West Virginia nonprofit hopes to build network of solar energy programs in other places

The founders of New Vision Renewable Energy, a rural nonprofit in Philippi, W.Va., hope to build a national network of community teams that bring solar panels to other rural places where renewable sources "often are seen as anti-patriotic or as a way for tree-hugging elitists to pat themselves on the back," reports Erich Schwartzel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Ruston Seaman and John Prusa (Post-Gazette photo by Andrew Rush) joined forces to build solar panels for the community, which is two hours south of Pittsburgh and has 20 percent of its residents living below the poverty line. New Vision hopes to outfit 10 homes this spring with panels.

The pair built their first homemade solar panels with shower doors and caulking. They've since moved on to better materials, though they still "come cheaply." New Vision is affiliated with Seaman's church, Peoples Chapel, and doesn't have much funding as a result. Seaman and Prusa say the panels eliminate three major expenses: electricity, gas and heat, paying for themselves in utilities savings in less than 10 years. Energy independence is an added bonus to the lower bills, they say.

In the process of outfitting homes, they've created "an entire mini-economy that recirculates money among families receiving panels and allows currency to come in the form of volunteer hours." The cost of outfitting one home can be from $7,000 to $10,000. Families volunteer time installing panels on other homes to help pay back expenses. Savings from electric bills go into a general community fund that finances more solar panels on more homes.

New Vision is training leaders from other communities who want to take the system home with them. Groups from Detroit, southern West Virginia and Yoakum, Tex., recently completed the training program, which trains a solar-panel technician, project leader and volunteer coordinator in each group. Some say they've faced push-back from those who see conserving energy as unpatriotic. The executive director of Almost Heaven Habitat for Humanity in Franklin, W.Va., said her group doesn't receive any flak from those they help, whose electricity bills can be quadruple their monthly rent. (Read more)