By Marc DeBrock
Rhinelander

Off-grid living. The words conjure up many images – remote homes, outback cabins, alternative lifestyles. Pioneers of the renewable energy (RE) movement come to mind – those dedicated people who for the past 30 years have slowly expanded their RE systems to match the growing needs of family and home comfort. Many of these pioneers are still sounding the RE trumpets to an increasingly aware public.

But how about those people building modern, energy-efficient homes today that are making those choices? Dick and Dee Logan of Winchester are among those people. Dick works for the Department of Natural Resources as the facilities maintenance specialist for the Northern Highlands and American Legion State Forests. Dee works as the bookkeeper for Dietz’s Service Center in Manitowish Waters.

Nature-inspired off-grid living

The Logan’s decision to build off-grid was inspired not only by their passion for renewable energy, but also by the specifics of their piece of property. A sensitive low-lying bog area would have been disrupted if a power line had been brought in to their chosen building site.

Even though the home site is only a few hundred yards from the county road, a 30-foot wide path through or near the bog site was out of the question for the Logans.  Dick’s familiarity with the land came from hunting on it for many years, as well as on his family-owned property adjacent to it.

Two years of planning

Planning the home design and the site layout started in 2001, and continued for two years. Dick and Dee collaborated closely on how the home should function.

They carefully planned things such as room placement for maximum day-lighting, solar tubes for day-lighting, a sun room offering three-season use and passive solar heat gain, structural insulated panels (SIPs) and insulated block could provide for R-28 insulation for wall and foundation systems. Energy heel trusses could provide for R-50 insulation in the ceiling. 

In-floor radiant heat was chosen for its efficiency in using either a propane boiler or a solar thermal system. A wood-burning parlor stove would be added as another form of renewable heating.

Engineered wood flooring was chosen for the upper living space for its better heat transfer qualities. Proper shading and cross ventilation would provide natural cooling throughout the hot summer months.

Details to reduce electrical consumption were also thoroughly planned. These include compact fluorescent and LED lighting throughout,  wall switches to turn off power to stereos and TVs, thereby eliminating “phantom” loads, and choosing efficient appliances such as their Sun Frost refrigerator/freezer which uses about one-third the energy of other major brands.

The passive solar design together with energy efficient details were vital to ensure that the planned 1.5 Kw photovoltaic electrical system would provide most of their power needs, and the solar thermal system would provide the majority of their domestic hot water, and some space heating. 

Constructing on an angle

In 2003, the 28x42-ft. home was constructed, and Dick installed the PV system consisting of twelve 120-watt Kyocera solar panels. The panels are mounted on a ground rack that can be adjusted seasonally to follow the arc of the sun and maximize output.

The winter-spring angle usually remains the same because in winter, even though the sun is at the lowest point in the sky, extra light is received from snow reflection. As the snow melts, the panels are manually adjusted to a lower angle to maximize the high summer sun.

Next to the PV array, in the garage, is the power center. Two inverters change the DC current to AC current before going into the home circuit. Twelve batteries with 1,000-amp-hour storage capacity provide enough electrical energy for about five days – should the sun not shine for that long. The PV system provides approximately 80 percent of the Logan’s electrical needs, with a back-up gas generator for the rest.

Dick also installed the solar thermal system. Three 4x8-ft. panels mounted on a ground rack face solar south. The heated fluid from the panels runs through a heat exchanger in a 110-gallon insulated storage tank in the basement, and then back out to the panels to be heated again by the sun.

The pre-heated water in the storage tank runs to a 76-gallon commercial water heater for domestic hot water and some space heating. Dick estimates that the solar thermal system provides approximately 70 percent of their domestic hot water and approximately 10 percent of the heat for the radiant floors.

This year the Logans estimated using about three cords of firewood, and 200-250 gallons of propane for all of their cooking, space heating and domestic water heating. This includes heating the 800-sq.-ft. garage part of the time also. Of course, there are no utility bills.

NIn all, Dick and Dee are very happy with their home and renewable energy systems. When asked what they would change if they could do it over, they responded, “We really can't come up with any big changes. Our photovoltaic system is working as planned and we have plenty of electricity even on partially sunny days. Our home is very comfortable and requires no AC for cooling in the summer and is very easy to keep warm in the winter. Dee and I feel that the many months spent in pre-planning was well worth the effort.” 

Dick and Dee represent a movement today that exemplifies a way of life where renewable energy systems are becoming a mainstream factor in home design. It is no longer just for remote homes or alternative lifestyles. As global warming issues heat up and zero energy homes become part of the building codes, RE systems will play an integral role in defining home design – not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because they work!

Dick’s passion for RE systems doesn’t end with his home either. His mission is to get many of  the campgrounds in the Northern Highlands and American Legion State Forests equipped with a renewable energy system to provide electricity, water heating, or both. Let’s cheer him on.

(Marc DeBrock is co-owner of Webster Well Drilling Inc. He is a licensed well driller and pump installer in Wisconsin and Michigan, an accredited geothermal installer through the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association and a solar advocate. He is currently going through the certification process for listing with Focus On Energy for solar thermal full service installer and solar thermal site assessor.)