SOLAR TODAY - Get Started 2009

PERSPECTIVE
For the past 13 years the American
Solar Energy Society has worked with
its

Sm_Oany lo_Lcal c_Ahapters_Rand other local groups to bring the National Solar Tour to commu- affordable, clean energy for your home nities across the country. The Tour is the single largest demonstration of green buildings and solar technology in ^Your ^neighbors ^want ^to ^show ^you ^how ^it ^works!^the ^w^T^orld. ^W^O^e ^couldn’t^D^do ^a ^To^A^ur ^of ^thi^Y^s ^scale ^withou^t^he ^dedication ^of ^several ^hundred ^tour ^organizers ^(mostly^By ^Brad ^Collins^ASES ^state ^chapter ^volunteers) ^and ^more ^than ⁴^,000 ^ho-meowners. It is a fascinating opportunity for folks to visit the building in_S t_Ohe_Ln_Aex_Rt b _Tlo_Ock_Dor_Ath _Ye .h_Oom_Re_Gthey read about in the local paper. Visitors learn firsthand how these technologies work, and how they impact the everyday lives of are the key to the success of this national event. _t_E_h_D_e_{I T}_p_O_eo_R_p_IA_le_L_who _live _or _work _in _these _buildings.

For the past 13 years the American Solar
Energy Society has worked with its many local

This special Get Started! issue of SOLAR TODAY

chapters and other local groups to bring the Na-

magazine was created, like every issue of SOLAR

tional Solar Tour to communities across the country.

TODAY to educate people who use energy — that

^The ^Tour ^is ^the ^single ^largest ^{demonstration} ^of ^green is, all of us. Our goal with this issue is to anticipate

buildings and solar technology in the world. We

and answer your questions about green building and

couldn’t do a Tour of this scale without the dedica-

solar technologies. It provides reference links for fur-

tion of several hundred tour organizers (mostly ASES _ther _inquiry. _When _you _have _specific _questions _about

state chapter volunteers) and more than 4,000

how green technologies can work on your house,

^homeowners. ^It ^is ^a ^fascinating ^opportunity ^for ^folks turn to the directory of practitioners — it’s organized

to visit the building in the next block or the home

by zip code — and find an expert (or two or three)

T^Bh^Re^ADg^Ce^On^Le^Lr^INo^Su^:s^Exf^eo^clk ^us^tivw^eh^Do^irev^co^tl^ou^rn^/Pt^ue^be^lr^ist^ho^eropen a home or b^pu^ui^bld^lii^sn^hg^er@to^sot^lh ^{aretiordnaey.io}g^rh^gbors do so to share the satis-f^Ra^Ec^Gt^Ii^No^An^J^Oa^Hn^Nd^SOp^Na^:s^Es^dio^itn^or/t^Ah^se^sy^o’^cvⁱe^atefo^Pu^un^bd^lisi^hn^erowning a green editor@solartoday.org building and living more sustainably. They are the best BROOKE SIMMONS: Manager of Online Publishing s_Sales_Mpeopl_:e_Mfo_ar _nag_gr_ie_ne_gn_Et_de_ic _toh_rnology. They want tour tak _{ETH ASIA}- e_Ar_Ls_LIt_So_ONha _Gv_Re _AYw_: _Ah_ra_tt_Dt_ih_ree_cy_toh_rave: clean, cheap energy and a c_Ll_Ye_Da_In _A _Pc_Oo_Tn_Ts_Oc_Fi_Fe_:n_Ac_se_s. _isT _tah_ne_ty_Aw_rta_Dn_irt_et_co_tos_rhow you how it works i_Dn_Ot_Nh_Aei_Mr h _C_Co_Lm_AIe _N,_: _Pw_uh_ba_lict_at_th_ioe_ny_s’v_Me_al_ne_aa_gr_en_re_/d and how they feel aEbdoituortiatlhAesstiestcahnntologies they’ve adopted. At one level, tRhICeHirARmDeHsAsIaGgHe T: Pisr:oo“fJroeaindeurs! You’ll be glad you did.” These neighbors are the key to the success of this natAioDnVaElRe TvIeSnINt.G SALES

they read about in the local paper. Visitors learn

near you. Hang on to Get Started! You can refer

firsthand how these technologies work, and how

to it over and over again in the months ahead.

they impact the everyday lives of the people who

live or work in these buildings.

The most fascinating fact about the National

Solar Tour is this: 32 percent of tour hosts indicate

The generous folks who volunteer to open a home

that a previous tour influenced their decision to

or building to their neighbors do so to share the

add sustainable energy features to their home.

satisfaction and passion they’ve found in owning

After their tour experience, they built their own

a green building and living more sustainably. They

are the best salespeople for green technology. They

sustainable home. Today they want to show you
that it works. r

want tour takers to have what they have: clean,

cheap energy and a clean conscience. They want to

Brad Collins is executive director of the American Solar Energy Society and publisher of SOLAR TODAY.

show you how it works in their home, what they’ve

learned and how they feel about the technologies

Most tours take place Saturday, Oct 4.

they’ve adopted. At one level, their message is:

