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At the end of some months, the utility company owes Orlo Stitt money. Through net metering, the excess energy generated by solar panels on his house is sold back to the grid — a concrete example of a return on the investment. But it’s not the only feature that’s contributing to the mortgage payment on the 3,300-square-foot home near Beaver Lake. When it comes to sustainability features, the green homebuilder’s place is fully loaded.

The Sun South Estates residence was an experiment, according to Stitt, owner of green residential design and building company Stitt Energy Systems. “We kind of threw everything at our own house,” the fourth the company has built for research on both green residential technology and the economics of it, he said. Among the numerous features are the basics — compact fluorescent and LED lighting, Energy Star appliances and low-flow toilets and showers — as well as the brilliant — an energy recovery ventilator, polypropylene carpet and an Ice House Roof, a new product Stitt’s company developed. Together they form one of the greenest homes in Arkansas — the Stitt residence won a Gold EnergyValue Housing Award in 1999, a year after it was built.

Despite the accolades and savings, some are skeptical. “There are some things that I will admittedly say are not the low-lying fruit, namely the solar electric system,” Stitt said.

But it’s not as expensive in the long-term as some might think. “I’m locking in on my utility bill and getting paid for it every month in savings.” Saving $100 a month on utilities makes it possible to afford a $17,000 higher mortgage, Stitt reasons. Not only do lower monthly utility bills offset a higher mortgage payment, the added interest is tax deductible.

Although it was quite the capital outlay, the solar panels often provide more than enough electricity for the home, while a solar thermal collector usually makes for plenty of hot water. Whether it was worth the money is a matter of perspective, he said. “How many fish do you have to catch to make a bass boat worth the investment?”

But there’s no denying that the other features make superior use of the energy that enters the house. Insulated concrete forms — basically hollow Styrofoam blocks that are later filled with concrete — make up the home’s shell, a virtually impenetrable energy envelope. An energy recovery ventilator allows in fresh air, the temperature of which is moderated by outgoing air as the warmer channel gives up heat to the cooler one, lessening the heating and cooling system’s load.

The Ice House Roof, a foil-faced fiber board that sits below the shingles and acts as a radiant barrier, blocks entry to hot air. A channel of cool air brought from under the eve runs over the top of the barrier, absorbs the heat and whisks it outside through a vent along the roof’s apex.

“It’s more expensive to build, but probably one of the most affordable things that we do in terms of savings,” Stitt said. He estimates it cuts summer utility bills by 50 percent, which means the house needs half as much air conditioning tonnage.

Many of the other features are old technology brought forward, Stitt said. An operable skylight 27 feet above the main floor allows hot air out during summer days and cool air in at night. With it, “many days you don’t need the air conditioner at all,” Stitt said. Overhangs and window treatments keep heat out by shielding the sun’s rays from windows, which are south-facing to let more light in during the winter when the sun follows a lower trajectory. Concrete floors covered in tile near those windows soak up heat and release it to help warm the house in the winter.

Several, but not always all, of the features in Stitt’s home are used in others his company builds, and they commonly use 50 percent to 70 percent less energy than the typical home. But a home doesn’t need all the bells and whistles to make a positive impact; it just needs homeowners committed to the cause, Stitt said. Simple things like compact fluorescent light bulbs, caulking, weather stripping and a willingness to use only what’s necessary can cut energy usage substantially. “If everybody did it and it was only a 10 percent reduction in usage, this country would be shutting down power plants.”