No wonder Michigan is in such good shape. The ALOeTERRA Solar House, built by students from Lawrence Technological University, was to serve as a sustainability education center in the city of Troy.

According to the univerity: “This house demonstrates that homeowners can help reduce the nation’s energy consumption by making practical decisions in their own homes. Most homes can be made much more energy efficient, and it is possible for a compact home to generate all the energy it needs from solar power.”

Joe Veryser, an associate dean of architecture at the university, commented: “What I heard repeatedly was that somebody turned off the breaker during the winter and forgot to turn it back on, which caused the pipes to freeze and then break.”

Maybe it was the proverbial last person leaving Michigan who turned off the light.

Fortunately government stimulus funding is financing energy saving renovation of low-cost housing. But maybe people will need government trainers regarding switches.