A TASTE OF THE TOUR
solar homes in cool climes
Here are some of the properties you may see on the 2009 ASES National Solar Tour — a small but representative sampling of the more
than 5,000 buildings on the Tour. Shown here are small and large houses; new houses designed for high efficiency; old houses with
retrofit, photovoltaic systems and water-heating systems. All four are in temperate climates with real, snowy winters.
t ILLINOIS On the shore of Lake Michigan in Evanston, this new
high-efficiency Energy Star house uses seven 4-foot by 8-foot
water-heating collectors for domestic hot water and a radiant
floor heating system. Photovoltaic slates on the three south-facing roof surfaces generate about 80 percent of household
electricity needs. The monthly utility bill for gas and electricity
averages about $110, for a 4,000-square-foot living space.
t COLORADO The handsome patio awning, in Lakewood (a
suburb of Denver), makes innovative use of bifacial photovoltaic
modules. In addition to using direct sunlight from above, the
48 modules also use reflected light from the floor and walls to
produce 9. 12 kilowatts.
ILLINOIS SOLAR ENERGy ASSOcIATION
JOHN AVENSON
H&H ELEc TRIc
DAVID cARPENTER
s WISCONSIN The photovoltaic installation on this 85-year-old
Milwaukee bungalow and garage meets 100 percent of house-
hold electrical needs. Other sustainability projects include gar-
dens, rain barrels and a rain garden.
s OHIO Built in 1993 in a Delaware, Ohio, housing development,
this house was 12 years old when its owner, a high school physics
teacher, installed 42 square meters of photovoltaic panels. The
system has a 4.83-kilowatt capacity, providing 100 percent of the
home’s power needs, annualized. Over the first 24 months of
operation, it generated 13. 6 megawatt-hours of power.
