Fox Cities Habitat for Humanity to build 14 solar-equipped homes
From an article by in the Appleton Post-Crescent:
Menasha — Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity plans to equip all 14 homes it builds in 2009 with either a solar water heating system or a photovoltaic electrical generating system.
The project is supported by a partnership of utility corporations, non-profit organizations, and educational establishments including We Energies, Kaukauna Utilities, Focus on Energy, Midwest Renewable Energy Association and Northeast Wisconsin Technical College.
Habitat for Humanity will begin construction of its first solar equipped home in the Fox Valley this month in Appleton.
“We have been employing green building practices for a while now,” said Habitat executive director John Weyenberg. “This is only the next logical step in our effort to promote housing that is not only simple, decent, and affordable, but environmentally sound as well.”
This is the second major solar project for Habitat in Wisconsin. In 2008, Milwaukee’s affiliate of Habitat for Humanity built 20 homes, equipping them with solar hot water and solar electricity.
“This is technology we know works,” said Habitat construction supervisor Kevin Franz. “It’s more of a demonstration to show other homebuyers that solar energy is practical even this far north.
“It’s also to help stimulate the technical education required. We need many more trained solar system installers in northeast Wisconsin and we hope that by partnering with institutions like NWTC we can move the process along.
