GOING GREEN...ITS THE NEW WAVE IN HOUSING AND AIKEN IS ON THE CUTTING EDGE. EDGE. THE RIDGE AT CHUKKER CREEK, IN AIKEN ANNOUNCED TODAY IT WILL BUILD A HYDROGEN POWERED HOME FOR EXTREME GREEN HOMEOWNERS. NEWS 12S KATIE BEASLEY HAS MORE ON THE TECHNOLOGY THATS CHANGING THE WAY PEOPLE LOOK AT HOMES. HOMES. IT STARTED WITH ZERO ENERGY HOMES... AND NOW DEVELOPERS ARE GOING A STEP FURTHER BUILDING THE WORLDS SECOND EVER HYDROGEN POWERED HOME RIGHT HERE IN OUR OWN BACKYARD. BACKYARD. THIS HOME MAY NOT LOOK ANY DIFFERENT FROM YOURS OR MINE ON THE OUTSIDE...OR ON THE INSIDE. BUT ITS A HIGH PERFORMANCE GREEN HOME THATS SAVING ENERGY FROM THE GROUND UP. UP.We use foam based insulation in the raftor spaces and in the walls. walls.THAT INSULATION CUTS DOWN ENERGY USE BY 50 PERCENT. PERCENT.It does cost a little bit more up front to do it this way but the goal here is to save money in the long run. run.HIGH PERFORMANCE HOMES LIKE THIS ONE LED THE WAY TO NETZERO HOMES. HOMES THAT USE SOLAR POWER AS ENERGY AND CUT DOWN ON POWER BILLS. NOW DEVELOPERS ARE TAKING IT A STEP FORWARD...COMBING SOLAR WITH HYDROGEN POWER. POWER. With our zero energy homes as a platform, well be able to provide hydrogen fuel powered homes. homes.THEY SAY THIS HYDROGEN FUEL CELL PACKS THE SA PUNCH AS 4 CAR BATTERIES. AND WHEN COMBINED WITH THE SOLAR PANELS IT CAN REALLY POWER UP A HOUSE. HOUSE.That hydrogen fuel tank powers the fuel cell which makes electricity and we run on our hydrogen over the night or the couple cloudy days we have. have.AND ALL THIS HAS PEOPLE THINKING... THIS COULD BE THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE. FUTURE.This is very exciting and its extremely groundbreaking and were in Aiken, S.C! S.C!This could very well be how many of us power our homes. ONE OF THE REASONS THEY CHOSE AIKEN WAS BECAUSE OF THE INFLUENCE OF THE AIKEN COUNTY CENTER FOR HYDROGEN RESEARCH...WHICH IS RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD. THEYRE HOPING TO BREAK GROUND LATER THIS SPRING... SO HOW EXPENSIVE IT IS? IS? WELL THIS ONE IS A PROTYPE...SO THEY ARENT SURE HOW MUCH IT WILL COST. THEY DID SAY THEIR NET ZERO HOMES RUN ABOUT 40 TO 50 THOUSAND DOLLARS MORE THAN THEIR AVERAGE HOMES. THANKS KATIE AND THE GORNMENT DOES HAVE TAX INCENTIVES AND REBATES IN PLACE FOR THESE RENEWABLE ENERGY HOMES... TO MAKE THEM MORE AFFORDABLE. RAIN THIS MORNING, RAIN THIS AFTERNOON, AND A CHANCE OF RAIN TONIGHT.

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AIRDATE: 04-02-2009
TRANSCRIPT: going green...its the new wave in housing and aiken is on the cutting edge. edge. the ridge at chukker creek, in aiken announced today it will build a hydrogen powered home for extreme green homeowners. news 12s katie beasley has more on the technology thats changing the way people look at homes. homes. it started with zero energy homes... and now developers are going a step further building the worlds second ever hydrogen powered home right here in our own backyard. backyard. this home may not look any different from yours or mine on the outside...or on the inside. but its a high performance green home thats saving energy from the ground up. up.we use foam based insulation in the raftor spaces and in the walls. walls.that insulation cuts down energy use by 50 percent. percent.it does cost a little bit more up front to do it this way but the goal here is to save money in the long run. run.high performance homes like this one led the way to netzero homes. homes that use solar power as energy and cut down on power bills. now developers are taking it a step forward...combing solar with hydrogen power. power. with our zero energy homes as a platform, well be able to provide hydrogen fuel powered homes. homes.they say this hydrogen fuel cell packs the sa punch as 4 car batteries. and when combined with the solar panels it can really power up a house. house.that hydrogen fuel tank powers the fuel cell which makes electricity and we run on our hydrogen over the night or the couple cloudy days we have. have.and all this has people thinking... this could be the wave of the future. future.this is very exciting and its extremely groundbreaking and were in aiken, s.c! s.c!this could very well be how many of us power our homes. one of the reasons they chose aiken was because of the influence of the aiken county center for hydrogen research...which is right down the road. theyre hoping to break ground later this spring... so how expensive it is? is? well this one is a protype...so they arent sure how much it will cost. they did say their net zero homes run about 40 to 50 thousand dollars more than their average homes. thanks katie and the gornment does have tax incentives and rebates in place for these renewable energy homes... to make them more affordable. rain this morning, rain this afternoon, and a chance of rain tonight.