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VOLume 26, NO. 1
JaNuary/February 2012
sOLartOday.Org

danbihn.com
©nancie battaglia
marguerite ramloW

16 Solar’s Visionaries on the Next 25 Years By Alex Abdallah, Gina R. Johnson, Mike Koshmrl and Seth Masia SOLAR TODAY celebrates a milestone anniversary in interviews with some of our most influential contributors.

24

Decathletes Lead
with Location
By Richard J. King
By creating homes that address the ecology
and culture of their own communities,
participants in the 2011 Solar Decathlon
took sustainable building to new levels.

30

For Aggressive Efficiency,
Choose Passive Solar
By Norbert M. Lechner
Every south-facing window is a basic passive
solar space-heating system. The challenge
is minimizing heat loss while maximizing
solar energy collected throughout the day.

stefano Paltera/u.s. dePartment of energy solar decathlon

ON THE COVER: Since SOLAR TODAY’s launch in 1987, we’ve showcased some of the most brilliant minds in solar energy and the American Solar Energy Society membership. This issue we catch up with a few of them. Photo montage: allison gray; istock Photo.com/©doug berry.

COmiNg iN maRCH:

· the Passive house retrofit

· solving the energy-storage challenge

· solar-responsive design: shading

· certifying small Wind systems

· showcase: solar manufacturing equipment

33

Big Potential
for Small Hydro
By Kurt Johnson
With its large untapped capacity, small
hydro is attracting policymakers’ attention
as a job-growth opportunity.