Main menu
Solar
Efficiency
Register your home
Join the Tour
Resource

SoCal Tour of Solar Homes

Solar Photo-Voltaic rooftop solar systems

 PV-EV: Energy Independence and satisfying lifestyle with Solar Power, conservation, efficiency, reduced water use, native plants and backyard habitat

Electric car plugs-in to credits from rooftop solar power

Solar home generates more electric than the EV uses

If you can't yet get a plug-in Electric car or plug-in Hybrid,
your home can become energy independent, water-wise and energy efficient.
NEW! Practical guide to going solar

Next Tour will be held in Palos Verdes on May 10, 2008.

There will be a Caravan of Toyota RAV4-EV which will lead the Tour of Homes, stopping at each one at a given time and returning to the starting point, so that people can car pool (yes, in the Toyota RAV4-EV also!).

You can attend any one stop, if you're just interested in that technology, or join the tour and see all the ideas presented.

Each home will list vendor and resource information, with the examples at the actual home in the "tour" using that technology. The Tour is vendor-indpendent, other vendors of the same technologies can list their information or provide speakers.

Those interested in particular technologies -- solar PV, proper insulation, energy star, high-efficiency furnace, native plants, Time-of-Use flexpower, Enegy Audit, plug-in hybrids, etc., will be able to see an installation and view literature from the vendors of those services -- and immediate reference check for how these technologies work for individuals and businesses.

At each point, an exposition will be given by an expert about each example technology.

For example, thermal hot-water for pool, domestic and in hybrid systems will be explained at a home actually using those technologies, and you will be able to take away a copy of the lecture. It will also be available on Youtube for anyone to see and refer to.

After the "caravan" concludes, back at the starting point, there will be an "Energy Fair" where you can meet vendors and ask questions.
  Each year, the ASES tour is held the first Saturday in October.
The American Solar Energy Society's National Solar Tour educates the public on renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies and practices that support a sustainable energy economy. Thousands of homes and buildings are opened in hundreds of communities in almost every state for the public to experience the benefits of these technologies and practices first hand.

The National Solar Tour is one of the most effective means to educate the public on technologies and practices that are needed for the United States to pursue a sustainable energy economy.

SoCalSolarTour.com is dedicated to supporting and expanding solar power, and offers to help Southern California Solar Tour of Homes. SoCalSolarTour.com and its sponsors are independent of the American Solar Energy Society.

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.

 

Top

Preparing for the Oct. 6 Tour of Solar Homes