Living with near net zero in Lebanon, solar panels and batteries came up to about $5000 in cost. Thing is Lebanon’s weather is almost always sunny (similar to S. Cali)
What an amazing example of commitment and dedication to living net zero. No one told them to do this. They made sacrifices like taking on loans and doing work themselves to get where they are. They made smart decisions like using their extra power to fuel their EV, paying off their loan as fast as possible to avoid extra interest, and getting a forgivable down payment loan. The home is beautiful, this is a great example of how to retrofit an older home, and it's courageous to put this out into the world for the whole internet to make stupid comments about. 🤟
Great job guys, very informative! For around the price of a new car in the US nowadays, not bad! People obsess with ROI, but the feeling you get from living this way is much cleaner and less wasteful.
Most electric utilities offer home energy audits to find wasted energy and inefficiencies. After our audit, we had the old insulation removed in the attic. They sealed all opens in the attic walls, joints, around light cans, etc. Then blew in new insulation that's fire and rodent resistant. It's made a difference in our energy consumption and the cost.
Aaron, this is a common question but Portland has a lot of sunny days I had a solar system installed that paid off inn 7 years, ROI is not as bad as most people guess.
$30k for a 7.5 kW system - they got slightly ripped off by a big name solar company. If anyone seeing this is looking to go solar, reply to this comment and let me help you out. I work direct with installers and can get much better pricing.
Some economists have projected that both the U.S. and parts of Europe could slip into a recession for a portion of 2023. A global recession, defined as a contraction in annual global per capita income, is more rare because China and emerging markets often grow faster than more developed economies. Essentially the world economy is considered to be in recession if economic growth falls behind population growth.
Very true! I've been able to scale from $50K to $189k in this red season because my Financial Advisor figured out Defensive strategies which help portfolios be less vulnerable to market downturns
Jackson Sten Marsh is the coach that guides, you probably might've come across he before I found him through a Newsweek report, he's quite known in he field, look-him up.
thanks for sharing this, I googled the man you mentioned and after going through him resume, I can tell he's a pro. I wrote him and I'm waiting on his reply.
The 48k included insulation and heating system retrofit, this would have brought down their requirement for energy substantially. the panels were 30k before incentives.
Without battery backup, it's hard to say this "Net Zero" home lives up to the intent of what Net Zero means. You have no idea what the excess energy produced during the day is going to offset. As more and more homes become "Net Zero" the ability to truly offset fossil fuel power with excess Solar is going to be harder and harder since more and more people will be doing it. In CA, excess residential solar is being used to turn off utility solar rather than fossil fuels since renewables are easier to turn off and start vs fossil fuels power.
Yes, and in a few years, residential batteries will be more common and more reasonable in cost. I just had a stand-alone solar system installed in my backyard with net metering. Eventually, I will get a battery which will cover the inevitable power outages and help me collect and use more of what I generate.
Better check the terms and conditions of installing solar panels on your roof. Insurance companies may cancel the policy or put in restrictions you can't meet without great expense possibly negating the electricity savings. Also, read the small print if net metering because if your system causes any issue to the utility grid you are financially responsible. Some insurance companies even claim if net metering your home will be reclassified as a commercial utility instead of a homeowner residential policy.
Here's the problem and it's counterintuitive: although peak system demand keeps rising creating revenue for utility companies AND the price of solar panels, inverters and batteries continue to drop, this is going to create a mass Exodus of people leaving the grid meaning the electric companies are going to raise revenue by charging more for the privilege of net metering, charge more per kilowatt hour in general and only pay wholesale prices for power returned to the grid from customer solar arrays. Your best bet is to plan on an off-grid system from the get-go.
I think its a good start but the ROI is horrible, maybe in the southern states where you produce more and have larger homes it makes sense If i had to guess this was just a puff piece to promote Ryan's company. Its a good thing to do this but either the technology has to get cheaper or the govt must create more incentives to make the ROI worth it.
If they paid $3 or less per watt DC, the ROI would have been much better. Also a lot of the improvements they made to the house would increase comfort of the house which doesn't have a monetary value associated with it.
I paid 17k for a 6.4 kwh system. Came out to about 12k after rebates (this was in 2021). Prices will vary by location it seems. This guy is on the opposite side of the country from me.
I think they did an excellent job but it's too bad they paid over $4 per watt installed for the solar PV. $3 per watt DC is the most people should be paying for Solar.
