A Kansas City area couple are the first in the state to take advantage of the new KCP&L solar rebates and federal financial incentives. The Energy Savings Store employees Ryan Gardner and Susan Brown were pleased to be a part of this exciting solar installation.
Solar became the solution for Ray and Kathy Baisch after seeing their electric rates [...]
I’ve been selling solar energy systems for a number of years and have learned a thing or two about helping people select the solar panels that are right for them. I love being back in Kansas City and hope you’ll come in to see some of the solar equipment on display and ask some questions.
Making [...]
A family in Edwardsville, Illinois decided they wanted to “green up” their home by adding solar PV on their roof. They also wanted a backup system so that, in the event of a power failure, their primary appliances, such as refrigerator, computer, lighting and gas appliances can continue to function. So they invited The Energy [...]
In a modest neighborhood near the Kansas University Medical Center, a new trend-setting home is generating almost all of its energy from solar and the wind. The home was designed and built by Dan Rockhill and his students from the University of Kansas. Studio 804, the university’s sustainable architecture program, is known for forward-thinking designs with [...]
Tracy Stearns, a principal with 360 Architecture, was familiar with the benefits of solar energy, and wanted to explore ways to leverage solar power in his home office. Solar can be used to create electricity, heat potable water or swimming pools, or heat the air in a room. Tracy decided to take advantage of two [...]
It’s an interesting study to see how home building techniques and materials have evolved over time, and how new ideas that were once radical have become common. Drywall, for example, quickly replaced lath and plaster as the standard for interior walls, and radiators were replaced by forced air systems. As we began closing the windows [...]
While many people love the idea of using clean, renewable energy from the sun and wind, they find the investment significant enough to think twice about the purchase. The installed cost of a mid-sized wind turbine or solar photovoltaic (PV) system is about $20,000, and does not provide the same visibility or utility as a [...]
The Green Dirt Farm, located just north of Kansas City in Weston, Missouri, is a small community-based farm dedicated to producing healthy food in a sustainable environment. The entire farm complex was designed to be a net-zero energy farmstead, producing 100 percent of the energy for the operation using a combination of solar and wind. [...]
When Mike and Jan Sherman decided to build their dream retirement home in Jan’s hometown of Richland, Missouri, one of their priorities was to build an energy-efficient all-electric home. They built a 5000 square foot house using insulated concrete forms (ICF), which was a key element in creating a tight building envelope that would keep [...]