Solar Spring Tour - April 26, 2006

The APS Star (Solar Test and Research) Center is one of the most advanced solar testing sites in the world, with virtually all types of photovoltaic technology and the latest in high concentration tracking systems under test or development.

Features:

• 200 kW Single Axis Tracking PV solar power plant

• 300 kW High Concentration PV solar panels

• 60 kW Tilted Tracker PV solar plant

• Rooftop PV systems demonstrations for residential and commercial use

• Numerous examples of solar tracking systems and technologies

• Examples of the latest thin film, single crystal, polycrystalline and high concentration PV modules

• Boeing Spectolab Multi-Junction Concentrator System (Space Cells)

• Hybrid solar power system test facilities with 600 kWh of battery storage capacity and 150 kW diesel generator

• Examples of the latest power conditioning inverter technologies

For further information, contact janet.crow@aps.com, 602-250-4990

Many thanks to the great people at APS for their gracious help in producing this Spring Solar Tour Guide

SOLAR ENERGY FACTS

• Arizona has one of the highest incidence of sunshine in the entire country. (National Weather Service)

• In 2003 Arizona had a $6 billion energy deficit. This number grows every year. (Az Dept. of Commerce)

• There is more solar energy collecting equipment installed in New Jersey than in Arizona. (Arizona Corporation Commissioner Kris Mayes)

• All the energy stored in the earth in reserves of coal, oil, and natural gas is matched by the energy from 20 days of sunshine. (Union of Concerned Scientists)

• With current technology, the sunlight falling on just half of Maricopa County could produce all the electricity used in the United States. (Lane Garrett -AZ. Solar Center)

• The amount of energy in sunlight that falls on a Valley house is MORE than the energy that house uses. (Daniel Peter Aiello -Az. Solar Center)

• Over a million homes around the world rely on solar energy as their primary or only source of electricity. (Lane Garrett - ETA Engineering))

• For every dollar spent on energy efficiency and passive solar/energy design and construction, there can be a reduction of $10 -$12 or more in money spent on mechanical equipment and maintenance. (Andrew Jones - Physicist - Az. Solar Energy Association)

• Proper building design with attention to orientation, fenestration, infiltration, construction, site vegetation, and equipment can easily reduce energy consumption 30% to 50% (Daniel Peter Aiello/Lane Garrett/Ben Marcus - Az. Solar Center/ASEA)

• Arizona utilities provide substantive incentives for installation of photovoltaic and hot water heating equipment. (See specific utility provider for latest incentives)

• There are Federal and Arizona Incentives for solar equipment and energy efficiency. (For a complete listing of Incentives and Credits go to www.azsolarcenter.com)

• Arizona has a strong Consumer Protection policy for the sale and installation of solar and renewable energy equipment. (Az. Dept of Commerce Energy Office)

• Polling shows that over 70% of Arizonans are willing to pay $2 / month on their electric bills to get more of their energy from the sun. (AZ Corporation Commissioner Kris Mayes)

Dalrymple Energy Remodel
Dalrymple Residence 4622 E. Palo Verde Drive, Phoenix
Mick and Alison Dalrymple Residence

Solar energy efficient retrofit of a 2500 square foot single-family residence. In-progress remodel is being captured for the PBS television series Build It Green! Episodes to date will run continuously at the home.

Features:

• Energy audit conducted with inspection, ductblaster, blower-door, thermal camera

• Design flaws corrected

• Combustion appliances removed

• Ductwork brought inside building envelope

• Energy Star foam roof added

• Reclaimed insulation added

• Energy Star appliances

• Trane XL-19 16-SEER electric heat pump

• Solar hot water heater

• 3KW grid-tied solar-PV

• Tubular skylight

• Demand-activated hot water recirculation pump

• Efficient dual-pane low-e fiberglass windows and doors

• Temporary west side window shade devices

• Dual-flush toilet

• Low-flow shower head

• House oriented North-South

• Passive cool air flow through house from Camelback Mountain

• Solar landscape lighting

• Low-VOC interior paints
  

Still to come:

• West side shade structure and outdoor living space

• Xeriscaping and front porch remodel for more outdoor living
  Solar pool motors

Solar Home Tour Map Pick-up Location,  A.k.a. Green Environmental Building Center
8100 E. Indian School Rd, #3W
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
(480) 946-9600
(480) 946-9611 fax
www.akagreen.com

A.k.a. Green is your resource for your next environmental residential or commercial building or remodeling project. Its large showroom allows you to see and feel a broad range of alternative interior finish materials, as well as water-saving and energy saving devices. Located on Indian School, four buildings East of Hayden Road on the North side of the road.

