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Solar Domestic Hot Water System Description (PDF)

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Systems Descriptions & Components (PDF)

Background: John Kondos, the Solar Source & Home-Efficiency Resources, LLC, Chesterfield, NH

John Kondos, founder of the Solar Source & Home-Efficiency Resources, LLC of Spofford, NH began his career in the solar energy industry in the 1970’s after attending graduate school in Arizona where he was exposed to a variety of solar applications; some of which were viable while others were not. A second significant influence from his Masters in International Business studies in Arizona was a course in Global Natural Resources which provided a basis for understanding the limits of reliance on finite resources particularly for our energy supply. After returning to New England, he joined a start up solar contracting firm near where he grew up to pursue this new area of interest. Most of the installations were domestic water and pool heating systems with some solar greenhouse additions and commercial systems. Based on a range of government incentives passed in the wake of the OPEC induced energy crisis of the mid ‘70’s, the nascent solar industry began to flourish. He had the good fortune of landing his dream job with a photovoltaic (PV) manufacturer that offered the combination of working with a new solar technology and international business experience. He traveled extensively selling, establishing local distributors and installing solar PV electric systems. Initially PV systems were used in remote locations where getting fuel delivered to a generator was a problem or very expensive. In the developed world applications included mountain top communications towers and buoys at sea. In less developed countries with limited electric supply outside the main cities there were numerous opportunities.  Applications included power for water pumping, individual homes, villages and health clinics. John was responsible for some of the first vaccine storage refrigerators powered by PV installed by the World Health Organization in India, Indonesia and the Maldives.

When the parent firm decided their conventional crystalline PV technology wasn’t going to make them any money they closed the doors. Fortunately he landed at another PV firm working on thin film, amorphous silicon technology, and the next generation of solar cells. With responsibility for market and product development this was a ground floor opportunity at this start up firm. After a few years of not meeting the technical milestones once again the parent firm pulled the plug. By this time the all too brief solar industry boom was ending. So he moved into other industries to pursue his international and product development interests. Along the way, he built a remote cabin that relied on PV power and later bought a piece of land in Chesterfield where he and his wife designed their home with passive solar to take advantage of the sun’s warmth in the winter and a solar water heater.

More recently his passion for travel started to wane and the old interests in solar and energy conservation, energy policy and preserving our natural surroundings reemerged. He concluded it wasn’t enough to talk and write about the increasingly urgent need to move beyond our “addictive” dependence on finite fossil fuels. The mounting scientific evidence confirmed observations locally that our climate was being disrupted and threatened our way of life and the forests that he so loved to return to from his travels.   Since New England has some of the oldest and least efficient housing stock, the highest energy costs in the nation and relies primarily on imported oil & gas; he concluded there is a need for independent, performance based energy assessment/auditing services and solar systems and was amazed at their lack of availability locally.

In late 2006, Home-Efficiency Resources, LLC was established to provide energy efficiency assessments, solar water heaters and solar electric systems to homeowners and small businesses in the Monadnock region and Windham County, VT. Energy efficiency assessments rely on building science to evaluate a buildings’ relative performance. H-ER provides the owner with a report including an air leakage value and a cost/benefit analysis of efficiency improvements starting with the most cost effective. Solar domestic water heating is the most cost effective use of solar after passive solar construction while solar photovoltaic (PV) systems produce reliable, clean and renewable electricity for decades. In 2007, the trade name Solar Source was registered to better identify the solar sales and installation business.

Home-Efficiency Resources pursues a range of sustainable business practices intended to minimize our carbon output, and waste while improving the efficiency and value of local homes and businesses, including:

1. We utilize proven, long-lasting components to insure that our solar energy systems will last for decades.
2. Our truck features an aerodynamic, light weight fiberglass body for improved efficiency and is run on a biodiesel blend.
3. This truck which serves as our workshop on wheels is left at the site during the installation, while we carpool when possible in higher mpg vehicles.
4. We source materials from suppliers committed to minimizing their carbon footprints and packaging materials.
5. We recycle aggressively including sorting scrap metals, cardboard, paper, etc.
6. We purchase recycled content office supplies.
7. In summary, we are committed to sustainable practices; we reduce, reuse and recycle conscientiously.

H-ER offers these products and services:

1. An Energy Efficiency Checklist (a free list of energy savings tips from no cost to investments on our web site);
2. Building Efficiency Assessment (a thorough evaluation of the building including a Blower Door test and a written report of the recommendations and their relative payback in dollars and CO2 reduction);
3. Home Energy Rating System Audits (comprehensive energy performance audits to be used for mortgages, Energy Star or tax credit qualification);
4. Renewable energy systems site surveys (to determine the feasibility of solar thermal or photovoltaic (PV) electric).

While the Solar Source offers:

1. Design, sales and installation of durable, reliable solar water heaters and solar electric systems for home and businesses that will last for decades.

Solar Source/Home-Efficiency Resources’ office and workshop are located next to their home in Chesterfield, where the 11 year old solar domestic water heating system and new PV system are available for demonstration.

H-ER, PO Box 584, Spofford, NH 03462; Tel (603)363-4505; e-mail homeefficiency@verizon.net; on the web at www.home-efficiency.com