Free from electric utility bills, the Petits thrive on teaching others about comfortable, affordable renewable energy.
By Sandy and Denice Petit
Sandy Petit has been upgrading his photovoltaic array since installing it in 1984. The system includes four 120-watt cells and has been supplemented with a 400-watt wind turbine. Photo by Cecil Sumners
It has been nearly 30 years since we began a life with solar energy. At a time when photovoltaic cells had yet to be developed into the relatively affordable, user-friendly technology that it is today, we decided to go solar. We recall an incident from the days when we were first married.
Back in those days we owned an electronic repair store and made service calls throughout Louisiana’s St. Charles Parish, where we still live. One afternoon Sandy visited an elderly man’s home to repair his television. The old man had little of anything. While Sandy was working on the television, the electricity went out. At first, Sandy thought the man had not paid his electric bill. In reality, the parish was upgrading to central sewage and required all residents to pay a $400 tie-in fee. The old man had not complied for whatever reason, and his service was terminated. The thought of a government that can freely impose such consequences struck Sandy as harsh. It was from that moment that
Sandy vowed never again to grant anyone such control over his life.
During the years that followed, we did whatever we could to live independently. We installed a photovoltaic system and, a few years later, a wind generator to power our home, a deep water well, a wood-burning stove, a Bosch AquaStar on-demand propane water-heating system, and a high-efficiency DC-voltage Sun Frost refrigerator and DC lighting throughout the house. Although our 900-square-foot home is connected to the electricity grid, we need no grid electricity or very little most of the year. As a semiretired couple, we enjoy the low, fixed electricity costs of renewable energy. Best of all, we love telling others about how fun and easy it is to generate our own electricity.
About the authors: Sandy Petit is an electronics technician who holds a NICET III and numerous other electronic licenses and who works for the St. Charles Parish School. Innovating is his passion; independence is his way of life. His wife, Denice, is a uniquely creative free spirit with a zeal for life that shines throughout their yard and home. Contact them at spetit3@stcharles.k12.la.us or dpetit21@bellsouth.net.
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