Extreme Makeover Home Edition with Solar
Panels

The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition with solar panels was aired on February 8, 2009. This was a banner day for the Girard family of Voluntown, Connecticut. That was the day when an entire community was shown on prime time television helping a family re-build a 3,000 square foot home, making it as energy efficient as possible to help protect the family's future.

The father, Thom Girard, had lost his job at Pfizer, and the family had fallen seriously behind in mortgage payments. A fire seriously damaged the home in August of 2007. The family survived by living in a camper in the backyard. Un-repaired, the home was not fixed, as the mortgage company took the insurance check to pay the back mortgage payment. Once again, foreclosure was inevitable. Then the ultimate tragedy struck the family in the summer of 2008 when both Thom Girard and his oldest son, Marc, died while rescuing other family members who were swimming at a park. This left mom, Carol, as a widow, to take care of her remaining family, Adam, Jacqueline, Lucas, and Hannah.

The town rallied behind them and along with host, Ty Pennington, and his crew, moved that bus aside to reveal their brand new home in December of 2008. The show inspired a town, helped a grieving family move closer to healing, and aired in time to an appreciative audience in February of 2009.

The secret to the house going green hung on the shoulders of Alteris Renewables, ™ Inc. (formerly SolarWrights and Solar Works). They describe themselves as a "full service renewable energy systems integrator and project developer" (per company press release – February 9, 2009).

The company teamed with SunPower, Inc. and Direct Power and Water Corporation, and installed a working solar panel system in the new house for the Girard's. SunPower, Inc. gave the home 36 SPR-225 solar panels which were installed on the roof of the new home.

Usually it would take a family purchasing a solar system to see a return on their investment over a period of fifteen to twenty years, due to the expense. A typical family can also search and find used, but working solar panels, and negotiate a better price if they want to get started right away. For smaller projects, DIY solar panel kits exist.

The Girard family started reaping the benefits immediately, as their solar panel system was built into the design of the house.

In March of 2009, another Extreme Makeover: Home Edition incorporated solar panels into the design of a home for the Almquist family in San Bernardino County in California. The family had dedicated their lives to starting a wildlife sanctuary - 4everwild.org.

Akeena Solar, Inc. ™ donated a $40,000, 24 panel, 5kW, Andalay solar panel system. Per the company's own press release, the system would decrease carbon emissions by more than 10,000 pounds, which is equal to planting 115 trees.

What is also clear from these two shows are that the solar panel systems benefit not only the family, but the community as well.

What the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition with solar panels episodes show is that solar energy is not a mere dream of the future, but it is here – right now. It is clean energy, and besides lowering bills, helps our communities in the end. Environmentally responsible, it is the right thing to do.

With incentives and tax credits, solar energy is also becoming in the reach of the middle-class. Consumers should not only investigate solar panel installation, but should lobby their Senators and Congressman for measures to help make solar energy reachable and affordable for every homeowner.

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