The problem is that the solar panels last on average about 20-30 years and then have to be renewed. If there is a hazard f.e. Hurricane or tornado in the near future this investment might go sideways very quick. I wish good luck though!
@@fgonzalez78959 ...and more capable as well. I'm guessing I'll want to replace mine in about 10 years and I JUST got them. Once our ground mount was installed, upgrading the panels is EASY.
Only Ryan and Meg would be that crazy and brave to seek such goal. I never understand it? I just used fan, shade, maybe a coating of plaster, window heat pump and the usage of Native American materials
Won't individual solar be a wasted expense since in the future governments are banning fossil fuel power plants and the juice will be coming from green utilities? Or maybe the price of power will actually be much higher from utilities than home solar investment?
it's cool and all but i still didn't get the point spending so much money for it to be paid off in 16 years. and there's no guarantee they will live to see it. I believe in solar energy use only if it comes installed to the house.
Bless you for sharing how this is possible! 🙏 I am pro-nature and pro-God and yearn for humanity to tread as lightly as possible on the natural Earth 🌎
THat's not part of the Net Zero concept. You expect complex things to magically appear? Machines still need to be made and moved around, no doubt and it would be great if it could be made in the most sustainable fashion, but just because it wasn't, doesn't mean that you shouldn't go ahead and build something that will be good for you and the environment, should it?
@@saulgoodman2018 yes but you have to take into account the cost of running a car. I spend about £2500 per year on petrol. I presume that these home owners don't have that cost to bear as the excess solar energy will cover that requirement. So, yes, they do buy some power from the grid but they are effectively "net zero" because they don't have to pay for gas to heat the home/hot water and fuel for the car. I'm sure those savings will far outweigh what they pay for grid electricity.
Very nice. You could've gone passive solar and gotten rid of your heating system entirely. Also, you dog loves laying what in the sunlight? Eggs? You mean _lying;_ it's shocking how many people seem to be making this mistake with basics.
@@csocianu The person in the video is obviously a native English speaker. Regardless, if you're someone who knows enough about English to know the word "lay", then you should also know the word "lie".
Aren’t you creating an equity issue with solar? If you’re not paying your fair share for the grid, who pays? People who can’t afford solar do. Utility-scale solar is much more efficient, cheaper, and does not carry the equity issue.
The first 50 seconds explain why this couple converted to solar electric in Oregon, they both work in the renewable energy industry. The reality is that when you consider Oregon is located too far North for the solar panels to lay Normal to the Sun for the vast majority of the day to justify solar and related long term expense, going solar outside of the Sun Belt States makes little or no sense. On the other hand, if you were located in the Sun Belt States, then solar makes absolute sense - latitude provides for greater sun intensity and many fewer overcast days. People will argue tax credits and such but I am talking about pure physics. For further explanation, google what I am saying and watch Elon Musk and experts weigh in on this matter. This is not my opinion, it's theirs.
Just a question here - how much gas emissions does it take to produce and then treat old solar panels and batteries? How much human life is lost in cobalt mines to produce it? I'm all for efficiency and green energy, just wanted to o make sure that when we treat one problem, we're not causing another 😊
We are invested… but not married? Sounds like the guy has his stuff together, but not his girlfriend? Anywho - great plan! Hope it works out and that the panels last for decades to come!
Why is it that saying someone looks wayyy older is considered “nasty”… please do tell!! It is a FACT that she looks wayyy older, in fact they looked like mother & son in one of the frames.
Thats not a house if a more powerful wind blows will fall in seconds, i don't really know why america its just so bad at building ,from materials to structure is just not fine man
Quite a pipe dream reserved exclusively for the rich and/or people who have no beef with reaping the short-term benefits all the while destroying their financial future with all of that juicy debt😋.
Living with near net zero in Lebanon, solar panels and batteries came up to about $5000 in cost. Thing is Lebanon’s weather is almost always sunny (similar to S. Cali)
Goals right here. Love the environmental and financial pov. Green just makes sense!
Great and inspiring. Granted, making a 116 year old house more passive, could not have been easy, but it shows that it can be done.
As a Tesla employee this is like Heaven to me!!! This is what I'm working towards, I can't wait to buy a house and do This!
My ideal net zero home.
There is a value to living like this that cant be quantified, amazing, what a power couple, p.s you are saving the earth also!
