Solar Panels

We designed the building angle and south facing roof slope to accommodate future solar panel installation.  We ended up qualifying for the Rocky Mountain Solar Incentive for 2013 and decided to go ahead and put the solar panels in sooner rather than later.  We hired Marc Staker from Sunlight Solar to design and install the system and he was amazing.  Very responsive, knowledgeable and all-around great guy.  Plus, he has a rat terrier (you can see her in the photo by the truck)!  Anyway, he installed a beautiful 2kw system with the high-tech black glass panels made here in the USA. 

 

 

 

Windows

We went with Marvin Integrity Ultrex fiberglass composite windows with LoE-366 glass with argon.  In the desert heat you cannot use vinyl windows because they warp.  We couldn't afford full wooden windows and the fiberglass composite windows actually have a better energy star rating than the wooden ones.  In the end, with the extra "mistake" window in the bedroom and the "late addition" window on the west wall in the kitchen, we ended up with 16 windows in our little 1,000 sq.ft. cabin.  Wow.