Solar energy workshop set

SHEFFIELD - A local environmental group and utility will co-host a workshop on solar energy Friday and Saturday.

"There are not many options for people to learn how they can start using solar energy," said Nancy Muse, vice president of the Shoals Environmental Alliance, which will host the event with Sheffield Utilities.

Why Sheffield? In the Shoals, Sheffield has the only utility department, according to Muse, that so far has been an early adopter of the Generation Partner program from the Tennessee Valley Authority, the utility that provides electricity to the region. The program allows people who generate their own electricity to sell any of their unused energy back to the grid.

Huntsville Utilities had the first customer to install and operate a solar facility in the Generation Partner program, said Terry Johnson, TVA spokesman.

Giles McDaniel, executive director of the Shoals Entrepreneurial Center, will talk about the challenges renewable energy companies face in getting their products developed and marketable.

Working with Huntsville business incubator BizTech and Appalachian Regional Commission federal funding, the center has developed a model for businesses interested in entering the renewable energy market.

"We've had several people from the area interested," McDaniel said.

If someone has an idea, McDaniel said the center can take it to someone with technical expertise who knows the hoops and hurdles of developing a product or service.

For businesses and home owners interested in technologies available, Southern Solar Systems, of Huntsville, will host two talks.

Chris Shearburn, vice president, said two solar systems will be discussed: water heaters and solar photovoltaic panels that can generate electricity.

Water heaters use coils filled with water exposed to the sun that then exchange collected heat with a water tank.

A typical system can cost $5,000 for a house, Shearburn said.

Solar panels, which are more commonly known, convert sunlight into electricity and cost $15,000 to $30,000 for an average-size residence.

Both systems will be on display at the new Habitat for Humanity home during a tour Saturday.

The caravan to the Habitat for Humanity Solar House will meet at 9 a.m. Saturday in front of the Sheffield Library.

"We're going to talk about this

project, and how the house was designed to work with solar to reduce energy consumption," said Cynthia Burkhead, adviser for the University of North Alabama chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

Money for the solar conversion of the house, in the Locust Shores area of Tuscumbia, came from a state grant written by UNA students.

Organizers hope the workshop will help transform solar from an idea to a reality.

"There is a lot of mystery surrounding solar energy. We hope a lot of the mystery will disappear," Muse said. "There is no mystery; it's just time to get down and do it."

Trevor Stokes can be reached at 740-5728 or trevor.stokes@TimesDaily.com.