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After more than a month of below freezing
weather, we finally had some thawing (in
early February!).
The thaw means that our crews have been able
to get on
roofs and continue installing solar systems.
It also means that your ice dams will begin
to clear. What is an ice dam? Glad you asked.
Naturally, when it snows, some of that snow
stays on the roof and, if the weather is cold,
the snow does not melt from above. However,
because many roofs are warmer than the snow,
the snow melts from below. The melted snow
(water) runs down hill a bit then refreezes.
Over time, enough water freezes so that new
melting does not run downhill, instead it
backs up under the shingles. Water under the
shingles means leaks in your roof and all the
fun that comes with water damage. Why
are roofs warm? Because heat is escaping from
the house below and warming the attic.
There are a number of ways to address ice
dams. The obvious solution is to stop the
heat from getting into the attic. This means
more insulation and better ventilation. The
insulation will reduce the amount of energy
getting into the attic, and the ventilation
will allow for warm air (and moisture) to
escape easily. (I just added 9" of insulation
(R30) above my kids' bedrooms - I'll be doing
the same in the rest of the attic this spring)
With some homes however, adding either
insulation or ventilation is not possible. If
you cannot cut down on heat loss, or improve
airflow, then here
are some other ways of dealing with ice dams.
Snow Rake: If you have a single story home
and the right tool, you can scrape the snow
off your roof. When you do that you eliminate
the source of the water. Please do this kind
of work from the ground.
Salt blocks: Like snow scraping, blocks of
salt tossed up on the roof, will melt the
snow and ice. You can get the blocks a most
hardware stores. Personally, I have an issue
with putting chemicals on the roof, but the
makers of these salt-blocks claim that they
are safe.
Of course, the permanent solution is to get
rid of the snow but I'm too busy with solar
installs to take on that project ;-).
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Here is another system we completed after the
thaw. This system, on the Rehill home in
Northborough, was built with 26 of
Evergreen's new ESA modules. These modules
were made in Devens, MA at Evergreen's new
factory. Click on the image for a larger
view and click here
to see system performance.
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Between the bank bailout and the stimulus
package, it's been hard to keep track of all
the changes in renewable energy incentives.
On top of that, it's a good idea to involve
your accountant or tax professional. On that
note, here is my attempt at a summary of the
changes. NOTE: Some of these changes happened
with the bailout bill, others were part of
the the stimulus package.
New England Breeze, LLC is not an
accounting firm. Please confirm these tax
benefits with your tax professional.
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Do you own a large building with lots of open
roof? If so, you should consider putting a
solar array up.
Great Economics: The combination of
commercial solar grants (which are larger
than residential
solar grants), the 30% investment tax credit,
(or a 30% DOE grant if you cannot take the
tax credit), five year depreciation, sale of
Renewable Energy Certificates, and utility
cost savings, means that you'll see excellent
economic benefits.
The economic benefits include a reasonable
payback period, and more importantly, a large
positive cash flow in year one, and net
positive cash flow
during the system payback period. This
chart shows the cash flow for 25kW solar
electric system installed for a National
Grid, Nstar, or Unitil customer in
Massachusetts. I am happy to answer
questions, please call 978-567-9463.
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Add insulation, turn down your thermostat, disable your doorbell, reduce waste, use a fan instead of an air conditioner, turn off the lights, switch to compact fluorescent bulbs, put computer gear on a power strip and turn it off at night, unplug unnecessary appliances, ventilate your attic, take shorter showers, walk instead of drive, ride a bike, group your errands, inflate your tires, grow your own food, eat locally-produced food, recycle, use your most efficient vehicle, get a hybrid vehicle, wash your clothes in cold water, buy less packaging, use a clothesline instead of the dryer, drink tap water, print with narrower margins, use both sides of the page, buy less, compost, install a renewable energy system...
Thanks for Reading The Energy Miser,
 Mark Durrenberger
New England Breeze, LLC
phone:
978-567-WIND (9463)
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