I think solar panels--with their benefits to you and the environment--are beautiful. My next door neighbors have them front and back. I don't even notice them. As I walk around the neighborhood and spy solar panels, I think, whaddya know? Good for them. It tells me the people who live there care. Most roofs are kind of meh looking anyway.

I wouldn't mind the solar panels too much. I think in a few years it will be very normal. If you have enough real estate, you might check out the SmartFlower solar panels. It's a stand alone assembly, not attached to the house. Looks interesting, but I don't know how long it's been around.

Solar panels aren't uncommon here in the Bay Area. The only reason I haven't considered them is my heating and hot water are gas, no A/C and relatively low electricity use overall. I should check with my neighbors and see what their cost benefit works out to.

Heat pumps and solar panels are both in much evidence here (NS). Solar panels I don't even see. Heat pump units on the exterior aren't pretty but no more unsightly than A/C units. On the inside...I totally get your concern. I believe people who have mini-splits basically treat them visually like a light switch or radiator -- that is they ignore/look past them.

Anne, I live in the center of my town on a decent in town size lot but not at all large by suburban standards. Linelle, I too heat water and air with gas, but do use ac and a pool filter with a heat pump almost five months per year so do use a fair share of electric.

This question goes more towards all choices , like having a perfect green lawn vs not watering and not using fertilizer.... Scotch guard vs non toxic but stained sofas....deep beautiful soaking tubs that hold tons of water vs a shallow tub ...

i sometimes want pretty over right and I feel so bad about that.

I agree that we need to think of solar panels as something that is just there, like vent stacks and chimneys. They aren't pretty but they aren't ugly. They're just there. Just do it (and extend your swimming season without guilt).

Hard to say about the HVAC though. What kind of ugly wall units are we talking about? :)

Mini splits are the ductless units that are prevalent in Europe and most of the world it seems but not here in the US.

It is the bulky machine above the door in this picture. I would have a unit in each bedroom and one in the kitchen, one in a sunroom and one in my hall most likely to efficiently cool my house.

To ease your mind a little...I don't think you would need mini splits in each and every room. Depending on the size. Often times here people do just one upstairs and one downstairs although our climate is temperate. http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/qa-spotlight/are-seven-heads-better-three

Hmm. There's got to be a better way. Keep shopping!

I'm sure you already checked about running ducts in the basement and attic? I had an old house like that--of course it had to have two furnaces, two AC compressors, two thermostats, etc...we convinced ourselves that we had a fancy zone system with two entire zones.

To answer your question, it depends. : ) For pretty major decisions such as these, I do a TON of research to get the best possible outcome for my application. I weigh in all the factors, and sometimes the outcome is best for the environment and sometimes it is best for me. I know I've done my best in deciding so I don't sweat it.

We are leaning to ac with a unit in attic and compressor outside and when we did a bath addition last summer we had an empty chaise added for ductwork. The issue is these mini splits are heat pumps, de humidifiers, without needing to cool, and so much more energy efficient than ducted ac. Ductwork in the unconditioned attic in July is so inefficient it hurts my green heart to even think about...but the splits hurt my eyes too.

Robo, we could cool with less upstairs for sure if we liked to sleep with doors open which with young children we do but with teens in a few years and guests we need each room to have its own...

I agree with Robo.... ductless mini splits are very common in these parts, and very efficient. I know dozens of people who have them, including my mother. I think the indoor units are just thought of as part of the hardware of the house.... no different than a radiator or heating vent. Baseboard electric heaters were (are) pretty ugly too, but plenty of people use them. I don't really even see them or pay attention anymore.

I look for efficiency, sustainability and ease of maintenance when making decisions to replace items in my home. There are so many options out there for anything and a little research goes a long way.

Minisplits come with multiple options for the vents for the multi room systems. You can have the wall mount unit, a ceiling cassette, a floor mounted or a ducted unit that look like traditional HVAC outlets. Also companies like LG have done some nice work on the look of the wall hung units (Art Cool Gallery). Consider a Heat Pump mini split. My favorite Minisplit is the Fujitsu. This shows the different indoor units. I am planning to replace my HVAC with a Minisplit in the near future. Doing some insulation. siding and roofing first:-)

I want a solar panel also but my issue is that my roof is huge and I want to track the sun for maximum efficiency. Not a lot of information about these units in the US yet but I may get one of these (Smartflower POP) and place it in my backyard. And if I move, I can take it with me.

Good luck!

I wrestle with similar decisions all the time. I try and remind myself that every positive environmental action I take is making an impact, especially if it normalizes pro-environment actions and makes environmentally positive things like solar panels more mainstream.

I also remind myself that I am but one person in this wasteful country, and I've been actively pro-environment my entire adult life (for 9 years I walked to work every day), but I am not singlehandedly responsible for saving the world. I do the best I can, and sometimes I make decisions that are less pro-environment, but overall, the balance is well on the pro-environment side. Perfect is the enemy of good.