MCGAREY RESIDENCE
11632 N MILLER ROAD SCOTTSDALE

Features:

• Passive solar design—–sited with proper orientation and spatial elongation of the East / West axis

• Open floor plan with less quantity / more quality approach

• North cool summer court / South warm winter court—to optimize response to the desert’s varying climate

• Deep recessed entries on the east and west facades, carport located on west side, and overhangs/landscaping on east side provide mitigation of negative summer sun impacts.

• Cross ventilation

• Special thermal mass concrete block, Integra masonry, with integral insulation isolates this interior mass from intrusion of unwanted external heat and cold.

• The frame stairwell is insulated with air-crete non-polluting system of insulation

• Mortar wash and non-toxic paint provide the interior wall finishes allowing for the natural pattern of masonry struck horizontal joints to be shown.

• Pella thermal pane windows with integral blinds

• Kalwall sunlight panels of UV inhibiting plastic with integral fiberglass insulation

• Special energy efficient glazing

• Thermal volume design incorporated with a venting and daylighting core

• Environmentally beneficial air entrained concrete insulation in frame walls

• Abundant natural daylighting

• Pre-plumbing and wiring for future addition of solar hot water and photovoltaic systems to facilitate current use as a residence & future adaptive use

• Building uses less than 50% of energy of a comparable sized house

Tract Home Solar Retrofit
Stack Residence 1070 E Jupiter Place, Chandler
Solar energy efficient retrofit of a six year old 1600 square foot Residence. 3 bedroom, 2 bath, SRP bills average less than $20 a month.

Features:

• Grid-tied solar electric PV system

• 1.8 kw, net-metering, selling back excess energy to the utility company.

• Solar hot water system

• Energy star heat-pump Lennox 16.5 seer with HEPA air filter

• Energy star efficient appliances

• Two solar tube lights, natural light for interior with minimal heat gain from the sun or energy loss from the interior

• LED and compact florescent bulbs for indoor lighting

• Solar shades on east and west windows

• Resource efficient xeriscape landscaping

• Solar landscaping lights

• LCD computer screen use one half the power and have no electronic emissions - creating less eye strain and reducing health risks

• Non toxic faucet and kitchen sink

• Home oriented with garage on South as heat buffer

• Water reduction on all shower heads and toilets

PAPERCRETE DEMONSTRATION BUILDING
Making blocks, roof panels, and walls.
PERA Club, 1 Continental Drive
Tempe, Arizona

Mr. Barry J. Fuller is an experimental designer and builder as well as a media producer. For the past several years, Mr. Fuller has been traveling to interview people throughout the Southwest and California who have extensive experience with papercrete and he has been learning how to build with this exciting new material. Presently Mr. Fuller is starting the roof on Paper Palace One, a model test structure which he will finish in early Summer of 2006. Floorplans can be seen on the Current Projects page of http://www.livinginpaper.org. The website is an offshoot of a broadcast documentary about papercrete, which is currently in production.

Gilbert Residence
6409 E Decatur Street, Mesa

Features:

• Photovoltaic panels providing 5 KW of power

• Wind generator providing 400 watts of power

• Battery back up and grid tied system

• Net-metering pioneer, system in place for over 10 years - before interconnection availability

• Solar on motor home featured in home power magazine issue # 24

• Solar panels from Arco, Kyocera and Photowatt, all working collectively

• Home made mountings and tilt features on PV array

• Abundant shade of yard provided by large solar array

• Low-e R-6 windows throughout

• Compact fluorescent bulbs in most fixtures

• Energy star refrigerator

• Solar ovens for cooking

• Solar water distillers

• Solar dc attic fans

• Xeriscape, drought tolerant natural desert landscaping

• Monitoring devices for usage, power and batteries

• Energy system data for past three years collected and documented in Excel spreadsheet format
  

Titmus Residence (Urban Solar Permaculture)
2652 East Butte Circle

Sexson Earthdome home
16663 Paradox Drive, Fountain Hills

Features:

• SOLAR ENERGY EFFICIENT EARTH DOME RESIDENCE

• SRP BILLS AVERAGE LESS THAN $40 A MONTH

• GRID-TIED SOLAR ELECTRIC PV SYSTEM, NET-METERING, (SELLING BACK EXCESS ENERGY TO THE UTILITY COMPANY SRP)

• SOLAR HOT WATER SYSTEM 

• ENERGY STAR HEAT-PUMP

• ENERGY STAR EFFICIENT FRIDGE - Maytag

• CENTER LIGHT CUPALO AT CENTER OF HOME FOR NATURAL LIGHT FOR INTERIOR WITH MINIMAL HEAT GAIN FROM THE SUN OR ENERGY LOSS FROM THE INTERIOR

• COMPACT FLORESCENT BULBS FOR INDOOR LIGHTING

• WATER REDUCTION ON ALL SHOWER HEADS AND TOILETS

• ENERGY EFFICIENT CLEAN VEHICLES - 2000 Honda Insight 60 mpg and 06 Toyota Prius Hybrid 50mpg