What an amazing example of commitment and dedication to living net zero. No one told them to do this. They made sacrifices like taking on loans and doing work themselves to get where they are. They made smart decisions like using their extra power to fuel their EV, paying off their loan as fast as possible to avoid extra interest, and getting a forgivable down payment loan. The home is beautiful, this is a great example of how to retrofit an older home, and it's courageous to put this out into the world for the whole internet to make stupid comments about. 🤟
Great job guys, very informative! For around the price of a new car in the US nowadays, not bad! People obsess with ROI, but the feeling you get from living this way is much cleaner and less wasteful.
Most electric utilities offer home energy audits to find wasted energy and inefficiencies. After our audit, we had the old insulation removed in the attic. They sealed all opens in the attic walls, joints, around light cans, etc. Then blew in new insulation that's fire and rodent resistant. It's made a difference in our energy consumption and the cost.
$1100 to $285 in electricity, a whopping 74% drop, WOOOOOO!!!😃
Dont forget $48k bro
@@mohammadhanifehzadeh5181 YES!!
A big fan of this house from Indonesia
Isn't this more of an Net Positive home if it produces more than its using?
These guys look like they are straight off that Portlandia show
I absolutely love this, but where in Portland do you live that gets sun?
Aaron, this is a common question but Portland has a lot of sunny days I had a solar system installed that paid off inn 7 years, ROI is not as bad as most people guess.
$30k for a 7.5 kW system - they got slightly ripped off by a big name solar company.
If anyone seeing this is looking to go solar, reply to this comment and let me help you out. I work direct with installers and can get much better pricing.
Do you work with installers in the bay area?
they installed several years ago. Now prices are at almost at a half.
Some economists have projected that both the U.S. and parts of Europe could slip into a recession for a portion of 2023. A global recession, defined as a contraction in annual global per capita income, is more rare because China and emerging markets often grow faster than more developed economies. Essentially the world economy is considered to be in recession if economic growth falls behind population growth.
Very true! I've been able to scale from $50K to $189k in this red season because my Financial Advisor figured out Defensive strategies which help portfolios be less vulnerable to market downturns
How can I reach this adviser of
yours? because I'm seeking for a
more effective investment approach on my savings?
Jackson Sten Marsh is the coach that guides, you probably might've come across he before I found him through a Newsweek report, he's quite known in he field, look-him up.
thanks for sharing this, I googled the man you mentioned and after going through him resume, I can tell he's a pro. I wrote him and I'm waiting on his reply.
@@stevenjuan259 bot/scammer
for 50k that will NEVER pay off lmao
Amazing and beautiful ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
48k while they only paid an $1,100 electric bill a year?
Payback is 43.63 years. Not 16.
So basically they would need new panels before then.
Net negative financially for sure. Not a model for many states in the US. They get the moral peace of mind though
Moral peace of mind😂
Running a car for free too
@@JJ-zg1hh it's not free. They still have an electric bill.
The 48k included insulation and heating system retrofit, this would have brought down their requirement for energy substantially. the panels were 30k before incentives.
a brilliant man
Livin on the cheap when you're rich and privileged. Hope this can trickle to the masses.
Without battery backup, it's hard to say this "Net Zero" home lives up to the intent of what Net Zero means. You have no idea what the excess energy produced during the day is going to offset. As more and more homes become "Net Zero" the ability to truly offset fossil fuel power with excess Solar is going to be harder and harder since more and more people will be doing it. In CA, excess residential solar is being used to turn off utility solar rather than fossil fuels since renewables are easier to turn off and start vs fossil fuels power.
Yes, and in a few years, residential batteries will be more common and more reasonable in cost. I just had a stand-alone solar system installed in my backyard with net metering. Eventually, I will get a battery which will cover the inevitable power outages and help me collect and use more of what I generate.
When grid scale batteries take off, it won't matter. The battery issue is only an issue for now.
@@imzjustplayin the keyword is "when"....batteries are the bottleneck and should be prioritized for mobile applications over stationary ones.
@@EatonZ26 They're doing both simultaneously because there is a lot of money to be made.
they pay huge amount of money, why still pay monthly cost?!
How do you replace the roof shingles with solar panels on them?
Hard to go solar in the US with my 10.6 cent kWh electric rates costing under $1000 a year to run the house.
right?
Obviously your not using electricity to heat the house or hot water, how much are you spending on natural gas/propane, just add this to total bill...
