Energy efficient solar home

When Neil Thompson constructed his energy-efficient home in Fishers, he knew he was making an earth-friendly decision. What he didn't know, however, was how much "green" he would add to his wallet. "I'm saving roughly $1,100 a year," said Thompson, who works in power maintenance and whose hobby is installing solar units. Thompson's residence in Forest Ridge Estates will be open for free public tours this  weekend as part of the American Solar Energy Society's National Solar Tour. 

The custom home, which was built in 1985, has a passive solar design and uses a solar photovoltaic system to provide it with electricity. Thompson will be on hand to explain how the solar PV system works and talk about the costs and incentives involved with a solar installation. Homeowners like Thompson receive  additional incentives for solar installations -- including a 30 percent federal tax credit.

"A payback on a solar home is way beyond anyone's expectations," said Thompson, who said he added solar roof panels and a two-story sun room to his home."I'm amazed about the sun's influence on the home in the middle of winter. It really brightens the house." The Thompson home is not the only metro-area stop on the National Solar Tour. From 1 to 4 p.m. today, the nature center at Cool Creek Park in Carmel will hold a program to show how solar thermal, geothermal and solar photovoltaic systems work.