FEATURES

RICHARD KING/U. S. DEPAR TMEN T OF ENERG Y SOLAR DECATHLON

28

24

Water Versus Energy: How Solar Power Can Help By Carey W. King and Michael E. Webber Some forms of solar energy require little or no water for cooling. They hold promise for resolving water conflicts in the American Southwest.

28

Solar Decathletes Shine By Richard J. King U. S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon 2009 breaks all records.

32

GET STARTED | Braisin’ in the Sun: Turning Pro in Paonia By Seth Masia Want a solar job? There’s no substitute for hands-on rooftop experience. Get it in a world-class training course.

36

SE TH MASIA

32

CASE STUDY | Retrofit for Zero Net Energy By Eric Doub, Ryann Anderson and Peter Doyle How a Colorado family upgraded a 36-year-old ranch home to energy sustainability.

next issue: Investing in Solar as a Community For those who lack the roofs or resources to install their own solar systems, community solar projects offer the opportunity to benefit as a group. But community solar today is limited to customers of municipal utilities. What policy solutions might help overcome these barriers?

ON THE COVER: Installers from the Santa Cruz, Calif., office of Real Goods Solar installed five photovoltaic arrays totaling 153 kilowatts at the Mount Madonna Center in Watsonville, Calif., in 2008. Photographed, clockwise from top left: Wil Mundy (ball cap), Scott Kunkel, Liam Ryan (standing with panel), Eric Johnson (kneeling, cap) and Wil Mundy (camo hat). Safety gear was digitally added. PHOTOS BY DAN BIHN, ILLUSTRATION BY ALLISON GRAY AND JASON REID.