Solar Barn Raising Demystified

On the 25th of October I had the pleasure of participating in a solar barn raising in North Dalton, about 20 minutes North of Durango proper, the exact location being the lovely home of Norton and Debbie Hindley. Despite my enthusiasm for renewable energy, I had never actually seen solar panels being installed on a building before, nor really given any serious thought to actually doing it myself.

I certainly had some butterflies to accompany my excitement about the experience. I didn't want to be the tyro getting in the way of the pros, but luckily the experienced part of the crew, which was all but myself and one other person, were incredibly accommodating toward my complete lack of knowledge. Luckily, it doesn't take too long to catch on to some of the basics of installation.

My solar installation education began with the 'slap in the face' realization that solar barn raising does not have anything to do with the construction of a barn. Looking back at it I feel rather silly, having worked for a company that dealt in the sale of wind and solar energy supply to homes, but I showed up thinking, “Where’s the stuff for the barn?” I was unfamiliar with the term “solar barn raising”, which led me to assume we were putting together a stand alone barn or shed like structure that the solar array would be placed upon.

Turns out, I wasn't too far off, as a solar barn raising can mean both the construction of a stand alone array, which could be an actual barn if you so desire, or the installation of photo voltaic panels on the southern facing portion of the roof of a home. Really it was one of those instances where my insecurity of not knowing anything about what I was doing or anybody I was working with got in the way of me looking it up on Google.

The day before, solar panel installer Jay Hecker and company had started some of the initial installation steps for the panels by drilling holes into the trusses. We began by installing metal flashing between the layers of shingles, followed by flanges into the flashing, which would later hold the beam, or racking, that panels would be tightened to. It doesn't sound like a lot when put into words, but make no mistake, installing solar panels is time consuming, and if it’s a warm fall day, roofs can become very hot, especially if they are covered with black tar shingles. The day's work was extended well past 4 PM for some of the crew.

Since I’m no expert, I can’t quite say that any single material is the most important in solar panel installation, but it turns out that having the right grade of aluminum nuts for bolting down the panels is extremely critical. Because of their relative lightweight and large surface area and general exposure to the elements, if a gust of wind is at the right speed, it can tear a solar panel off of a roof if it is not held down properly. Because the grade of aluminum nuts we were using was inferior, they kept cracking when we were tightening them down with a torque wrench, which didn't bode well for the possibility of high winds, which are not uncommon in the San Juan Mountains. Barn raising coordinator John Lyle had to drive back into town to purchase nuts that are most commonly used on toilets, which are currently holding up quite nicely.

Because of La Plata Electric Associations (LPEA) guidelines, Norton and Debbie could only have fifteen solar panels installed that day, even though they intended to install quite a few more. However, they were able to successfully petition LPEA and now their home is primarily powered by solar.

The best thing I took away from my day in North Dalton, aside from better knowledge of solar panels and their installation, was the fact that solar barn raising help increases the community visibility and strengthening and building comradery among volunteers, and significantly reducing the costs for the homeowner. Solar panel prices are still decreasing, but by cutting out the costs of labor, the return on investment is larger and the payback time is much shorter. It also serves as an excellent community building exercise, where individuals can get together and have a positive impact on their surroundings.

Other than that, I took home probably one of the gnarliest sunburns I have ever had in my life from the combination of eight hours of sun and hot roof. Join the next solar barn raising effort, but don't forget to wear sunscreen.

About the Author

A Durango local, John 'Jack' Dea is a 4CORE intern who recently graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelors in Political Science, specializing in Environmental Policy and Political Economy. After a term at Duquesne University School of Law in Pittsburgh, PA, John decided that his true passion lay in environmental sciences, conservancy, and sustainable residential and business practices. John's professional background includes working in sales for Green Mountain Energy Company, a national wind power supplier, before finally relocating back to Durango. John is currently preparing to apply to Graduate School in pursuit of a Master's in an environmental science related degree.

La Plata County in the LEED

There is some good news for a previous bank building on 11th Street in Durango. It is being renovated to the tune of a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED Certification.

La Plata County purchased the 12,658 square foot building, formerly owned by Vectra Bank, to accommodate the offices of the La Plata County Board of County Commissioners, the County Assessor, County Administration and Finance. The building will be called the La Plata County Administration Building.

Mark McKibben, General Services Director

The $3.9 million project is being funded in part by a $1.5 million Energy Impact Assistance Grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA). Working with LEED Accredited Professional Michelle Reott of Earthly Ideas, La Plata County is striving for LEED Gold certification for the project.

