Solar Homes by PG&E
By Stephanie Ghertner
Habitat for Humanity not only helps families with limited incomes get into their own homes, but they are helping to make the homes more energy efficient than the typical house in the US to avoid these families getting huge monthly utility bills. More efficient homes means less pollution for all of us and lower monthly bills for each of these households that allow these families to spend more money on other essential family expenses.
For the past few years, Habitat for Humanity International has partnered with PG&E to support the installation of solar electric systems on Habitat-built homes in northern and central California. Â Since the program began in 2005, the partnership has brought solar energy to families with limited incomes, demonstrating a shared commitment to affordable, renewable energy and promoting energy literacy throughout local communities.
Incorporating solar energy into the design plans helps to lower the cost to homeowners while creating a standard of environmentally friendly building practices. Â The solar panels installed on Habitat-built homes generate nearly 300kWh of clean, renewable energy from sunlight each month, saving the families approximately $500 a year on energy costs, and each panel helps prevent the release of more than 132,000 pounds of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere over the 30-year life of the system.
September 13th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
Last week I volunteered at the Oakland Habitat for Humanity solar installation. I am a PG&E spouse who is passionate about the environment, and I was given the opportunity to work on the homes. Working with the PG&E volunteers was inspiring and humbling. These folks got up on the roofs of five or six homes in unusually hot weather, and installed the tracks for the solar panels. They followed the lead of the Grid Alternative folks, and gave their time and expertise to help prepare the systems that truly benefit us all! Stephanie explains the benefits for all of us perfectly, but the gem that really makes me most appreciative of the PG&E partnered installation is that the percentage of the new home owners income that will have to be spent on their energy bill is drastically reduced. For most of us our PG&E bill is not a huge percentage of our income. With the benefit of these solar panels, the new home owners have a bigger percentage of their income that they can now save for their family’s future, increase their purchasing power, and have a brighter economic freedom. Saving the environment and boosting the economy, and I didn’t even have to vote!