LETTERS – Solar-House Story Revives Memories, Hopes

Regarding the article entitled “Solar flair,” on Sept. 18 (Business): I was so proud of Len Loomans, Matt Willse and Jonathon Strnad for building the new solar house. Reading the article in The Journal brought back many wonderful memories of the pioneering work in photovoltaics of my late husband, Joseph John Loferski — work that he conducted while a professor of electrical engineering at Brown University.

My husband was a grandfather of solar energy. He was a pioneer in the field and dedicated his entire life to researching alternative types of energy. The gift of solar-energy technology has been passed down to his children and grandchildren as his living legacy, long after his passing away from this earth. I feel he would be so excited about this new solar house.

Thirty years ago, he tried to impress on the government that alternative renewable sources of energy were available, and that he and his colleagues had developed appropriate technology to support the research. However, the funding was not there.

Now, eight years after his passing away, the public is calling out for solar technology. The citizens of the United States are realizing that there is no need to pay soaring gas and oil prices while the sun stays shining over us all day. Why not capture those quiet, clean and powerful rays and harness their energy?

SYLVIA LOFERSKI

Providence