How about a "barn-raising" for the 21st century? Instead of putting up walls, volunteers come together to install a solar-powered hot water system.

Maybe it's the price of fuel or the growing concern for the environment. Either way, the interest in alternative energy systems for the homeowner is a growing trend and the Sandwich, Tamworth and Moultonborough Renewable Energy Initiative has been right there to help the interested along.

STAMREI will do everything from help area residents to design and order their system to the actual instillation, and they do it free with the exception of some good- or green- will to be paid forward.

STAMREI is an offshoot of the long-established Plymouth Area Renewable Energy Initiative.

Saturday's installation marked the first of the season, though not the last. Carl McNall, one of the organizers of the energy raiser events, said already STAMREI and PAREI are planning five other solar systems in homes in the area. By summer's end he expects there to be many more, particularly with today's energy climate.

In the four years since PAREI was founded, the group has performed 23 energy raisers.

"It feels good to be a part of the solution and not the problem," said McNall.

JUSTIN CHAPMAN, a volunteer for STAMREI, works on a relief valve during Saturday's Solar Hot Water Energy Raiser in Center Sandwich. (Ray Mongeau/For The Citizen)

"Our whole goal is to use less energy than we use now," explained PAREI Co-director Sandra Jones.

She said the underlying assumption the group makes is that there is not enough oil to sustain the consumption rate.

Greg Smith, a plumbing contractor and owner of Smitty's Plumbing and Heating in Moultonborough, came out to Sandwich for the event.

"What interested us the most, with the high energy costs these days, people are going to be looking for all sorts of alternative energy systems," explained Smith.

Being in the plumbing industry, Smith figured he should start learning about some of the alternative hot water systems, like solar. He can also see benefits in his own home, particularly with three teenagers who tend to use a lot of hot water.

Currently, there are very few companies in the area that will professionally install a solar heating system.

Pat McElney installs a clip to hold the solar tube in place during Saturday's Solar Hot Water Energy Raiser. (Ray Mongeau/For The Citizen)

Saturday's energy raiser was for Ann Burghardt.

"I just thought, 'why not?'" said Burghardt.

Like Smith, Burghardt decided to check out one of the energy raisers held by PAREI a while back. After helping out with a few, she realized that, with all the sun her home gets, a solar hot water system would be perfect.

PAREI member Kevin Frank is in the process of planning a solar system for his home that would not only supply hot water but heat as well

Volunteer and member Peter Adams says it is far cheaper than geothermal heating. The difference comes by way of electricity costs. Where a geothermal system requires energy to run pumps, all a solar system needs is the sun.

Such systems do not replace the conventional hot water heating system; the solar-powered heater works in conjunction with the conventional in hybrid harmony.

The solar collector is installed outside of the home. Sunlight heats a copper coil, filled with distilled water and a patented chemical, inside the one of the collectors. The heat from the coil travels into the solar water storage tank, heating the water inside.

The temperature reached depends on the amount of sunlight on any particular day. That is why the holding tank is hooked into the conventional heater. When the solar water is being heated through sun collection, it continually feeds into the conventional tank until the other system is needed to generate heat.

The byproduct is virtually free heating of water, with limited use of the conventional system.

In the case of the Burghardt home in Sandwich, some 22 tube solar collectors were installed to harness the energy of the sun.

McNall has had a system of his own for nearly a year now. He uses about 150 to 200 gallons less propane then he did with his conventional system.

His system also qualifies for a $1,500 federal tax credit. Taking that into account, the average homeowner who expends the $3,500 for a solar system can expect to have the system pay for itself over three years.

Adams said the best way to think of it is along the lines of buying heating energy at a preset price. Having a system of his own, Adams effectively bought his British thermal units (BTU) at $1.40 per 1000 BTU. Currently, oil is going for about $3 per 1000 BTU.

On top of all that, the New Hampshire Electric Co-operative, headquartered in Plymouth, will pay 25 percent of a homeowner's installation costs, up to $1,500. In Burghardt's case, she will end up expending around $1,000 for her system.

For more information visit www.plymouthenergy.org.