Highlights of the project include:

• Adding significant roof insulation to keep heat in during cold months and a white roof, membrane to reflect the sun in warm months,
• Replacing windows with more energy efficient models,
• Installing conduit for potential future electric vehicle charging stations,
• Adding an elevator to provided access for those with disabilities, 
• Using recycled concrete as fill material,
• Installing a sophisticated building automation system to ensure efficient energy management,
• Recycling all its materials using local firm Phoenix Recycling,
• A much needed county training room with wireless, carts and technology upgrades,
• Green power credits.

The finished building, with a total of 16,147 square feet with additions, is slated to be open and occupied in July of 2015. Compared to a 'code-compliant building', the remodeled La Plata County Administration Building will realize approximately 20% annual electricity and gas cost savings, saving taxpayers money for years to come. It is clear from this project, along with other LEED and ENERGY STAR buildings in the area, that Southwest Colorado is a leader in energy reduction and sustainable building initiatives.

About the Author

Teresa Shishim is a Colorado native who is dedicated to improving where we live through collaboration. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science at Western Washington University and has significant experience managing and coordinating projects and programs, including marketing campaigns, volunteer programs, and events. She gained this experience through a variety of positions, including serving as the Director of a non-profit river restoration group and as Marketing Manager for a start-up software company. Teresa also owns the graphic design company Yoka Design.

One Millennial Can't Code

As a Millennial I feel somewhat ashamed to admit, I know nothing about writing code and practically nothing about website design. I know many Milliennials who not only know how to write code and build their own websites, but they practically taught themselves these skills. Not to say that people from other generations don’t have these skills, but it seems more common place in the Millennial generation. After all it’s impossible for most Milliennials to remember a time when home computers didn’t exist, let alone life without the internet, and as someone from this tech savvy generation I find my knowledge and skills of web design and code writing to be poor at best.

Despite my lack of knowledge of code writing and web design, I decided to undertake updating our 4CORE Alternative Fuels webpage. Initially, I was thinking I would make some suggestions and then have Teresa, our website manager, make the changes for me. Teresa had other ideas however, and she gave me the necessary permissions and short tutorials necessary to make the changes myself. I started off just making minor edits regarding the details of the Refuel Colorado program and inserting new information on alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) that I thought might be helpful for fleets and the public at large. Soon afterwards, I found myself wanting the 4CORE Alternative Fuels webpage to do more.

I started off by embedding the Clean Cities YouTube Channel directly into the page so viewers can watch these videos without having to leave the 4CORE site. I then moved on to create an online sign up form for fleets to complete if they’re interested in a FREE fleet analysis for AFVs. While I didn’t embed this form into the website, I thought a clickable button would be a nice way for interested fleets to sign up for a FREE analysis (turns out having Teresa write the code and create the button for me was easier than her teaching me how to write the code and create the button).

I did manage to create and embed a “Statement of Interest” form to help demonstrate what the demand for alternative fuels may be like if the necessary fueling infrastructure were available in our area. Unfortunately, the form was too small and you couldn’t see the entire thing at once. Upon looking at the code I made a guess as to what numbers, symbols, and the like, were related to the size of the form. My guess was right and I made many changes to the code (actually I changed one number multiple times) until the form was the size I wanted.

Finally, I created and embedded a calculator for determining potential tax credits for the purchase of an electric vehicle.

Did you know if you buy a Tesla in Colorado, you could be eligible for up to $13,500 in state and federal tax credits? With the 4CORE Calculator for Determining Tax Credits for Qualified Plug-In Electric Vehicles (I know the title isn’t very catchy) anyone can enter information specific to their electric vehicle purchase (cost, battery capacity, and incentives) and it will calculate the estimated state and federal tax credits they could receive. There is even more to the 4CORE Alternative Fuels webpage and I highly recommend taking a look at it!

Take time to browse the 4CORE Alternative Fuels webpage; play with the tax credit calculator, watch some Clean Cities YouTube videos, explore the various resources on AFVs, and register to attend the 4CORE/Colorado Energy Office (CEO) Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Vehicle Event.

Event details:

Friday, December 12th, from 9:00 am - 11:00 am
La Plata County Road and Bridge Facility
365 S. Camino del Rio, Durango, CO 81303

FREE coffee, donuts, and fresh fruit for those who attend!

