Solar Energy Solar Home Design Guide |
Solar Home Tour and MORE The UTEP Energy Center is organizing the 1998 Solar Home Tour and More. The event is co-sponsored by EPSEA, the Texas General Services Commission, State Energy Conservation Office, and the El Paso Collaborative. Solar Home Tour 9 -1 pm Workshops and Exhibits 12 - 5 pm
Start the day with a tour of homes which have been designed to take advantage of free solar energy and then constructed to use energy efficiently. The homes on the tour include the El Paso "Oprah House", built by volunteers with the El Paso Chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Although this "Oprah House" was constructed using conventional materials, the operating costs for utilities is expected to be less than 1/2 the costs of a similar sized El Paso home. The home and windows were sited to take advantage of free winter sunshine while avoiding summer heat gain. The home also includes energy efficient appliances and furnace as well as a high performance insulation package. You'll also be able to see homes which not only use our region's indigenous building material, adobe, but they're also designed for our climate. The home tour is sponsored by the El Paso Solar Energy Association. Tickets are $3 each or $5 per couple. Tour Location: In El Paso, the tour starts at the "Oprah House" on Hassan St. in Northeast El Paso. The home is located on the corner of Hassan and McCombs, 3 blocks south of the intersection of Transmountain and McCombs. (Loop 375 and McCombs) The remainder of the homes are in Chaparral N.M. From Interstate 10 - El Paso: Exit US 54 North From Interstate 10-Westside:Exit at Chaparral/O'Hara Rd LOOK for SOLAR signs! Tour Map
FREE Workshops and Exhibits - 12-5 pm UTEP Campus 12 pm: Adobe Construction - Learn the newest techniques in adobe
wall construction and what goes into a 90's adobe. YES, you can build an
adobe home in the city of El Paso and your adobe walls work to store energy
for you - both heat or cold. 2 pm: Straw Bale Home Construction - Straw bale construction is one of the fastest growing areas in alternative materials. With walls rated at more than 3 times the insulation value as required in El Paso, the straw bale home is an energy miser. Walls go up in a day and when finished they have a higher fire rating than a conventional home. Presented by: Catherine Wanek and Pete Fust of Straw Bale Central, Kingston, NM. Catherine and Pete are recognized world wide leaders in the straw bale revolution. Their work includes "Black Range Films" a production company specializing in documenting straw testing for building code acceptance as well as instructional videos for builders. They have been instrumental in the adoption of straw bale building codes in California, New Mexico and Arizona and they publish the industry newsletter, The Last Straw. 4 pm - Photovoltaics - (Solar Electricity) Electricity can be produced anywhere the sun shines and you can use the energy now or store it in batteries to use later. Need some lights for your yard, your tool shed or maybe electricity for that remote spot in the mountains? Learn the basics of PV, what it can do and what it might cost. Presented by: Hector Gasquet . Hector is an electrical engineer who can explain at all levels just how the suns energy is magically changed into electricity and how you can use it. Hector is the author of a Spanish language design and installation manual, Conversion De La Luz Solar En Energia Electrica. 4 pm - Passive Solar and Energy Efficient Homes - What's cost effective and what works in this climate? Learn how small, cost effective changes in any home plan can mean big savings in utility costs plus priceless comfort. Learn what's right or wrong with your present home and what you can do about it. Find out how much insulation you really should have now or in your next home. Presented by: Karl Dreher - Habitat for Humanity, Steve Cook and Mike Cormier - UTEP Energy Center EXHIBITS and DEMONSTRATIONS UTEP-Alternative Fuels Project Vehicles Tour UTEP Wind Site UTEP Energy Center EPSEA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Paso Del Norte - Clean Cities Solar Cooking Solar Water Distillation PV EPSEA will publish a special edition of their newsletter with a map and description of the homes on the tour. The newsletter will be available at both El Paso locations of Barnes and Noble Bookstore. Organizations: The UTEP Energy Center is part of the Center for Environmental Resource Management (CERM) The Energy Center is involved in various energy education and research projects involving schools, affordable housing, economic development and sustainability issues. The El Paso Solar Energy Association is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3). Since 1978 EPSEA has held monthly presentations and published a monthly newsletter promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency. EPSEA is an ENERGY STAR HOMES ALLY. More home photos (2 pages) |
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