By VALERIE WELLS • July 22, 2008 Hattiesburg American
In between supervising the pouring of concrete into four guide-wire bases for a wind turbine, Cliff Burgess scrapes wet concrete off the metal pole of the main tower.
Burgess, a computer science professor at the University of Southern Mississippi for 22 years, won't have huge utility bills to pay later this year when construction is complete on his new home just north of Hattiesburg.
He may not have to buy gas again, either.
"Hopefully, we can provide all our own electricity and when the new all-electric cars come out, we can provide all the electricity for the car," Burgess said. He already drives a Toyota Prius hybrid.
His new home looks as if it would fit in any subdivision with its brick exterior and low rectangular design. And at 3,200 square feet, it's hardly skimpy. But it stands apart from most South Mississippi homes. Built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - or LEED -national standards, it will be powered with solar, geothermal and wind energy.
"It's the first one, top-of-the-line home that I know of in the area," said Kevin Claburn, a project manager with Lumberton-based Infinity Construction Services, a general contractor.
"Each device out there, all they are basically are battery chargers. Once the batteries are fully charged, it goes into the inverter which converts it into 120 volts," Claburn said.
Burgess had another home in Moselle a few years ago that had similar alternative features, although not as extensive as the one now under construction. He's been researching the idea of solar, wind and geothermal energy for years and has been planning this new retirement home for at least a year.
Forty solar panels sit on the southern side of the roof. That solar energy will generate 5.4 kilowatts. There's another solar panel just for the water heater.
The wind turbine will generate 3 kilowatts of electricity Burgess said. That's enough to power 30 light bulbs, a DVD player, a personal computer, a 20-inch color TV, a phone charger, a fan and a microwave.
A geothermal heating and cooling system is going underground and will take less energy to run because it runs water through pipes.
Wells and rain will supply the home with all the water Burgess and his wife will need. It will be stored in two 1,200-gallon tanks.
On the east side of the house is a battery room where 48 batteries about the size of car batteries will be stored.
They will generate 86 kilowatts, which will pass through an inverter and create 120 volts, what most households need for appliances and other electrical gadgets. It's enough to generate power for several days if needed.
"That's for days when there's no sun and no wind," Burgess said.
The house will get some electricity from the local utility, Southern Pine Electric Power. That's just a back-up plan. Burgess could sell excess power back to the company, but the extra fees and red tape aren't worth the trouble, he said.
Burgess did not disclose how much building this house costs. But the initial investment is substantial, he said, and higher than conventional building methods.
"There are different costs associated," Burgess said.
The solar panels, for example, cost about $5 per watt, making a 100-watt panel cost $500. Inverters cost about $6,000 for a whole house. The batteries cost about $250 each.
Still, the extra expenses can soon turn into lower monthly bills.
"Normally, if you're doing it and add it on to your mortgage, your monthly outlay will be less," Burgess said.
Burgess has hired a construction company owned by another Southern Miss professor, Bill Crosby, as the general contractor.
"He's done one or two houses that used that technology," Burgess said.
The house is made with rebar and reinforced concrete. It will have a high insulation rate at R-50.
"You want to build a strong house for hurricanes, tornadoes," Burgess said. "If you are building a house, why not build it as strong as possible?"
Claburn said many clients are curious about using alternative energy sources in new home construction.
"I think in the next couple of years, you'll see most new homes using some type of it," Claburn said.
