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 Michigan Sustainable Homes & Businesses Tour
(formerly Michigan Solar Tour)
Part of the ASES National Solar Tour
October 4, 2008
10 am - 4 pm
The solar tour is free and self-guided. Visit as many sites as you would like from 10am to 4pm, in any order that you would like. Enjoy the good energy, and have fun!
Greater Lansing Area
Metro Detroit Area
Greater Ann Arbor Area
Southwest Michigan Area
Greater Marquette Area
Greater Traverse City Area
Greater Grand Rapids Area
Northwest Michigan Area
Northwest Michigan Solar Tour
Regional Coordinators:
Judy Cunningham, Michigan Land Use Institute
(judy@mlui.org or 231-941-6584 x18)
Cunningham Home
4466 Potter Road, Bear Lake
The Cunningham home is a great example of an in-progress straw-bale construction. The straw-bale portion of this home is being built by the homeowner and utilizes mostly local materials. All appliances, cabinets and furniture were recycled from various sources and the home also features a composting outhouse in partial use. Energy efficiency features include an on-demand water heater, compact fluorescent lighting and more. The home also utilizes passive solar design for heating.
Directions:
From Manistee: Take M-31 North to Potter Road. Take Potter Road West to the Home
From Onekama: Take M-22 North to Potter Road. Take Potter Road East to the Home.
Click here for Mapquest area map
O’Shea Home
10156 Wiitala, Copemish
The 1800 square foot O’Shea Home heats their water with a wood/solar domestic hot water system. The closed-loop solar thermal system features two roof mounted solar collectors and an eighty gallon water tank.
The O’Shea’s use digital temperature readout to monitor their solar thermal system. Their system was installed in 1985 and continues to provide their family with their hot water needs.
Directions:
Take M-115 west out of Copemish to Yates Road. Make a Right on Yates Road. Follow Yates Road South to Wiitala Road. Make a Left on Wiitala Road and end at 10156 Wiitala Road.
Click here for Mapquest area map
Pasco Home
610 Spruce Street, Manistee
The Pasco home features a photovoltaic unit and a solar heating unit, both which provide energy to the home’s sunroom. The owner states that utilizing the solar heating system to keep the room at a comfortable temperature, as well as the PV system to provide power to the room’s lighting, enable her to use the room more frequently than without the systems.
Directions:
From the North or South: Take US-31 into Manistee. Take 8th Street East to Spruce Street. Make a Right on Spruce Street.
Click here for Mapquest area map
Valley Home 1915 Michigan Ave, Cadillac
The Valley home has 6- Sharp NT-175u1 mono crystalline solar panels, 1-PV Powered 2000 Watt Extended Range Inverter, 1-PVP 1010 Inverter data monitoring system, and a Power-Fab Top of Pole Rack.
The system was turned on June 2nd 2008 since then 258 Kwh of electricity has been produced. Net metering was started on June 21st 20008 to date the system has generated 173 Kwh, during that time consumption has been 235Kwh.
Basic math 175Kwh divided by 39 days equals 4.4 average Kwh per day production.
175 Kwh divided by 237 Kwh used equals 73% of the power is generated with the current system, 1.05 KWatts.
The system has been designed to hold six more panels, which the will be added over the next few years, once the system is completed it will be a 2.1K watt system allowing the home to net zero.
Click Here to link to Google area map
Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association
URL: www.glrea.org
Email: info@glrea.org
Lansing:
(517) 646.6269
Toll Free:
1.800.434.9788
 Join GLREA
Go to our membership area and find out how you can join GLREA!
Contact GLREA
Feel free to contact us if you have any additional questions or comments.
Current GLREA Board Members
Current GLREA Board Members
GLREA is a 501c3 nonprofit organization and contributions may be tax deductable. |
