WITH THE CONSTRUCTION COMPLETED IN September 2008, the president’s house at Unity College (Maine) was built to be a living experiment as a carbon emissions-free dwelling. The prototype home, with more than 1,900-square-feet, was designed to provide electricity, heat, and hot water by only using energy generated from solar power. The roof is equipped with a photovoltaic (PV) panel system, while the home’s flooring is a concrete slab for retaining heat. Estimated figures provided by interim Sustainability Coordinator Aaron Witham anticipate environmental and financial payoffs. The PV system, estimated to provide 6,300 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, is presumed to have offset about 5,063 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions since last summer and will save about $940 annually on the electric bill. Plus, the solar hot water system could save on average $250. An air-to-air heat pump from Hallowell International, based in Bangor, Maine, will save roughly $2,250 a year over using heating oil. In April, the residence was awarded a LEED Platinum rating.

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