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Project Licht'n Stein 
Project Licht 'n Stein is an off-the-grid, off-the-furnace, off-the-well year-round residence in southeastern Minnesota with photovoltaic panels and a wind generator with batteries, a passive solar design with radiant heating, and rainwater harvesting. Call it a Passive House, call it a Green House — this is not your parent’s off-the-grid cabin. Rather, Project Licht 'n Stein is a house with a modern design and 21st-century amenities like wireless Internet, a whole-house audio system, a dishwasher, washing machine, garage door openers and a (planned) home theater with a 120" projection screen. Yet the house does not need any fossil fuels (like coal, oil, or gas) for its electricity or heating. At only $100 a year(!) in utility bills, as energy prices increase at a rate of 10% per year, this house will save about $300,000 in utility bills over the next 25 years when compared to an average American household. System Components     
Additional Measures
§ Passive solar design § Masonry stove § Rainwater collection with 7,500-gallon cistern § 100%-recycled plastic decking with aluminum and steel cable railing § ICF construction with Icynene and cellulose insulation § Fibercement siding § Milk and clay paint § Bamboo and Cork Flooring
System Designer: Christian Milaster, Be! cause Solutions System Engineer: Christian Milaster, Be! cause Solutions System Installer: Christian Milaster, Dennis Pottratz, Curt Shellum Date of Installation Completion: August 2006; June 2009 (PV) System Cost, Payback, and Financial Incentives Utilized Electrical (Wind, PV, Battery, Inverter): $25,000 Solar Hot Water: $5,000 Rainwater Collection: $7,000 (vs. $25,000 well) Anticipated Energy Delivery When Purchased 90-100% of Electrical Energy Needs 100% of Heating Needs 90% of Domestic Hot Water Needs 100% of Domestic Water Needs Actual Energy Delivered When Installed Electrical: June through September: approx. 120 kWh/month Percentage of Total Energy Needs Delivered: 100%+ of Electrical (Batteries full by 12 PM Noon, June through September 2009) 100% of Heating (2006 through Present) 100% of Domestic Water Use (2006 through Present) 0% of Domestic Hot Water (Hot Water Panels not installed) |
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