I would install solar panels in a red-hot minute. I myself am considering mini-split heat pumps, but am really torn because of the ugly factor, both inside and outside the house. Good luck with your decisions!

Hard decisions to make. If this helps, we didn't do solar on the roof because we have a very old slate roof (about 100 years old) and would never want to cover or damage the roof. Instead we renovated the back section of the house and spray foamed the whole back end. Pay off is a much lower heating and cooling cost and better for the environment.

We are still using window units for air, but soon will be getting a split system, not sure which one. The damage to our small old house in running ducts and giving up the storage in the attic makes a split very appealing. Also if you have allergies do you want a vent system that would require periodic maintenance and cleaning.

Only you can make that decision but I'd follow my eyes.

If it helps, I would consider a house with solar panels to have maximum curb appeal! And I am sure there are many, many other buyers who would, too. And, I would prefer the over door/window units for AC more appealing than central air, because I'd love the room/zone control, but for me it would be as much about the noise factor as the aesthetics. Whichever is quieter would get my vote. It also seems that by having the units near the ceilings where the hot air is, that it would be more efficient than having to circulate the air from ceiling to floor to cool it.

Olychick, I could happily live with the window units too except for the noise. I am hearing impaired and gradually losing more due to a bilateral meneire's so background noise is not an option. The splits are very quiet I am told.

hmorton, I do have allergies never thought about that. Good point. I do feel I will not notice the units after time if we go that route.

Wish I still had a slate roof:(

Well, you could always wait to see how much Tesla's French Slate solar roof is going to cost:

https://www.tesla.com/solarroof

They are really beautiful, but somehow I think I'll never be able to afford one.

I have been saying for almost 20 years soon they will have attractive solar just wish it was not by tesla... Another 20, or within a year of me installing, like plasma tvs, it will be cheap. Tesla does make green PRETTY but sometimes the green I like to save is my money too ;)

Your new solar panels will mitigate some of the AC inefficiency!

It seems I'm the odd person out. I don't like the look of solar panels and when we go to heat our pool this coming year, I nixed them based on the look. I also drive a V-8 Jeep Grand Cherokee but that's leftover from having to have a good snow vehicle in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in VA. I'll downsize when it's time for a new car. I'd like to now, but it's paid off so it will have to wait. I do buy American made when it's available, even if the cost is more.

Patty, I was wondering why flori and chispa are ok with the front solar panels but find the splits not ok. I personally find the room I posted with the split less visually unappealing than what I imagine my front solar panels would look like.

This is a very similar roof line as my house, I think it might change some opinions on which green system is less attractive ;)

I have two mini split systems in my new (to me) home, one in the master BR and one in the living room. At first I thought the wall units were hideous, but I don't even notice them anymore, after about 4 months in the house. I haven't use the AC yet, but for heating, they're quiet and efficient. I'd rather have hidden ductwork, but it isn't practical in this house.

In a former home years ago, we installed an air handler in the walk-up attic to air condition the second floor through ceiling registers, with a return in the hall ceiling. It worked very well to cool the hottest part of the house and the cool air migrated downward to the first floor well enough to keep it comfortable.

Roarah, hearing impaired with bilateral Meniere's here, too. I get your concerns about background noise. I think you would get used to the mini-splits visually, good to know they are quiet. I will be watching to see where you land on this decision. Good luck!

Roarah, don't you think that last pic of the solar panels looks so bad because of the red roof? If the roof were closer in color to the panels, it would be much less obvious and not as unattractive.

One of my all time favorite tiny houses has mini-splits. The owner has a lot visually going on with her style of decor, but I think the mini-split on the wall over the dining table is pretty easy to ignore.
Little House in Little Rock

I don't know, anniecat. I love the Little House in Little Rock, too, but I have to say that photo has always made wonder if whoever sits on that section of the banquette isn't quite uncomfortable if the system is running.

I agree that you wouldn't notice the solar panels on the house roarah posted at all if the roof weren't red. And even so, while I don't love the look of them, they would be a big positive for me if I were a potential buyer.

I dunno..never really face this dilemma. Never had a car in the family until I was 26 maybe? That's more than half of my life. And when we finally got it it was one car for many years to come and I still walked and took a bus a lot

(by the time I could have my own car the universe prevented me from further driving keeping me very green I guess..))

All in all I think my footprint is small enough. I'm not into technology. I do highly prefer buying local and supporting small businesses. And as I'm used to second hand I learned to love it..and the more I live I find more reasons to do so.

I do need to take baths..good thing that the one we got in our new place is rather deep yet narrow. And I don't need it to be full too. We also put these filters on our sink faucets to control the water flow,.

But I'm keeping the lawn..it's not too big, and most plants are local and low maintenance , palms and all. and they make me happy.

