The Coast Guard wants to implement “net zero” homes at their base at Southwest Harbor, Maine. Wind power is just the first step.
In addition, next door to the wind-powered duplex, the Coast Guard has installed a pellet boiler that provides heat and domestic hot water for the two homes in that unit, replacing an oil-fired boiler that used about 1,900 gallons of oil a year. Solar panels provide electricity and also charge an array of batteries for backup power, and solar thermal tubes provide up to 80 additional gallons of hot water for those homes.
“We’re setting an example for the Coast Guard and for the country,” Thomas said.