Better check the terms and conditions of installing solar panels on your roof. Insurance companies may cancel the policy or put in restrictions you can't meet without great expense possibly negating the electricity savings. Also, read the small print if net metering because if your system causes any issue to the utility grid you are financially responsible. Some insurance companies even claim if net metering your home will be reclassified as a commercial utility instead of a homeowner residential policy.
Thanks for the insight
Here's the problem and it's counterintuitive: although peak system demand keeps rising creating revenue for utility companies AND the price of solar panels, inverters and batteries continue to drop, this is going to create a mass Exodus of people leaving the grid meaning the electric companies are going to raise revenue by charging more for the privilege of net metering, charge more per kilowatt hour in general and only pay wholesale prices for power returned to the grid from customer solar arrays.
Your best bet is to plan on an off-grid system from the get-go.
Very Great 👍👍👍👍👍👍
How many years does it take to break even?
for them year 16 or 17
❤..more of this
I think its a good start but the ROI is horrible, maybe in the southern states where you produce more and have larger homes it makes sense
If i had to guess this was just a puff piece to promote Ryan's company. Its a good thing to do this but either the technology has to get cheaper or the govt must create more incentives to make the ROI worth it.
If they paid $3 or less per watt DC, the ROI would have been much better. Also a lot of the improvements they made to the house would increase comfort of the house which doesn't have a monetary value associated with it.
I didn't notice that he marketed his company at all.
Could get a way better return in financial terms in treasuries...
Is the $30k cost representative of America for a 7 kWh solar system? Huge rip-off even with rebates compared to the world.
I paid 17k for a 6.4 kwh system. Came out to about 12k after rebates (this was in 2021). Prices will vary by location it seems. This guy is on the opposite side of the country from me.
i’ve always had an all electric house
At $48K, they need to be totally off the grid
I think they did an excellent job but it's too bad they paid over $4 per watt installed for the solar PV. $3 per watt DC is the most people should be paying for Solar.
Our 11.1 kWh system is $34K before tax incentives I feel like was a decent deal.
horrible investment. What is your ROI?
it would be around 11k USD for 12KW system (it would generate 60kwh every day) here in India.
that's a horrible return on investment.
Some people don’t see their life in dollars and cents.
@@williamwilson6499 they will when they never retire 😁. Living to work, what a beaut
People do things for different reasons. What’s the return on investment on a Cadillac?
Portland Utilities are expensive
Some things are more important than money
The problem is that the solar panels last on average about 20-30 years and then have to be renewed. If there is a hazard f.e. Hurricane or tornado in the near future this investment might go sideways very quick. I wish good luck though!
Insurance?
A hurricane in Oregon?
I'm sure your home insurance would cover that?
Panels should be alot cheaper by then
@@fgonzalez78959 ...and more capable as well. I'm guessing I'll want to replace mine in about 10 years and I JUST got them. Once our ground mount was installed, upgrading the panels is EASY.
Don’t understand how this pays for itself, I couldn’t make this work in Arizona with higher utility bills over 25 Years.
Only Ryan and Meg would be that crazy and brave to seek such goal. I never understand it? I just used fan, shade, maybe a coating of plaster, window heat pump and the usage of Native American materials
Won't individual solar be a wasted expense since in the future governments are banning fossil fuel power plants and the juice will be coming from green utilities? Or maybe the price of power will actually be much higher from utilities than home solar investment?
I want to do this but with wind!!!!
it's cool and all but i still didn't get the point spending so much money for it to be paid off in 16 years. and there's no guarantee they will live to see it. I believe in solar energy use only if it comes installed to the house.
Bless you for sharing how this is possible! 🙏 I am pro-nature and pro-God and yearn for humanity to tread as lightly as possible on the natural Earth 🌎
I’m sorry but this does not make financial sense. I’d also like to hear about upkeep of all the new tech?
Americans use so much energy. My electric bill is is $30\mo and gas $12\mo.
where u at?
@@mdstmouse7 Southern California
@@gr8bkset-524 thats all you pay? are you living in a shed and dont cook?
@@mdstmouse7 I'm near San Diego. Great weather. Some passive insulation and block out sunlight. No need for heating or cooling.
ummm, so you don't need to heat or cool in SoCal. we need both in Portland. of course it costs more. 😑
So you have to go into massive debt for a net zero home? I see why we don’t have many, this is not accessible to everyone.
