Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Dedham home featured on National Solar Tour!


Public Invited to Visit 100% Solar Powered Home in Dedham

As part of the American Solar Energy Society’s Annual Solar Buildings Tour and with the support of regional affiliate the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, Steve MacAusland will open his home to the public on Saturday, October 3.

The Address is: 121 Sandy Valley Road, Dedham, MA 02026

MacAusland has opened his doors to participants of the tour several times in the past. Recently, however, he has made good on his pledge to generate 100% of his electricity from the sun. To do so, he worked with Alteris Renewables to install photovoltaic panels on poles mounted behind his house.

“I intend never to pay another electricity bill,” says MacAusland. “The meter is running backward permanently.”

MacAusland has been working to reduce his heating bill as well. He has solar thermal tubes on his roof for domestic hot water, and he installed a fireplace insert last winter. Add to that two, sometimes as many as four hybrid vehicles in the driveway, and you begin to get the picture.

“My daughters and I want to be climate/carbon neutral. Nothing could be more important,” says MacAusland. “and to top it all off, this is an investment. We are saving money too.”

Contact: Steve MacAusland (781) 326-2368

Steve's century year old farmhouse in Dedham MA is carbon neutral