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Solarites

so·lar·ites |soh-ler-ahyts|
noun (pl.)

Those energy professionals who support Alabama Solar Association and solve your energy challenges.


Breaking News: Monday, March 1, 2010

The first ASES Technical Division webinar will be Thursday, March 4th. More

 
ASES
 

Diana Higley used to dread getting her monthly utility bill, now she looks forward to it. Her first bill for her solar-powered Habitat for Humanity home in Tuscumbia shocked her. Her bill was -$6.30; the power company owed her money.

The home generated 250 kilowatts of solar power and used 292 kilowatts of power the first 45 days Higley lived there. TVA's Sheffield Utilities provides power through the power grid. They buy back excess solar power for more than the cost of selling power to residential customers.

University of North Alabama students designed the home to be super-energy-efficient reducing the energy use to 41 percent of that of a normal house. The efforts to tighten the building envelope not only saved energy, but they greatly reduced the size of equipment needed to power and heat the home. Energy efficient appliances and fixtures further reduced the demand.

"By incorporating solar power and other energy-saving measures, these student volunteers not only have made the home more affordable for the homeowner, they also have made it a model for energy efficiency in Alabama. ADECA (the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs) is proud to have played a role in this project," said ADECA Director Bill Johnson.

"In my old house, I paid about $136 a month for power plus about $500 during the winter for propane," she said.

"Because of the Styrofoam walls, I really haven't had to use the heat. It stays about 73 degrees," Higley said. "It is such an amazing home. I can't believe how warm it stays. Last year, we would be freezing."


The house was built with special insulation, rigid Styrofoam construction materials. It has 11 photovoltaic panels and a solar water heater.

Acme Solar Works
Summerdale
Affordable Solar
Dothan
Global Market Consultants, Inc
Clearwater
Green Works
Royal
Gulf Coast Solar, Inc
Mobile
HSVgreen.com
Huntsville
Reisz Engineers
Huntsville
REM Solar Technologies
Lanett
Southern Solar
Huntsville
Sun Plans
Citronelle

The mission of the National Engineers Week Future City Competition is to provide a fun and exciting educational engineering program for seventh- and eighth-grade students that combines a stimulating engineering challenge with a "hands-on" application to present their vision of a city of the future.

Creating future engineers for Alabama

Alabama needs engineers and scientiests to assure our continued leadership in technology. The last generation took us to the moon and back. Where will our future generations take us?

ASA awarded the Huntsville City School Academy of Science and Foreign Language $300 for the concept city "Solaris." ASA Judges Al Orilion and Morton Archibald selected Team Solaris as the best of 20 finalists from across Alabama in use of renewable energy in their concept of a future city.

"I represent a bunch of hogs," said Morton in presenting the award. "Our generation has been using energy like there is no tomorrow, let alone like this generation is going to need any. We are living in desperate times, and it will be up to you (the students participating in the Future Cities competition) to bail of us out of the mess we have created. From what I have seen here today, there is hope for a bright future."

The team consisted of students Kris Yamada, Sherry Nolet, and Eugina Young developed the plans and the model for the City of Solaris. ASFL teacher Angela Trayor provided the team guidance under the guidance of Huntsville engineer Erica Jones.

Watch for more details soon.


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