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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.
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