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There are many solar homes in Southern California, and
many individuals and groups who promote distributed electric power production and energy efficient homes. The Solar
Tour is one way of attracting community and civic pride in responsible resource use.
The Solar Tour of Homes consists of homeowners and local residents who open their homes to their neighbors for
information about energy efficiency.
Energy efficiency and solar power are linked to water conservation and insulation, heat pumps, energy star appliances,
native plants, edible landscaping, backyard habitat, backyard composting, and proper mulching.
Desalting schemes, for example, require huge energy expenditures and can be averted by tiered water rates and conservation.
Even people who can't get PV-EV can do some of these things; for example, community composting stations at public
schools must be made available for apartment dwellers. This can be done without diluting the message of the Solar
Tour about PV.
- Civic pride exploration of responsible resource use,
water-wise and Flex-Power
- Provide information on solar electric and solar water
systems
- Demonstrate a visible pathway to energy-efficient,
low-water living
- Provide information on the ASES and its magazine, Solar
Today
- Provide information on resource utilization and interdependence
- Compile a list of solar advocates
- Demonstrate other technologies and methods for oil-free
living, such as bicycles, mass transit, etc.
- Information on electric generation and daily electric
curve
- Native plant education, backyard habitat, proper mulching
to reduce weeds
- Compact fluorescent bulbs
- Energy Star appliances
- Proper Insulation
Each city and responsible public agency must create
a function of Energy Efficiency Engineer, not necessarily additional headcount, just a function and a responsibility
that can be added to one of the planners, or assigned to community volunteers.
Responsible entities must establish a proactive outreach for energy efficiency programs, requiring all new construction
to add a solar disclaimer (offering the possibility of solar to the customer, and requiring a signoff yes or no)
and requiring new construction fold the cost of solar, should the buyer wish, into an escrow account in the original
financing.
Building Code must be amended to require new construction and rebuilds to be "solar-ready", and establish
standards for conduit, inverter siting, roof posts, plan for optional battery backup. In addition, solar consideration
could be asked of architects (south-facing slanted roof is best).
All building permits should require the solar informational handout, which the responsible Agency could make part
of its "regenerative systems" program.
Appoint a solar/energy efficiency facilitator and publicity person to reach out to coordinate grants and rebates,
to lobby for energy efficiency and to nurture solar installers, involve civic and NGO groups, schools and the public,
making the possibility of going solar real and possible.
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