Several St. Clair County Community College students are working with Blue Water Habitat for Humanity to develop plans for a future net zero energy home in St. Clair County.

About 60 students in SC4’s Planning a Sustainable Alternative Energy Home class are working on the plans with Habitat for Humanity.

The students this semester are designing a home based on common Habitat for Humanity floor plans, incorporating alternative energy and sustainable energy features. Students also may design a home with different plans from the ground up.

Habitat for Humanity then will look at all of the plans and may choose features and designs when developing an actual house. Tim May, Blue Water Habitat for Humanity construction manager, said the decision on building a home would come after plans are studied and costs are determined.

A net zero home is one that at times may use energy from typical energy utilities, but at other times creates enough of its own power through solar panels and other means to sell power back to a utility. The goal is to have a home over time average zero energy use.

SC4 Professor Don Reuba said the students not only get to apply what they are learning but also help out the local community. “By making a home that is more sustainable, the people can afford the energy bill,” Reuba said.