As for mini splits..I'm not knowledgeable or objective enough..my Mom has mini splits and it gets to be fairly useless when it's really hot..turning it just into a waste of energy. But a) she lives where it can get really really hot really really often b) it was installed a long time ago so maybe now they are more efficient

my Mom has mini splits and it gets to be fairly useless when it's really hot..turning it just into a waste of energy. But a) she lives where it can get really really hot really really often b) it was installed a long time ago so maybe now they are more efficient

Maybe some, but in hot FL where I live, they still say that central air is preferable if it's possible to do it. But then we don't need the heat part here. When we have a cold snap we just suffer with the minimal effect of the reverse cycle run for a few minutes in the morning because, while the A/C isn't that expensive to run, the heat sure is.

Writersblock, do you think the mini split blows air down on the person seated in that spot? I hopefully thought it was directing air away. But I am so smitten with the little house, I could be all wrong. ;)

Well, it seems to me, given that the vents are on the bottom, that it must either blow on the person below or on the table.

yeah..my Mom needs heat part too. It's a little bit of mountains where she lives. Winters can be chilly..not really cold but chilly enough to really have to heat the house

(these mini splits are not great for the heat part either. I don't know..now I wish she'd just install the AC when they bought. They also put it in just two rooms trying to save money..(not the house has many more lol, but still..I don't know..more wasteful than not, in the end of the day. Without providing much comfort)

If I--or any of you I bet--put solar panels (and a roof) on that house, it would look fine. Gah.

I think the look of the panels does have to do with the roof, and not just color. My roof is not steep so it wasn't hard to put a bunch of panels in an unobtrusive array. (My roof is also cedar shake which isn't as obnoxious as that RED but does make it surprisingly more difficult to find an installer.)

You'll need a lot more panels with a Tudorish roofline to get the exposure you need unless you happen to have to good planes pointing the right way. Climate matters too of course (and latitude).

As far as minisplit appearances go, I just think there are better-looking retrofits out there based on what I've seen, but you probably have a different set of parameters than what I'm used to. Just hoping you'd look at all the options twice before deciding!

roarah if you are ok with waiting a bit on the solar, they are making advances in solar shingles/solar tiles/integrated/thin film solutions. Personally I think in less than five years the options and prices might be very good. Perhaps at the time you might want to replace the roof anyway?

At my last house I fertilized the lawn once a year and let it go dormant during the summer. In my new neighborhood I'm not sure if that's going to be frowned upon. We have a sprinkler system but I don't know how to use it yet. I like to be conscious of environmental issues as much as possible.

They now make solar roof tiles which have been used on an historic building that houses an environmental non-prof near here. They look great. Also, check into a Tesla solar roof. Very cool looking. No matter what, I would go with solar. I think we had better all be rethinking our environmental impact in everything we do.

I agree with writersblock in that maybe hold out for the Tesla solar roof shingles.

Our neighborhood is moderate priced housing, but it is increasing in value and has become hot. Our neighbors have solar panels.

Our house is small in comparison to most here on GW, but we do like to have low energy costs, so, yes, that is part of a conscious decision to stay here.

Roarah, That's quite the look on that red roof! I don't really agree with it looking better on a similar colored roof as suggested. It's the reflective quality that makes it stand out to me, even on similar colored shingles. That and that fact that they are stuck on, not an actual part of the roof.

I do love the roof line on that house though!

They don't have to be reflective. There are more options available now than (presumably) when that house was decked out--and they are more efficient so you don't need as many.

Actually, that's not even a real house, is it? Looks like a toon.

I agree that the red roof is very wrong with those panels. My roof is a faux wood look but I plan to change it to a black or dark grey before I did solar. I so want to wait until the pretty solar comes down in price but I have been waiting for that for over ten years when we first inquired about solar. At that time we were told our roof was not a good fit due to angle to the sun, available attachment area and pitch. Now with a south face addition roof and improved technology it can be done at a cost benefit to us.

I think that one issue is that by design my house's roof line is meant to be seen. The gables are an architectural feature rather than just protection. This is why regular panels seem wrong aesthetically to me. But the tile technology at this time is not a budget friendly option...

I proposely have a smaller house too gscience

It really doesn't take that many panels nowadays, either. This little house was recently on the market down here and it was advertised as having achieved net zero. Now it's a relatively new house, so it was planned for efficiency, but even so.

Street view:

Aerial view of panels:

You really can't see them from the street (the right of the bottom photo), unless you're looking for them.

Even with my latest assessment, in March, due to my very angular roofline and not much room to do a long stretch of panels I would need more areas of panels than a standard roof. My angles cast blocking shadows...

Time for another addition!! :D

Maybe not, but if there are any sheds, pergolas, cabanas, or carports in your future...

RE mini split heat pump systems, the options for the interior units have improved an include wall, floor, and ceiling mounted options. http://www.fujitsu-general.com/us/residential/products/split/index.html

We are currently trying to decide what to do.... As for solar, only you can decide what is best for you. It may be the payoff time is so long you'd be better off with a different energy strategy. As for me, I would be thrilled to find a house with solar all installed.