Energy from the Sun- Photovoltaics under the Big Sky with Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Montana, serving Butte and
Southwest Montana, is the first Habitat for Humanity affiliate in the
nation to send Habitat-generated power from photovoltaic (PV) energy
into the grid, saving the Habitat family money while producing
renewable energy to help meet future electrical demands for
themselves and their neighbors.

The High Performance Housing Partnership – the HP2 program – has
resulted in homes that use 40 to 50 percent less energy than homes
built to current codes, with heating costs in Montana of under $250 a
year. These homes are the best candidates for use of solar-generated
electric energy, to cover 50 to 100 percent of the electrical load
experienced by very low income families.

The first PV-powered home in Montana with Habitat was set up in Butte by a
volunteer team with leadership from Jim Sullivan, licensed electrician and Habitat
volunteer, who trains IBEW members and is part of Local 44. Other volunteers
included John Walden, who works at the National Center for Appropriate
Technology (NCAT), Jack Bartholomew of Applied Building Sciences, and Jim
Schindler of Missoula.

The program is limited to Habitat rooftops that are south
facing and are part of the HP2 program, which means they meet a high energy standard
prior to receiving the solar panels. The electricity being generated goes into the grid,
making the household’s electric meter "go backward." The total generation is expected to
be valued at or about $200 a year per household.

Maintenance is simple – the panels need to be rinsed off annually to make sure they
generate electricity at their peak levels.

While solar energy is popular, the real "hero" in
this situation is the HP2 standard, which saves
households from $350 to $700 a year in heating
costs prior to considering the solar energy
system. Overall, HP2-SOLAR families can expect to save from $600 to
$1,000 a year.

The solar systems are donated by the Montana Power Co.,as part of the
Universal System Benefit (USB) which is paid on each bill by all rate payers,
and installation is donated by a team led by Sullivan, working with Tom
Galster and Rocky Clark of the IBEW.

http://www.habitatswmt.org/pv.htm