Friend of Nunatak: Habitat for Humanity

When you zoom out and look at the role of solar energy, whether residential or commercial, from a systems perspective within the context of the clean energy transition, it works best in tandem with a number of accumulating factors. A clean energy source is great, but if the buildings it supplies are not efficient, much of that energy is wasted. Much of this waste happens in old, out of date, or otherwise inexpensively-built homes, of which there are many in the Gunnison Valley. Commonly, our neighbors, the community members who occupy these homes, not only face the resulting higher energy costs, but also physical discomfort, housing insecurity and environmental injustice.

The affordable, ultra-efficient, and deed-restricted homes built by Habitat for Humanity of the Gunnison Valley work to address this problem. We, as a solar installer with deep roots and stake in the well-being of this Valley, work with them to meet the unique energy needs of the homes. We ensure that each home is entirely electric and tied to the grid, meaning that they even provide energy for their neighbors. While we could gush on about how cleverly-built they are, Habitat’s website goes into great detail about it.