Four decades ago, energy technology expert Scott Sklar decided to install solar-powered sump pumps in his Arlington, Virginia, home to keep his basement from flooding. Since then, he’s added solar panels and a wind turbine, turning his home into a clean, green, energy machine.
During rough storms that knock out power, Sklar’s neighbors know they can rely on him if they need to charge their phones or sit somewhere warm.
“I didn’t realize when I bought it that we had a lot of outages, because we had a lot of tree canopy, and we have an old electric grid,” Sklar said of his 39-year-old Sears kit home. “I get some solar panels from one of my companies and some batteries, and I installed more than one sump pump. I now have three and they worked 100%. I never had my basement flooding.”
Sklar is the founder and president of The Stella Group, which helps commercial businesses, industrial producers and local governments around the world to install affordable combinations of different renewable energy sources and efficient energy storage. Before that, he ran the Solar Energy Industries Association for 15 years.
His house has it all: thermal barrier paint in the attic, all LED lights, solar water heating, a huge hydrogen fuel cell-powered battery bank, a ductless geothermal heat pump and insulating windows. These all power his home and save him a few bucks on his electricity bill.
“As climate change is getting worse and grids are getting older, we’re getting more outages, so the commercial, industrial and residential sector buildings are starting to add battery banks; as well as utilities are fighting because they don’t want the electricity, because they don’t own it, so I’m trying to convince people (to) just use the power yourself, like I’m doing,” he said.
Sklar believes what he’s been able to do at his house is the future of residential power.
“Now in 2024, a lot of residences are doing it around the country, so it’s not quite as laughable or strange as it was when I started,” he added.
WTOP’s Dick Uliano contributed to this report.