Boyce-Olson Residence - 2009

This highly efficient 1925 "foursquare" home is topped off by a 1.4 kW photovoltaic system that provides a considerable portion of the family's electricity needs. "We live in sight of a coal-burning power plant. Friends told us of the 'black snow' they used to experience, deregulation was looming, and we knew about the local and global danger to humans and the environment from coal burning." explained Lee Olson. They installed the system in 1998 and it has been cleanly and quietly producing electricity on their roof ever since.

• 1.4 kW roof-mounted PV array, consisting of 18 75W Siemens panels
• Trace 4024 grid-tied inverter
• Four L-16 batteries for backup
• SolaTube to daylight a bathroom