WEBVTT AT FIRST LOOK, DAVE AND KAREN MILLER'S NEWTON HOME DOESN'T SEEM OUT OF THE ORDINARY. BUT THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST FULLY SUSTAINABLE NET ZERO ENERGY HOUSES IN SUBURBAN BOSTON. IN THE THREE YEARS WE'VE LIVED HERE WE'VE GENERATED MORE ENERGY THAN WE'VE USED. WE DON'T USE ANY FOSSIL FUELS AT ALL FOR HEATING OR COOKING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. IT'S 100% ELECTRIC. THE MILLERS CUSTOM BUILT HOUSE FEATURES ONE-FOOT THICK WALLS AND HIGHLY INSULATED WINDOWS, AND IT WORSHIPS THE SUN. ON THE SOUTH FACING ROOF ABOVE US WE HAVE PANELS BASICALLY COVERING THAT ROOF, AND IT GENERATES ENOUGH ENERGY DURING THE SUMMER TO POWER ALL THE ENERGY DEMANDS OF THE HOUSE OVER THE ENTIRE YEAR. WE HAVE SEPARATE PANELS, SOLAR THERMAL PANELS THAT DO HEAT THE HOT WATER, AND IN THE SUMMER WE ACTUALLY SHUT OFF THE AUXILIARY POWER TO THAT, SO OUR HOT WATER IS ENTIRELY SUPPLIED BY THE SUN. THE HOUSE STAYS WARM IN THE WINTER AND COOL IN THE SUMMER, SAYS KAREN, WHO PREFERS THE COMFORTABLE CLIMATE OF THIS HOUSE TO THEIR PREVIOUS HOME. I THINK IN OUR OLD PLACE I FELT LIKE WE WERE IN THE OCEAN, GOT COLD SPOTS AND WARM SPOTS, YOU WALK AROUND THE HOUSE, AND I WAS SO LOOKING FORWARD TO MOVING IN. IT'S A MORE COMFORTABLE, CLEANER SPACE. COMFORT WAS ONE REASON TO BUILD THE HOUSE, BUT THE MILLERS ARE ALSO PASSIONATE ABOUT CLEAN ENERGY. THE WAY WE LIVE IS A DEMONSTRATION THAT WE CARE ABOUT THE FUTURE. ESPECIALLY WITH RESPECT TO CLIMATE CHANGE. THE MILLERS EXPECT A 20% RETURN ON THEIR INVESTMENT OVER THE NEXT TWO TO THREE DECADES. DESCRIBING THE SOLAR PANELS AS AN ATM MACHINE ON THE ROOF. SEVERAL OF THE MILLERS' NEIGHBORS HAVE FOLLOWED SUIT. STATEWIDE 12,000 MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE STATE'S REBATE PROGRAM, SAYS ELIZABETH KENNEDY. SOLAR PROGRAM DIRECTOR FOR THE MASSACHUSETTS CLEAN ENERGY CENTER. WE'VE SEEN COSTS COME DOWN OVER 35% IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, AND SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SHOW THAT WITH COSTS DECREASING, THAT THE RATE OF INSTALLATIONINGS IS CONTINUING TO GO UP. SO THERE'S NO LONGER A IMMEDIATE FOR A REBATE PROGRAM. THERE ARE STILL PLENTY OF FINANCIAL INCENTIVES, SAYS KENNEDY, INCLUDING STATE AND FEDERAL TAX CREDITS AND UTILITY CREDIT WHEN YOU PRODUCE MORE ENERGY THAN YOU USE. MASSACHUSETTS RANKS NUMBER FOUR IN THE COUNTRY FOR SOLAR INSTALLATION, WHICH IS VERY IMPRESSIVE CONSIDERING YOU WOULDN'T THINK THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH SUN. BUT WE DO HAVE ENOUGH SUN AND OUR ELECTRICITY PRICES ARE SO HIGH, THAT THE PAYBACK MAKES A LOT OF SENSE FOR MOST HOMEOWNERS. DAVE MILLER IS MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE CLEAN ENERGY VENTURE GROUP, A COMPANY THAT INVESTS IN CLEAN ENERGY STARTUPS IN NEW ENGLAND. HE SAYS MASSACHUSETTS RATES NUMBER ONE IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY. IN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE WORKING TOGETHER HAVE PUT TOGETHER A SET OF POLICIES THAT REALLY INCENTIVIZE ENERGY EFFICIENCY, SOLAR, CREATED THOUSANDS OF JOHNS AND MADE CLEAN ENERGY ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING ECONOMIC SECTORS IN THE STATE. NOW THE STATE IS OFFERING REBATES ON AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMPS, SAYS MATT CAKE LIST, OF THE MASSACHUSETTS CLEAN ENERGY CENTER. THEY'RE AN EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGY THAT USES LESS ELECTRICITY THAN TRADITIONAL ELECTRIC BASE BOARD HEATING. THEY WORK BY TAKING AIR FROM OUTSIDE, WARMING IT UP WITH A LIQUID CALLED A REFRIDGE ERNLT, AND THEN CIRCULATING IT THROUGH THE HOUSE. THEY PRODUCE THE SAME AMOUNT OF HEAT AS TRADITIONAL BASEBOARDS. HE PREDICTS HOMEOWNERS CAN SAVE UP TO 60% ON THEIR ELECTRIC BILL. THE AVERAGE SYSTEM THAT WE'VE SEEN INSTALLED IS ABOUT $4,000. THEY ARE CURRENTLY OFFERING REBATES OF UP TO $750 PER HEAT PUMP, AND THEN THE MASS SAVE PROGRAM ALSO OFFERS REBATES OF UP TO $500. FOR THE INSTALLATIONS OF THESE TYPES OF SYSTEMS. THE CITY OF NEWTON RECENTLY PUT AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMPS IN THEIR AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS, SAVING RESIDENTS A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY. THE REBATES REALLY HELP CUT DOWN ON THE UP FRONT COST, AND PARTICULARLY IN A WINTER LIKE THIS WHERE WE'RE SEEING SOARING ELECTRIC RATES, THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO LOOK AT WAYS THAT YOU CAN SAVE. AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMPS HAVE BEEN USED IN WARMER CLEUMENTS FOR A LONG TIME, BUT NEW ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY HAVE MADE THEM ECONOMICALLY VIABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE NORTHEAST, SO