Exempt from property tax if you have solar/wind?

[oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

This question was asked before. A solar installer spoke up and said that they are very sturdy and handle hail well. Shingles are much more delicate and get torn up easily.

Sorry, wasn't aware of it. If I had a delete feature I would delete the post.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

This question was asked before. A solar installer spoke up and said that they are very sturdy and handle hail well. Shingles are much more delicate and get torn up easily.

As an architect I am a little skeptical of that statement. Sturdy is a vague term. Most solar panels use tempered glass to cover the cells. Tempered glass is strong but has its limits.

As this website says:

Namaste Solar Electric - FAQs

What if there’s a hailstorm? Can the solar panels withstand hail?

Solar electric panels are built with high-impact tempered glass. The solar industry standard dictates that panels should be able to withstand 3/4” hail at 60 mph. One of our solar PV panel manufacturers even performs tests by shooting ice cubes at their panels at 140 mph. If your solar panels do suffer any hail damage, you can claim the damage via your homeowner's insurance policy.

The recent hail storm in NW Austin had hail much larger then 3/4". I wonder if any solar panels were damaged in that storm. Automobile windows are tempered glass also, even better they are tempered laminated safety glass, but the recent hailstorm broke many automobile windows.

I do believe that solar panels are a good investment if you are going to stay in the house long enough to experience the payback and actually see a profit afterwards. For example, I recently bought a small solar garden light, one of the brightest that I have seen, it cost me only $100 and has a separate solar panel and a 10' cord to the light it self and automatically shuts off during daylight. I installed the panel over the front entrance and the light illuminates the front door and provides adequate illumination with a bluish white color. After calculating how much energy I will save over the cost of standard incandescent bulb in the fixture at that location, I realized it will take me 10 years to pay for the solar light. The device will probably not last that long, its OK but not extremely weatherproof in my opinion. It has been up for several months and working fine so far.

Nevertheless, if you have an area you want illuminated and you don't already have electricity to that area, this would be cheaper then having an electrician install a light for you.

[CATXTransplant]

Speaking of green construction, Check out this StrawBale Construction house in Spicewood. www.StrawbaleTexas.com

Could it be that the house of the future was invented a century ago? In the 1890s, pioneers of the sand hills of Nebraska found themselves building a new life on a treeless prairie, and from necessity began building their homes from bales of straw. Now modern day pioneers are choosing straw bale construction for its many advantages -for people and the planet.

Straw bales offer excellent insulation. At R 2.7 per inch, an eighteen-inch wide bale equals R-48. One California study indicated that such a "super-insulated" straw bale home could save as much as 75% of heating and cooling costs! This translates to direct dollar savings for the homeowner, and a corresponding reduction in the use of fossil fuels and CO2 emissions.

Construction costs can also be reduced when building with straw bales. They are cheap to buy and easy to build with. Stacked like huge bricks, straw bale wall systems can be erected quickly without much building experience and few power tools. In a "barn-raising" type party, it's common for all the straw bale walls in a modest size structure to be erected in a single day.

Building with bales can also cut down on cutting down trees by reducing lumber used in typical "stick frame" construction. Straw is available wherever grain crops are grown, and is annually renewable. In fact, it's considered an agricultural waste product, and in many parts of the world is simply burned in the fields. The millions of tons which go up in smoke every year cause a great deal of air pollution. It makes sense to bale this nuisance, and turn it into an energy-efficient resource.

Those concerned with indoor air quality also appreciate straw bale buildings for their "breathability." A non-toxic product itself, bales allow a gradual transfer of air through the wall, bringing fresh air into your living environment, especially when combined with a natural plaster. And you can forget about neighborhood noise, too. Straw bales are so sound proof, one Nebraska pioneer family was found playing cards in their kitchen, oblivious to the roar of a tornado which had just blown through the town.

Two types of bale wall systems are commonly built. In a "post and beam" building, a wood, steel, or concrete framework Is erected and bales are placed in the walls as insulation. Bale systems can also bear the weight of the roof, as evidenced by the historic Nebraska homes which were all load-bearing. In this case, a top-plate is laid above the bale wall and secured to the foundation by metal rods and/or strapping. The roof is then attached to the top plate. In either system, the bale courses are stacked in a "running bond," and pinned with rebar, wood, or bamboo stakes. For added strength, chicken wire is commonly wrapped inside and out, and sewn tight to the bales. Then an earth plaster or cement stucco is applied as a finish. However, bales will also hold plaster without wire mesh.