Tompson (Permaculture Edible Landscaping)
602 W Rawhide Ave, Gilbert

Features:

• 2375 Watt Grid-Tie Photovoltaic System

• White Elastomeric Heat-reflecting roof paint

• Arbor shading

• Hybrid Evaporative cooler/Air-Conditioner

• (SEER 12) cooling system

• Added Blown-in Insulation

• Energy Star Appliances

• Front Loading High Efficiency Clothes Washer

• Solar Tubes

• Compact Flourescent Light Bulbs

• One Prius, One Honda Insight, Two Bicycles

This botanically lush, cool and comfortable site is a visible treasure - a green jewel in a barren wasteland of concrete, cacti and gravel. Come see a living example of the highest kind of urban horticulture - a superb demonstration of ecology and beauty with edible and useful landscaping. You WILL be amazed! There is no other place quite like this! ”What permaculturists are doing is the most important activity that any group is doing on the planet.” - David Suzuki

In three years Dan Thompson aka “Permaculture Dan” has transformed the Bermuda grass and gravel yard of an ordinary Gilbert Arizona suburban home into a Permaculture Oasis in the desert. Come see this amazingly oxygen-rich and deliciously edible landscape. Not only is almost every plant edible, but the living “passive” shade modifies the climate surrounding the entire home - buffering temperature extremes and saving thousands of dollars in cooling and heating bills over time. This also substantially reduces the amount of mechanical systems (such as solar panels, etc.) that would be needed to power the home - avoiding thousands of dollars in purchasing costs. Let Nature do some of the “work” for you! The oxygen concentration on the street is 17%, but in Permaculture Dan’s backyard it is an amazing 26%! Now that’s a breath of fresh air! When the temperature of the street is 150 degrees, the temperature in Dan’s backyard is 99 degrees, and this is the hottest it gets there! The more plants you have outside, the cleaner your air is inside, and the less dust comes inside your home. You will also notice some noise reduction benefits as well. Why bake in the dry, desiccating heat when you can sit in the moist cool shade and munch happily away on your own homegrown, nutritious (health-enhancing), delicious fruits and veggies? Come see how to Save Money, Save Energy and Create a Cool, Green, Healing Oasis of your own with predominantly edible plants. Join with others in helping to cool our urban heat islands. Let’s all take some measure of personal responsibility for using less oil, gas and electricity by growing some of our own foods and by helping cool and shelter our homes from extremes of climate with edible, beautiful and useful plants. And save money while doing it!

Arwood Residence
4019 E Montecito, Phoenix Az

Jim and Jean Arwood can thank the sun for reduced, not increased, utility rates this summer and in the future. Through a new rebate program offered by Salt River Project, the Phoenix couple installed a photovoltaic system on their East Phoenix home. Solar panels now line their roof. Jim Arwood expects solar electricity to account for about a third to a half of the family's electrical usage depending on the time of year, meaning a savings of $300 to $400 a year in utility bills.

Jim Arwood, a longtime solar-energy proponent who heads the solar-energy program at the Arizona Department of Commerce, said the reason he invested in the photovoltaic system was simple: economics.

He and his wife, who have three children, have added other energy-efficient measures, including foam insulation to the exterior walls and compact fluorescent light bulbs, to their 1954 house.

Additional Features:

• Summer shading and wintertime solar access
• Out-sulation - Insulation, with plaster finish placed on the exterior
• West wall mitigates undesireable summertime heat impacts.
• Solar cooking - Preparation of food using the sun's energy - effective and keeps the kitchen and house cooler in the summer and lowers summer energy bills by keeping cooking heat outside. It is also healthier than a barbeque.

Don Titmus' Permaculture and solar site in Mesa, AKA the Bee Oasis
2652 E. Butte Circle, Mesa 85213

Come see an Urban Permaculture in process. Active solar water heating, Passive solar Chicken Coup, use of microclimates, Organic Veggie garden, mixed flower garden (with the new urbanite edge), water catchment systems, top bar bee hive, composting, fruit trees, and more. Rain or Shine.

Directions; From Phx, Tempe and Scottsdale - East on 202 to Gilbert Rd exit. South to University Dr. East through 24th St light, but turn south into Yale (across from Discount Tire) before the next light, Lindsay. Follow road around until Butte Cir, you can only turn left...go to end of cul-de-sac.

From US 60 exit at Gilbert go north to University then follow directions above

Scottsdale Green Building Program - Sustainable Building in the Sonoran Desert

The Scottsdale Green Building Program encourages a whole-systems approach through design and building techniques to minimize environmental impact and reduce the energy consumption of buildings while contributing to the health of its occupants. www.ci.scottsdale.az.us/greenbuilding

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