Running Your Electric Meter Backwards

New alternate energy technologies have an important role in helping the nation become energy independent, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and, as fossil fuel energy costs increase, reduce residential energy costs. Whether you design a new home or wish to improve the energy efficiency of your existing home, solar energy and other technologies are rapidly developing into cost effective sustainable energy resources. Among these technologies are solar collectors, solar hot water systems, heat storage vaults, photovoltaic electricity and solar panels.

Michael Moats has built a showcase solar home within a block of the church featuring many of the above technologies. Lois Vitt Sale, an architect and nationally recognized leader in the application of private and commercial green technologies and sustainable planning and 2011 LEED Fellow, designed this small home in 2009. Lois and Michael will join us at 11:00 A.M. in room 213 on January 15, 2012 to describe Michael’s home and discuss considerations/tradeoffs made during its design and construction. Yes, Michael’s electric meter actually does run backwards when his home generates more electricity than it needs.

 Installing solar devices on existing homes is also becoming popular as they become cost effective against the rising cost of fossil fuel energy. They also increase home value. The class will discuss solar devices, installation considerations, financing options, rebates, tax credits, and how to find installers.