by amanda menas and zoe spielvogel

he’s the most well known guy on the block, but he’s totally invisible.

picture your average neighbor… with a few quirks. the house with over a dozen solar panels, three solar-powered pink flamingos, and a hydrogen fuel cell? it’s totally off the grid. what was once a typical “1920s sears kit home” has become a modern, sustainable energy hub.

aside from the energy savings, scott sklar lives like any other resident of arlington, virginia… right down to the hybrid car in his driveway. his blend of technologies and innovations are constantly spreading – half his block has now invested in solar panels too!

“most people make decisions about technology not on cost, but when they see other people doing it,” sklar said.

sklar tells his employees at the stella group, and his students at the george washington university, that even if they can’t afford a tesla or solar panels for their dorms, they can still make a difference every day by making smarter energy choices. as simple as buying an led light bulb.

some have called his house weird, innovative, and maybe even a little crazy… but don’t take their word for it, see for yourself!