Find one near you at nationalsolartour.org

T^Nh^ai^ts^iosⁿp^ae^lcial Get^MS^Cta ^Nr^Et^ILe^Ld^G!^Ri^Oss ^Uu^Pe^I^No^Cf^. SOLAR TODAY magazine was creat⁸e⁰d⁰,^.3li⁹k⁴e^.5e¹v⁵e⁷r^,y^exis^ts^. u¹e ^6,of SOLAR TODAY, to educate peop^F_ml^Ae^X_cnw^: ²_eih¹_ll-o5g.ru³²_os¹_ue^._p⁹_.e⁶_cn³_oe⁶_mr^,gy — that is, all of us. Our goal with th_Pi_hs_ii _lis_psu_Me_ili_ls_et _ro_ana_dnt_Kic_ri_ip_s a_Ote _hra_en_nd_ickanswer your questions aboutpmgriellen r@bmucinldeiinllg-graonudp.scolmar technologies. It provides referkeonhcreenlin icks@mfocrnfeuirlltghreoruipn.qcoumiry. When you hAauvte omsopteivceific quFe OsCtUio S nMsEDaIAbo&uMt AhRoKwETINgGreen technologies can work on you³r¹h³o^.6u⁷s⁰e^., ⁰t ⁵u⁵r³n^, ^Fto^AXth^: e²⁴d⁸ir^.e⁶c ⁸t⁰o^.6ry⁶⁹o⁹f practitioners — it’s orga^Kn^eiⁿze^Sd^tub^by^bz^leip^fiec^lo^dd^, e^ke—^n@a^fon^cd^usf^min^md ^.aⁿn^etexpert (or two or three) near you. Hang on to Get Started! You c^Man^AGre^Afe^Zr^INto^E i^At ^Dov ^Ve^ISr^Oa^Rn ^Yd ^Co^Ove^Ur^Na^Cg^Ia ^Lin in the months ahead. T^Ph^Ae^ULm^No^Os ^Tt^Af^Ra^Is ^, c^Ci^On^-a^Ct^Hin^Ag^IRfact about the National Solar Tour is KEN SHEINKOPF, CO-CHAIR t _Th_Ri_As:_V3_IS2_Bp_RAe_Drc_Fe_On_RDt of tour hosts in_Md_Ii_Cc_Kat_Se_AGth_RIa_LLt_Oa previous tour iAnf _Ll _Lu_ISe_On_NcGe_Rd_AYtheir decision to ad Td_HOs_Mu_As_StaSi _Tn_Aa_Rb_RSle energy fea-tFuRrAeNsKtoKRtEhIe THir home. After theirStToEVuErNeSxTpReOrNie Gnce, they built t^Ch^He^Uir^CKo^Kw^Un ^TSCs^Hu^Es^Rtainable home. ^RT^Oo^Bd^Ea^Ry ^T ^Uth^Ke^EIy^LEYwant to show y^Jo^Ou^SEt ^Ph^Ha^Mt i^Ct^Cw^ABo^Erks. Most tours ta^J^Ak^Ne^Ep^Mla^.c ^We ^Eo^ISn^SMS^Aa^Nturday, Oct. ROBERT PREUS 4. Find one near you at nationalsolartour.org.

“Join us! You’ll be glad you did.” These neighbors

E_An_Sjo _ESy t_Oh_Pe_ET_Ro_Au_Tr_I!_ONS

13th ASES National Solar Tour: Welcome aboard!

By Richard Burns Welcome to the 13th _Annual _National

As you visit homes and businesses on the

Tour, don’t hesitate to ask questions about

Solar Tour! On behalf of the proud own- the energy features you see. Take pictures,

BECKY CAMPBELL-HO WE: Director of Operations NEAL LURIE: Director of Marketing and Communications _CBrad_B Co_:l_Mlin_ems _bi_es_rse_hix_pe_Mc_au_nt_ai_gv_ee_r director of the _{AROLYN EACH}^ARIC^mHA^eRD^riB^cU^aRⁿNS: ^SN^oat^li^aon^ra^El Sⁿo^ela^rr ^gTo^yur^SM^oa^cn^ieag^te^yr^.^E^LENB^Ar^Ha^Od^FFRC^ICo^HTll ^Ei^Rn^:s^Reci^es^ptie^ox ⁿe ^istc^/Bu^ot^oiv^ke^keed ^peir^rector of the A^K^Am ^TEe^Hri^Oc ^Ta^CHn^KIS^SSo^: ^Ela^xer^cuE^tn^ive^er^Ag^sy^sisS ^taoⁿc^tiety and publisher of SOLAR TODAY. ASES BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ers who have opened their homes for

take notes and learn about what works in your

the Tour, and on behalf of the American climate, your community, your utility district.

Solar Energy Society, its volunteers and

The owners and volunteers you’ll meet have

staff, I’m happy to invite you in.

figured out how to reduce their energy costs

The Tour began as a small event in

while reducing the nation’s dependence on

Northern California. Thanks to the

fossil fuels, and we all benefit.

JOHN RE YNOLDS, CHAIR

MARGOT MCDONALD, CHAIR-ELECT ANDY BLACK PAULET TE MIDDLE TON TRAVIS BRADFORD NATHAN MITTEN RICHARD CAPUTO VIC TOR OLGYAY ALLISON GRAY BILL POULIN DAVID HILL DAVE RENNÉ JASON KEYES MAR Y SPRUILL JEFF LYNG JENNIFER SZARO GABRIELA MARTIN LORIN VANT-HULL

passion of thousands of volunteers,

and the foresight of thousands of homeowners,

it’s grown into the largest solar energy event in

the world.

Be sure to thank the owners and volunteers for

their hospitality and time. And accept our thanks,
for your interest in America’s energy future! r

Richard Burns is National Solar Tour manager at the American Solar Energy Society. rburns@ ases.org

SOLAR TODAY (ISSN: 1042-0630) is published bimonthly by the American Solar Energy Society, 2400 Central Avenue, Suite A, Boulder, Colorado 80301-2843, 303.443.3130, FAX 303.443.3212, ases@ases.org, ases.org. Copyright © 2008 by the American Solar Energy Society Inc. All rights reserved.