV Solar makes sense to the Energy Wise Investor.
Passiv Haus, Dresden, Day 1
The first day of the PassivHaus conference in Dresden showed some clear similarities in the Home Performance Industry in Europe and America as well as some huge differences.
Similarities:
1. The industry on both continents is developing with a strong reliance on subsidies, either government grants or tax credits, or utility rebates. Testing and certification is essential to this approach and is a backbone of both industries.
2. The early adopters of deep energy retrofits are usually very expensive. One home that was showcased today had a $574,000 Euro price tag for the retrofit. This obviously takes significant subsidy or a “true believer” with plenty of money to act on their beliefs about peak oil, climate change or stewardship of the planet. … and there are more and more of those folks. This expensive retrofit was a combination of a government grant and a true believer with money to spend.
3. Later, Energy Efficient building gets systemized and the craftsmen learn the craft, and the building gets a lot cheaper. A factory built wood Passive House from Norway was demonstrated.
4. Occupant behavior is essential to the success of a Home Performance project. Occupant education and buy in has as much impact on performance as the quality of the work. This is especially true in the multi family projects that were demonstrated.
5. Both continents make good use of new building technologies such as Structural Insulating Panels and Concrete Insulated Forms. Both of these were demonstrated at both conferences I’ve attended recently. (The best conference on Home Performance in the US is Affordable Comfort, which was last month in Austin)
Differences:
1. Europeans really do windows and doors right. While Americans argue over whether windows should be dual or triple pane, the Eropeans assume all windows have three panes. Vinyl isn’t hardly used. It’s all wood or fiberglass. Doors are about 3.5 inches thick and close like a bank vault. We dont even have doors like that in the US. (at least that I’ve seen)
2. Europeans are really serious about ventilation. More like Canadians. I saw more ERV-HRV’s and “Magic Boxes” (all in one, vent and heat) than I had ever seen in my life.
3. Europe is way ahead of the US on using rigid foam. They have in all configurations with the fittings & flashings to make it last 100 years.
In sum, there are more similarities than differences. The main difference is that Europe is ahead of America on almost all of the technology. I’ll write more on that after the conference.
It was good to see several California friends and a few GreenEarthEquities Planetsavers here at the conference. But it’s also good to start up a conversation with a German or a Bulgarian. This of course depends on their English, but most attendees have at least some English. Some dont, but they are still nice. One German couldn’t speak to me but he gave me a big pretzel and a smile. There is a camaradarie among Energy Geeks from all continents. It is kind of like a family and kind of like a religeon. Like in religeon and family, you do things for long term gain, rather than just short term ”best for me right now” thinking. Everyone is willing to share and everyone seems happy with other’s success. It’s a good place to be.
May 9th, 2010
Home Performance and Pretty? Can I Have Both? Quickly?
Have you ever “day dreamed” or fantasized, “What if life circumstances changed & you re-located across the country and got to choose a new place to live?” I know that if you’re reading this blog, you’re at least somewhat of a Home Performance Geek like me. And I know that only a few of us in this industry actually live in our “Home Performance Dream Home”…. So a little day dreaming and “What If?” thinking is in order for most of us.
Pretty, You Bet! Home Performance? Not So Much.
A couple months ago this Home Performance Day Dream began to come true for me. Son in Law got a job inPurcellville Virginia, so Luelle and I are “following the grandbabies” 3000 miles across the country into a whole new Climate Zone.
At first it was easy, I found a realtor who found a lot that borders on Open Space. That, plus all the “Energy Options” was all I wanted in our new home …. I’ll let my wife pick everything else and the production builder promised to be done in 120 days, maybe less. Sound pretty normal for an Energy Geek Guy?
Then I ran into the reality that maybe “Production Building” and “Home Performance” may not go together too well…
The builder’s website reveals “Last Century” framing details. 2×4 @ 16″ OC, double top plate, bulky corners. It would be so easy to do so much better, from a Home Performance point of view.
The builder has won design awards and offers a lot of pretty house for the money. My wife was sold, and I was going along… until the construction details started being revealed. The standard home was being built to the same standards that I used in 1980. 2×4 walls with no rigid insulation, R-30 ceilings, No sealing of shell or ducts, no treatment of band joists, not even all dual pane windows, Ouch! I could see that I was headed for an identity crisis.
Obviously if I want my perfect Home Performance Dream House, I’ll have to build it myself, And that’s probably what will happen over the next couple of years. But I want to move into something in 120 days. So I’m considering my options and asking for as much Home Performance as I can get from the production builder. They were adamant, no 2×6’s. Rigid Insulation, They are thinking about it. I guess no one’s ever asked for it before.
The way I see it, there are 3 areas of Energy improvement that can be done to a pretty production home:
1. The items the production builder will allow you to upgrade and pay extra for
2. The things that you or someone you hire can do on nights and weekends, additional sealing etc.
3. The things you just have to change after you move in.
So that’s where I am, negotiating for as much of #1 as I can get. And then as much of # 2 as they will allow. And wondering if I have a “breaking point” An amount of last century’s building standards that I just cant live with and still be me.
Have you ever been in this place before? Please Comment. Any tips on negotiating with a production builder who has systems in place that are working for him….? I’ll let you know how this develops.
PS I found this Top 10 List of ways to improve a new house by Martin Holladay. Would you agree? What would you add?
Pretty, You Bet! Home Performance? Not So Much.
The builder’s website reveals “Last Century” framing details. 2×4 @ 16″ OC, double top plate, bulky corners. It would be so easy to do so much better, from a Home Performance point of view.
Solar PV System for 3405 N. Miami
Interior 3405 N. Miami, Fresno CA
Exterior 3405 N. Miami, Fresno CA
3332 N Ezie $165,000 PENDING
5967 E Fedora $160,000 Pending
3328 N Purdue SOLD
145 Gettysburg SOLD
5741 E Bernadine SOLD
5664 E Bernadine SOLD
4440 N Eddy SOLD
3915 E Townsend 135K Pending