We hope to see you there!

About the Author

Sarah is the Program Specialist at 4CORE who runs the Alternative Fuels Program. She is a Colorado native who fell in love with the Durango area while earning her Bachelor’s in Anthropology at Fort Lewis College. After graduation in 2010 she earned a Master’s in Anthropology and Certificate in Sustainable Urban Infrastructure from the University of Colorado Denver. Sarah moved back to Durango in 2012 in hopes of starting a career in the field of sustainable development. After a grueling 11 month AmeriCorps service term installing weatherization upgrades to low income housing in Southwest Colorado, Sarah is excited to be working with 4CORE on improving the sustainability and resiliency of our local communities.

A Family's Journey to the Sun: Part Three

Photo by Ethan Lofton

We began telling Will Finn's story this month in Part 1 and Part 2, and we wrap it up with this: They are not done yet.

After saving as much energy with efficiency measures in Part 1 and joining the Durango Community Solar Garden in Part 2, you'd think that Finn and Family would be finished with saving energy and money. But they are not.

'Q' is for Quality

Once he has completed all the efficiency upgrades that were prescribed in the HomeRx report, Finn plans to get a quality inspection from 4CORE to ensure the air leaks are plugged and his new appliances are working properly. Setting up the blower door for a second time after he has made the changes will let Finn rest assured that his home is sealed tight and the energy he needs to heat and cool will decrease.

Options for a Clean Commute

Will has recently become a big fan of the "Way to Go Club" in Durango. The little gifts every so often help keep him commuting by bike and connect him with others who are doing the same.

Additionally, Sandra commutes quite a way and now that they subscribe to solar power, they are looking into an electric car to commute responsibly. The Tesla models are the only electric cars that offer a long enough range for her commute. However, the financial investment is a barrier at this point. Will and Sandra are biding their time, as Tesla has announced a new Model 3 that will arrive in 2017, offering an affordable price with the range Sandra needs to get all the way to work. They are using this time to save up for another purchase from a solar garden to power this electric car.

Saving Water Outside

Most water at home is used on lawns and gardens in the summer. Will and Sandra will begin xeriscaping their front yard to reduce water use this coming spring. This will save water resources, as well as on water bills, which are likely to increase by next summer.

How About You?

Now that you've heard about Will, Sandra and Jasper, what is YOUR story? 4CORE would love to hear about your efforts in the comment section below!

About the Family

Will Finn is an internal medicine physician and his wife Sandra Beirne is a pediatrician. They have a four-year-old son Jasper. Previous to moving to Durango, Dr. Finn spent four years practicing broad-spectrum Internal Medicine on the Navajo Reservation in Shiprock. He and his wife enjoy hiking, biking, kayaking, and skiing. He believes that if everyone could make their home more energy efficient, we would make our community stronger and our world more liveable.

A Family's Journey to the Sun: Part Two

It is National Energy Awareness Month and we're celebrating by continuing our story about a family who is reducing their energy use.

In Part One of this story, we found out about the energy Will Finn and Sandra Beirne are saving at their home through an energy assessment and upgrades. Just around the time of this HomeRx Assessment, Solarize La Plata was accepting participants. Finn and Beirne signed up to take part.

As part of the process, Shaw Solar came to their home and did a site assessment. The outcome was not what they'd hoped for.

Shaw solar's utility bill analysis surmised that they would need a 6 kilowatt (kW) system to power their family's needs. The roof is marginal because they are shaded by a hillside and many trees. The house is oriented on north-south axis with the roof facing east and west. Because of these issues, Shaw recommended a pole mount system, which would have shaded their family garden and created what some might consider an eyesore in their neighborhood.

Though this was a setback for the family, sunnier news came quickly in the form of a Community Solar Garden. 

John Shaw & Friends
 at the Girls and Boys Club

At about the time they found out that the roof-mounted system would be out of reach, La Plata Electric Association approved Policy 366, which made it possible for the creation of Community Solar Gardens. Shaw Solar had two gardens to choose from- one in Ignacio and one in Durango. 

Because the Durango array will be located on the Boys and Girls Club of La Plata County building, Finn opted for this closer array so that his son could see where their power was being produced. Since the array will be visible from Main Avenue and  it is located on a non-profit that works with kids, there is a good chance that his son and other kids will be learning about the benefits of solar in their community- which were positives for Sandra and Will.

