Article published Jun 23, 2007

Harlowton looks toward green future with alternative energy sources

By KARL PUCKETT

Tribune Staff Writer

HARLOWTON — Dave Wallace laughs when he watches the electric meter at his home go backward — yes, in reverse.

In 1979, the 62-year-old Ryegate man decided to begin construction of a solar house. A two-year stint in the Peace Corps, where he saw others with so little while Americans consumed so much, prompted him to give back.

"I thought the best way to do that is start with a home that doesn't take out so much," he said.

This tiny community, located just down the highway from a commercial wind farm, put on a big conference Friday to teach Montanans how they could harness their own power from the wind — and also from the sun and earth.

Wallace was one of the speakers, which also featured experts in state government, private industry and academia.

The all-day event at Hillcrest School drew 40 to 45 participants from Helena, Lewistown, Big Timber and elsewhere.

"I'm just very impressed," said Rose Newman, a 56-year-old semi-retired resident of Molt, referring to the quality of the Conference on Alternative Energy.

As speaker after speaker gave presentations, Newman took notes in the back. Her family already has a ground source heat pump that heats and cools the house, but Newman attended to learn more about conserving energy.

State Climatologist Don Potts said there is a compelling argument for using more alternative energy: World energy use is expected to rise 57 percent by 2030, and most of the increase will be in nonrenewable resources such as coal.

The United States uses about 25 percent of the world's energy, he said.

More Montanans are tapping into alternative energy sources for personal use, said Kathi Montgomery, an energy specialist with the state Department of Environmental Quality. Tax credits and more "mature" technology, she said, is fueling the interest.

"It's not like the snake oil salesman kind of deal," Montgomery said.

The Conference on Alternative Energy was sponsored by the Harlowton Area Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture and coincided with the area's first Montana Festival of the Wind.

Harlowton, located in Wheatland County 130 miles southeast of Great Falls and 91 miles northwest of Billings, has about 1,000 residents. The state's sole commercial-scale wind farm is located just down the road in Judith Gap.

Because of the close proximity to the wind farm, it was no coincidence a conference on alternative energy was conducted here. But chamber members also are "trying to be active" because of increasing energy costs and climate change, said Robert McNary, chamber director.

"The idea was to get information about alternative energy to consumers," he said.

Among the topics addressed were tax incentives, geothermal energy, solar power and climate issues.

John Dibble, a division manager at Thermal Supply Inc., explained how warm temperatures in the ground can fuel geothermal water furnace systems to heat and cool homes.

He used a 3,000-square-foot home for a family of four to demonstrate the cost savings the units provide. The total energy bill averages $440, the type of savings that would quickly pay off the $8,000 to $24,000 initial cost of the units, which he added also reduce carbon emissions.

Builders of homes and commercial facilities can get taxes breaks for installing geothermal systems, he added.

Wallace and his wife, Jean, the owners of the solar home, drove a hybrid vehicle that uses both electricity and gasoline to the conference. During the conference, some got rides in the vehicle, which gets more than 50 mph to the gallons but still has giddyap.

"We're getting 99 mph to the gallon right now going down the hill," he said.

At a stop sign, the vehicle was silent. But it surged ahead when Wallace hit the gas. The vehicle cost $22,000.

Later, the couple gave participants a tour of their home, a "passive" solar house "that just absorbs the solar energy."

Going with alternative energy has saved him a lot of money, he said.

"I believe if you plan for things you can do it," he said.