Going Solar

Going Solar in a Log, Timber or Hybrid Home

Log-home owners have always been ahead of the curve when it comes to green living. After all, log homes are made from timbers — a renewable and sustainable natural resource. Additionally, the National Association of Home Builders says that log and timber homeowners “report that they spend far less than their neighbors on heating, air conditioning, hot water and lighting.”

One of those homeowners is Paul Dillaway, a proud homeowner of a Ward hybrid log home. Years ago, Paul jumped on the “going green” bandwagon by installing a geothermal system to heat and cool his home. It worked well, but over time, he realized that the electricity being used to heat the water at the bottom of the well counted for nearly half of his home’s energy consumption. “It was 42 percent of our total energy usage, so we decided it would be nice to knock that electricity bill down,” he says. After discussing various options, he settled on solar panels and this past fall, he  “finally made the plunge.”

He contracted a local company to install 40 ground-mounted panels about 30 feet from the home. Ultimately, his goal is to gain enough electricity to cover all of his family’s daily usage — an easily attainable goal, thanks to their well-insulated Ward home.

“We had an energy advisor come in and assess the home, and he rated it a five-plus-star home,” he says. “I didn’t even know you could get five-plus stars.” He adds: “We were able to earn a 30-percent tax credit and even get a check back for meeting certain guidelines.”

He credits the thermal mass of the Ward northern white cedar logs for his home’s superior efficiency, along with the hybrid building system he chose. “We have a log-sided home with 2-by-6 and 2-by-8-inch construction,” he explains. “Between the log siding and tongue and groove, all of that is filled with close-celled spray foam insulation.”

Additionally, he added rigid foam insulation headers over doors and windows, added Styrofoam sheets to the corners of the home and chose Andersen A-series windows. “We did everything we could to make it perfect, and there is no doubt it made all the difference.”

Although he hasn’t yet received his first electricity bill since his solar panels were installed, he says he is generating around 100+ kilowatt hours per day. The rest of it is being stored by the local power company in a process called “net metering,” which will create credits that can be used during the winter months when the sun gains will be more limited. “I’m looking forward to seeing how it works out,” he says. “So far so good.”

Interested in learning more about if solar panels are right for your home? Check out our post “Are Solar Panels a Smart Investment?”

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