NEWS10's Steve Ammerman reports

Emmet Street in Albany, near Broadway and North Pearl Street, could soon have the nickname "Solar Street". That's because a project there has put solar energy in most of the homes along the street; all built by Habitat for Humanity.

Emmet Street looks like any normal street in Albany's north end, but it is what is on top of the homes that set the neighborhood apart.

"Solar panels," said Emmet resident D'Andrea Brooks, "I didn't know they existed, at least for these types of homes,"

Brooks lives in one of the Habitat for Humanity homes. The group recently received a grant from NYSERDA to work with the company groSolar, which is providing two kilowatt solar panels for fifteen Albany homes.

These panels will save the homeowners about two-thirds on their electric bill, but it is more than just saving money - it is saving energy.

"You can now feel good when you flip on your lights that you are now making clean electricity," said groSolar president Dori Wolfe, "I am not polluting. I am making an investment in the future,"

Wolfe adds that this is the way of the future, and things like tax incentives and rebates from groups such as NYSERDA will make solar panels more affordable.    

But for Brooks, it is living day-to-day that will soon be more affordable once her panels are turned on and she starts seeing the savings.

"With the what the economy is these days and everything is tight so, every little bit helps," she said, "So I am looking forward to it,"

The project is also educating BOCES students on how to install the panels. So far, thirteen students have been trained and five more are set to participate in the program to learn more about green energy.