More than 30 people had visited MSU Professor David Dwyer's East Lansing home Saturday afternoon. And more kept flooding in.
The anthropology professor's house on Lilac Avenue was one of nine stops in the Lansing area for the 2004 Mid-Michigan Solar Tour, which took place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sponsored by the American Solar Energy Society and promoted by Urban Options in East Lansing, the self-guided tour was designed to give people a firsthand look at the successful use of solar energy in local homes.
"People are taking advantage of learning how solar energy benefits everyday home owners," said Jennifer Barone, outreach coordinator for Urban Options, 405 Grove St.
Unlike last year's tour - overshadowed by other community events that same weekend - this year's event attracted many people's attention, Barone said.
"People are really interested in it because utility prices are rising, especially because of the harsh winter we are expected to have," Barone said.
Dwyer's three-story house was built as a solar house in 1980 and a greenhouse built in the house generates 50 percent of its total energy.
"We didn't like to be dependent on fossil fuels," Dwyer said.
Carol Kelpingeg, who drove more than 30 minutes from her Onondaga home to visit Dwyer's house, said she shares the idea.
Kelpingeg said she spent $3,000 last year to constantly heat water with propane.
According to a self-made chart by Dwyer, the total amount of his electricity bill from November 1999 to October 2000 was about $300.
"We are saving money," Dwyer said, adding he doesn't see any negative aspects to solar energy, such as energy shortage. "We have nice rooms we wouldn't other wise have."
Despite the advantages, some people on the tour said more work needs to be done to better promote the natural energy source.
Pat Ballentine, whose house in Lansing was shown to people during the tour, said the United States is behind Europe and Japan in using solar energy.
Ballentine said people are scared away from the initial cost of equipment, but using solar energy will eventually save people money over their lifetime.
Urban Options spent $23,000 in 1997 to install a solar-roofing system, which is predicted to last 30 years.
"Technology is there, but we don't use it," she said. "We are not drilling our way out of an energy crisis. We can't keep on doing this."
