Design of houses with solar panels

It is a fact that if we want to leave our children a better future, we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions and avoid an irreversible environmental catastrophe in time. Bill Gates already talked about this in his book: How to Avoid a Climate Disaster. It is extremely important to determine what measures we need to take to stop the plant’s race towards extinction.

If you have not yet read it, we recommend this wonderful reading. You will understand how important it is to heed the call for help that our planet is making to us. In fact, it has helped us to become aware of the need to work on projects and reform proposals in favor of the environment.

One of the proposals that we usually work with more force from Molins Design studio is the use of renewable energies. The design of houses with solar panels currently becomes one of the best options for those who want to contribute to the improvement and conservation of our environment as we know it.

It is true that solar panels do not represent the solution to climate change, although it is proven that using renewable energy in the home is a plus to preserve the planet earth. In fact, solar panels have been evolving and improving over time. When crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells were introduced in the 1970s, they only transformed electricity from 15% of the sunlight that fell on them.

Today, however, solar panels transform approximately 25% of the solar radiation they receive. So, we can speak of a very considerable improvement, although totally far from Moore’s Law. Do you know what this marvelous empirical law says? Well, the rule, formulated in 1965 by Intel co-founder Gordon E. Moore, predicted that electronic processors would double their capacity every two years. Something that, as we have just mentioned, is not possible with regard to the installation of solar panels in a house.

However, it is very important to make clear the importance of betting on this type of renewable energies. In fact, today it becomes the most intelligent solution and filter to address domestic electricity consumption.

The last proposal in which we have worked is part of the so-called houses with solar panels. We are talking about the VIB Terrace, a spectacular terrace located in one of the most sophisticated areas of the city of Barcelona. An exterior reform of which, no doubt, we are very proud.

In this terrace project in Pedralbes we installed 11 solar panels that give a consumption of 4.4 KW of power. So, we can speak of an installation in which practically our owners had a complete autonomy. And, because of that, they lived in an ecological solar house. Think that the installation of a simple air conditioning has a normal consumption of about 1.2KW of power. Therefore, the project we had in hand was a proposal to resize the energy consumption of a single-family house for self-sufficiency.

We set up an electrical distribution board that sends the solar energy to the rest of the house. And, with the surplus energy, we were able to create a hot water tank of about 750 liters. This accumulation of hot water is used today to maintain a constant temperature of 24ºC in the outdoor area of the jacuzzi and, in winter, to heat the home’s underfloor heating as well.

This is an example of a sustainable house, which uses renewable energy to heat the home, both indoors and outdoors, in the most intelligent way possible. The disadvantage? The space occupied by the installation of solar panels on the roof of the house. In addition to its budget, which is not amortized until, approximately, after 10 years.