Lighten Up on Energy Use With Ideas From Solar Tour
By Cami Joner, The Columbian, Vancouver, Wash.
Oct. 5–Sun power will be the focus of a Saturday tour of 12 Clark County buildings and homes that showcase the benefits of renewable energy.
The event is part of the American Solar Energy Society’s National Solar Tour, featuring “green” designs that use energy-efficient technologies. Sponsored by Solar Washington and Clark Public Utilities, the tour’s purpose is to educate with an array of examples that save energy normally taken from the power grid, said Mick Shutt, a spokesman for the utility.
A list of tour sites will be handed out for a $5 charge at the event’s 9 a.m. kickoff at the Clark Public Utilities headquarters, 1200 Fort Vancouver Way. Shutt said the $5 fee would be charged to each group taking the tour and is not a per-person charge.
The list gives participants the freedom to take the tour in any order.
“They can go to all of the sites or just visit the ones they’re interested in,” Shutt said.
Stops include Vancouver’s Water Resources Center, where a “photovoltaic system” on display shows how solar technology makes electricity using light from the sun.
“It’s a must-see for anyone going solar,” Shutt said.
Other sites include homes that rely on solar-powered hot water systems, micro-hydro systems and designs that produce lower energy bills and reduce effects on the global environment.
Four homes in Cowlitz County will also participate in the tour, along with the Cowlitz County Public Utility District. In all, the tour includes more than 200 stops throughout Washington state. Forty-six states are participating in the national tour, which is expected to attract more than 100,000 people.
If you go
What: Solar home and building tour featuring Clark County sites.
When: Saturday
Time: 9 a.m. kickoff.
Where: Clark Public Utilities, 1200 Fort Vancouver Way.
Cost: $5 for list of sites.
? Information: 360-992-3355 or solarwashington.org .
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Copyright (c) 2007, The Columbian, Vancouver, Wash.
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