Whether you live in a charming home in a Hunt Country village or in a spacious country residence, if you've been thinking about "Going Green" to increase your energy independence you're in precisely the right place to act on your instincts. Two Middleburg residents who recently decided to "Go Green" are delighted with the results and have local plumbing contractor J.R. Snider to thank for the "prompt, responsive, intelligent and efficient service" that made realizing the installation of solar systems a professional and productive experience.

Bundles Murdock and Mike and Jeanne Morency decided independently to make the move to solar earlier this year and, after thinking about it and reviewing their options concluded that Mike Slaughter and Joey Snider of J.R.Snider Plumbing were the people they wanted to do the work.

"I'd seen material on the benefits of solar months ago," Bundles said. "Energy independence was very appealing to me given the price increases and rumors of running out of power in Northern Virginia. I also wanted to do my part to help the environment." Mike Slaughter of J.R. Snider was at my house for something else and I asked him what was involved. He explained what I needed and gave me an estimate. It was expensive, but it made so much sense that I decided to go ahead."

According to Slaughter, Bundles is now relying totally on her solar system for hot water, but, he points out, she lives alone and does not require hot water all day every day. Bundles lives in a charming and unique small home in the Village of Middleburg. Her garden and lap pool take up all her land so the only option for her solar panels was to place them on her roof.

"I was worried that they would be too noticeable, but honestly, I don't think anyone except me really noticed. Now, I don't even notice them myself," she explained laughing.

Mike and Jeanne Morency live on a beautiful farm near the Village of Middleburg. As a builder, Mike had always been interested in energy conservation. In fact, he had joined the American Solar Energy Society to glean information on and stay abreast of what was happening in the field.

"I'd always been interested in energy efficiency and when I read a 'Going Green' article in the Middleburg Eccentric about Lydia Donaldson and Willie McCormick's solar installation, I asked Snider for an estimate." Mike also asked other providers for bids on his job. In addition to being the least expensive, Mike's experience of working with Joey Snider for over 30 years had always been very positive.

"They did all the plumbing when we renovated our current house and they did a superior job. I knew they would do excellent work. They always do."

Mike Slaughter emphasized that every job is completely and dynamically different and that there is definitely an up-front expense. "With a very basic solar system, we can heat 50 gallons of water a day," he explained. "Our expectation is that the solar system will provide 50% of the home's hot water needs."

Bundles also noted that J.R. Snider has always been her preferred plumber for years. "It's true, they are not the least expensive," she said. "But they are the most reliable, they do superb work and they take incredibly good care of their customers. That means the world to me."

Bundles did invest in a new hot water heater when her solar system was installed. "These systems don't necessarily require a new hot water heater," Slaughter said, "but we do recommend one if we don't think the existing heater won't take maximum advantage of the new system."

Both Bundles and the Morencys wanted to save money on their energy bills, but they also wanted to do something to help the environment by relying less on the power grid and increasing their energy independence. "It's time for the country to move to new energy supplies," said Morency. "I think people want to do what's best for the environment, but soon, prices will force them to make the smart decision."

"We hope our solar system will pay back in seven or eight years, or faster if energy prices continue to go up. We have additional solar panels for the radiant heating system in our floors and this winter we'll see how well that portion of the solar works for us."

Morency is keeping rigorous track of the benefits of his new system and Slaughter is also watching the return on investment closely. "Both Bundles' and the Morency's systems are excellent models of what can be done in very different situations. We want to be able to tell our customers precisely what they can expect with solar," Slaughter explained.

The Morencys have enough land to place their solar panels behind a garden area. "Jeanne thinks they're ugly, but I think beauty is as beauty does," Mike emphasized. "If the savings are as significant as we hope, believe me, we'll both be happy."

Mike Slaughter has also installed solar in his home and because he and his wife both work and leave early in the morning, he's been able to put his hot water heater on a timer and rely almost totally on solar. "Our daughter, Kellie, left for college this weekend, and as she's the last one to leave the nest, we'll get tremendous value from our solar system now. That sure doesn't make it worth having her leave!" Slaughter says he saves $50 a month.

Bundles, who has been in the real estate business for ten years, says most customers don't yet enquire about energy efficiency unless they plan to build a new house. "It's not sensible to build without planning for energy efficiency," she said. "It's just as irresponsible as using plastic bags at the grocery store. We're simply hurting ourselves, our friends, our families and our future if we don't make the important changes now that we can make."

Middleburg's 'Go Green' committee will meet to tour Bundles' home and listen to Mike Morency discuss the advantages of being energy independent.

Installation of a solar system can take less than two days. "Once we understand the customer's budget parameters and their productivity rate objectives, we can have their system up and running in very little time," Slaughter said.

Until the end of this year, the federal government offers a significant tax credit for moving to solar. Up to $2,000 are available. Unfortunately, unless Congress and the President agree to extend the tax credits, they do run out December 31, 2008.

"We don't do enough to encourage citizens to make this move," Morency said. "I agree," Slaughter underscored. "We need to do a lot more to help people increase their energy independence. We should be installing solar systems by the city block rather than one home at a time!"

"Our hope is that more Middleburg citizens will decide to investigate the advantages of solar heat and Going Green," Bundles concluded.