Imagine an investment that takes 16years to go back to zero 😂
16 years the future will be more crazy..they will hit zero just in time
😂😂😂
If they sell they can recoup that and more so it won’t take 16 years
They left out the information about all of the extra energy it took to build the solar panels, to thicken the walls, etc, it’s not net zero at all.
THat's not part of the Net Zero concept. You expect complex things to magically appear? Machines still need to be made and moved around, no doubt and it would be great if it could be made in the most sustainable fashion, but just because it wasn't, doesn't mean that you shouldn't go ahead and build something that will be good for you and the environment, should it?
Over the life of the building, it will be net zero.
You can probably call this a Renewable family!
I will make my house bet zero too
It is not net zero if you also have an electric bill.
They export during the summer tho
lol, what you smoking ?
@@JJ-zg1hh They still pay an electric bill.
@@saulgoodman2018 yes but you have to take into account the cost of running a car. I spend about £2500 per year on petrol. I presume that these home owners don't have that cost to bear as the excess solar energy will cover that requirement.
So, yes, they do buy some power from the grid but they are effectively "net zero" because they don't have to pay for gas to heat the home/hot water and fuel for the car. I'm sure those savings will far outweigh what they pay for grid electricity.
@@JJ-zg1hh I'm just saying that they are not net zero.
Net zero means you using nothing from the grid.
If I lived in Oregon I would be more interested and spend the effort to move out of Oregon.
That's all good if it was in the middle of the country.😅😅😅
Very nice. You could've gone passive solar and gotten rid of your heating system entirely. Also, you dog loves laying what in the sunlight? Eggs? You mean _lying;_ it's shocking how many people seem to be making this mistake with basics.
we are not all the people born in an English speaking country.
@@csocianu The person in the video is obviously a native English speaker. Regardless, if you're someone who knows enough about English to know the word "lay", then you should also know the word "lie".
Just don’t take away my gas stove!!
induction is the way to go!
SO they did nothing themselves...
did you watch the video? geez 🙄
Aren’t you creating an equity issue with solar? If you’re not paying your fair share for the grid, who pays? People who can’t afford solar do. Utility-scale solar is much more efficient, cheaper, and does not carry the equity issue.
The first 50 seconds explain why this couple converted to solar electric in Oregon, they both work in the renewable energy industry. The reality is that when you consider Oregon is located too far North for the solar panels to lay Normal to the Sun for the vast majority of the day to justify solar and related long term expense, going solar outside of the Sun Belt States makes little or no sense. On the other hand, if you were located in the Sun Belt States, then solar makes absolute sense - latitude provides for greater sun intensity and many fewer overcast days. People will argue tax credits and such but I am talking about pure physics. For further explanation, google what I am saying and watch Elon Musk and experts weigh in on this matter. This is not my opinion, it's theirs.
Just a question here - how much gas emissions does it take to produce and then treat old solar panels and batteries? How much human life is lost in cobalt mines to produce it? I'm all for efficiency and green energy, just wanted to o make sure that when we treat one problem, we're not causing another 😊
🎉hiii
We are invested… but not married? Sounds like the guy has his stuff together, but not his girlfriend? Anywho - great plan! Hope it works out and that the panels last for decades to come!
WTF are you talking about it literally says "his wife." They are married. And whyyyy insult Meghan anyway? 🙄
😮 39 years old, I'm 31 and she looks like she could be my mom
let's see a photo of you so the internet can decide how old you look. f*ing trolls. 🤮
NOOO WAYYY she is 39…more like 49!!!!!!
Why don't you keep this to yourself? No need to be nasty
Why is it that saying someone looks wayyy older is considered “nasty”… please do tell!! It is a FACT that she looks wayyy older, in fact they looked like mother & son in one of the frames.
Not cool. Not cool at all. They're both great people and you would do well to be more to like them!
@@lorrainea.285 You sound 69.
Must you hate
Thats not a house if a more powerful wind blows will fall in seconds, i don't really know why america its just so bad at building ,from materials to structure is just not fine man
Why? Money! Cheap materials, cheap and unskilled laborers, but it costs higher to build a house than ever. More profits to developers
How is it cheap?
They did say it 116 years old
Quite a pipe dream reserved exclusively for the rich and/or people who have no beef with reaping the short-term benefits all the while destroying their financial future with all of that juicy debt😋.
Exclusively for the well off is also why they have subsidies for solar etc, once the average joe can get it they'll be paying full price.
@@Zero11_ss subsidies are horrible! I have no interest as a tax payer giving an incentive for this nonsense.