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BY SANDRA BOLAN sbolan@yrmg.com Can a home in the middle of a Stouffville subdivision be powered by solar energy? Yes. And one local home is proof. In 2008, Richard Reesor installed 14 solar panels on his roof. The power generated from those panels now provide about two-thirds of his home's energy needs. “They transfer solar energy, meaning sun- light, into electrical current,” the Daugherty You can sell energy you make back to HydroOne §(Si77”'5”17i'ibune GET IT OFF YOUR CHEST, WHITCHURCH-STOUFFVILLE. E-MAIL LETTERS TO JMASON@YRMG.COM WAY, APRILZZZOIO I SERVINGTHECOMMUNITYOFWHI'I’CI'IURCI'I-STOUFFVME I 2A PAGES/$1 NCUJDINGGST LEARN MORE AT MENNONITES’ EARTH DAY SEMINAR IN STOUFFVILLE TONIGHT “My net cost for electricity is negative. They pay me more than I pay them." he said. Shortly after installing the solar panels, the Reesor home was connected to the, Hydro One grid. Mr. Reesor now sells energy to the electricity provider. Crescent resident said. “Anybody can buy a solar panel and hook in to run something.” The initial investment was not cheap o about $20,000, with an anticipated payback of roughly eight years. For homeowners with a bit more land and larger home, ground-mounted solar panel systems are also a viable option. These sys- tems are larger and track the sun throughout the day. I The initial cost outlay for a ground- mounted solar panel system is approximately $90,000, according to Mr. Reesor. Ground mounted systems can produce 10 kWh of electricity during peak production, as opposed to the roof panels, which can STAFF PHOTO/$106 RD WITTEVEEN Constructing a geothermal system is a little more complicated than putting a few solar panels onto a roof, but it’s a rather basic concept. For people heating their homes with pro- pane or oil, there is another cleaner option - geothermal power. produce 2.5 kWh during peak production, according to Mr. Reesor, See ma, page 14‘ TANZANIA T0 BAllANTBAE WITH THANKS A gala fundraiser was hostedbythesdlool. Bishop Mdimi Mhogolo from Tanzania visits Bal- lantrae Public School on Friday to thank the stu- dents and stafl for donat- ing $20,000 to build two classrooms for a school in Lugala village. The school and African com- munity formed a part- nership three years ago. FOREVER10 THE WORLD'S MOST INLunrr DIAMOND “w. (905) 64945.45