Before moving to Kentucky from Wisconsin, Justin Mog and Amanda Fuller had already heard about KFTC. It was the first local organization they joined when they arrived in the bluegrass state.

Amanda Fuller and Justin Mog, Jefferson County KFTC members

It’s no coincidence that this couple’s life embodies the mission and vision of KFTC. They live simply, but with great intentionality, deriving great pleasure from doing things that feel right. They are car-free and use their bike and public transportation. Both work jobs that enhance urban sustainability, participate in the local social justice movement, and outfitted their home with enough solar panels to provide all the electricity and hot water they need.

Amanda says they were able to afford an investment in solar power through carefully prioritized consumer decisions. “We bought a lower-priced house so we could have a little extra in order to install a solar energy system. We also don’t have a car, which saves us $9,000 a year. We have no cable bill and our grocery bills are small since we grow much of what we eat.”

To demonstrate their efficiency measures and solar power systems to friends and neighbors, while promoting KFTC’s work on sustainable energy policy, Justin and Amanda hosted a “solar-powered potluck” party on June 26.

Justin and Amanda have a 4-kilowatt system on their home comprised of 18 solar PV panels situated atop their roof, which provides solar electricity to the grid, offsetting their home electricity use. Additionally, they have a solar hot water heater. Everything was installed by Jeremy Coxon of SunWind power, based in southern Indiana.

Their system feeds as much electricity into the grid as they expect to use in one year. Since it was installed in September 2010, the solar panels have produced 2154 kw hours averaging about 215 kw hours per month through the winter and spring. They are expecting to produce even more power during Kentucky’s sunny summer months.

 Justin and Amanda’s system has produced 2154 kw hours since it was installed in September of 2010. It’s production will increase during Kentucky's sunnier summer months.

After giving tours of the house, Justin and Amanda talked to the crowd of 40 about why they support KFTC. Having studied and worked in sustainability for many years, Justin said he appreciated KFTC’s understanding of it.

“Sustainability isn’t just about being totally focused on environmental concerns – it’s about so much more than that. It’s a matter of balancing social and economic concerns with environmental responsibility. That is why I like KFTC – it gets that balance just right. If we want to work on a better tomorrow we can’t be single-issue focused. We have to promote sustainability in all its messy complexity,” he said.

Inspired by the comments, KFTC member Barry Zalph jumped up from the crowd to add why he thinks people should become KFTC members.

"What I love about KFTC is that they are one of the best organizations in the state at training and involving people in citizen lobbying – speaking to their legislators. They are effective at getting things done in Frankfort. If you ever had any inclination to lobby legislators or even curiosity about how to lobby, get involved with KFTC."

Several out-of-state visitors joined the party, including Shauna Kadel from northern California. She was inspired by the description of KFTC’s work, saying, “Being here made me want to ask whether we have a organization like KFTC where I live.”

Shauna was also surprised at how little Kentucky has done to promote the use of efficiency and renewables through state energy policy. “We have state policies in place that encourage people to use renewable energy in their homes. You see renewable energy everywhere as a result.”

Amanda noted that KFTC’s efforts through the Kentucky Sustainable Energy Alliance (KySEA) to pass sustainable energy policy at the state level is one of the main things Kentucky needs in order to see home-based renewable energy systems become both more affordable and more common.

“It’s really important that we do things in our own homes and work on passing better policies, like the one KySEA supports. Having state energy policy in place that promotes renewable energy is one way to make systems like these more affordable for homeowners across Kentucky.”

In addition to joining KFTC, Justin and Amanda described more actions people can take to promote sustainable energy in Louisville, including getting a home energy audit from LG&E, doing efficiency upgrades in the home such as insulating wall and ceilings, supporting public transportation, and enrolling in LG&E’s green energy program.

With 14 new KFTC members raised through their solar-powered potluck, Amanda and Justin were thrilled with the outcome.

“We were overjoyed with the turnout and the enthusiasm people expressed for working collectively with KFTC members throughout Kentucky to create a better tomorrow for all of us. Friend-raisers are awesome!”