Using a 5% increase in electricity costs, Shaw estimated their payback to be approximately twelve years. Finn's family feels good knowing that electric prices will likely be rising faster than that (potentially producing a faster payback) and the environmental choice to take part in this Community Solar Garden was clear for them. They are now signed up to subscribe for 6 kW of power from this garden and feel much relieved that this was an option since their own roof mounted array was not.   

So they've got a safe and efficient home. They are on their way to solar power. What more can they do and what is next?

Find out the surprising answer in the third and final part of this series by subscribing to the 4CORE newsletter.

About the Family

Will Finn is an internal medicine physician and his wife Sandra Beirne is a pediatrician. They have a four-year-old son Jasper. Previous to moving to Durango, Dr. Finn spent four years practicing broad-spectrum Internal Medicine on the Navajo Reservation in Shiprock. He and his wife enjoy hiking, biking, kayaking, and skiing. He believes that if everyone could make their home more energy efficient, we would make our community stronger and our world more liveable.

A Family's Journey to the Sun: Part One

Will Finn and his family moved to their Durango home in April of 2013. Built in 1990, they were soon to find out how the home needed some attention to safety and efficiency.

Finn and family moved from Shiprock New Mexico, where he was briefly involved with a taskforce that worked to improve the efficiency of area homes so that they could move toward taking advantage of the area's abundant solar energy. This experience familiarized him with the notion that if a home is leaky and inefficient, there is no sense in investing in solar. Making a financial or an environmental decision for your home starts with efficiency.

Finn and his wife Sandra heard about 4CORE from La Plata Electric Association, who conducted an electricity usage assessment at no cost. The LPEA staff suggested several things that could make their home more efficient, including window blinds and a deeper analysis of their home through 4CORE's HomeRx Program.

Will and Sandra signed up for a comprehensive home assessment while getting a bid for new blinds. The estimate for insulating blinds was $6,000. In the end, they were glad to have the in-depth testing by 4CORE, which provided a blower-door and other technical assessments. Not only did these tests reveal they didn't need new blinds after all (they just needed to latch their windows), they discovered carbon monoxide was leaking from their furnace room, situated right next to the bedroom of their son.

“4CORE's thorough professional evaluation revealed many shortcomings of our home that we never would have noticed, including a potentially dangerous carbon monoxide back-draft on a part of our home that wasn't built to code.” 

Money Matters

Incentives made it possible for Finn to receive a total of $250 off the assessment and another $500 toward efficiency improvements that were recommended in the HomeRx report. All told with rebates and the federal tax credit, Finn saved $1,875 on their home improvement projects.

Amount	Product/Service	Grantor
$150	HomeRx Assessment	Energy Smart/ Atmos
$400	Efficient Furnace	Atmos
$25	Programable thermostat	Atmos
$50	Proper Furnace sizing	Atmos
$100	HomeRx Assessment	City of Durango
$500	Efficient Furnace	City of Durango
$300	Fed tax credit for solar attic fans	US Fed IRS
$100	Marathon Water heater	LPEA
$250	30 LED bulbs	LPEA
$1,875	Total

New energy efficient furnace and marathon water heater

The 'To Get Done' List

"Many of these recommendations are cheap and easy to do on our own, but we are contracting out the bigger items, which is helping provide work for some local companies.”

The HomeRx Assessment helped educate Finn about specific tasks that would improve his home safety and efficiency. Here is the substantial list of improvements they have accomplished:

• Sealed a heat duct that was causing an unsafe carbon monoxide back draft. Now they have a closed system in their furnace closet so that it isn't vented right next to their son's bedroom. 
• Replaced their furnace with an efficient model 
• Replaced water heater with a Marathon Model 
• Installed a programmable thermostat to regulate temperature when they are not at home
• Put a timer on the water heater in case 'time of use' from LPEA is an option. 
• Replaced 57 light bulbs with efficient LED and CFL bulbs. This was a bigger project than he anticipated, but he took advantage of LPEA rebate of up to $10 per LED bulb. 
• Caulked along windows
• Insulated the attic hatch
• Replaced recessed light housing because of the direct access to the attic from these cans. This is something he never would have done otherwise, but was a need that HomeRx revealed.
• Installed solar powered attic fans. 
• Sealed a heating vent in the laundry room (there were two heating vents in the laundry room so it was excessively warm) 
• Installed new, more energy efficient bathroom fan in each bathroom

The last item that Finn is currently working on is to replace the foam board in the garage storage room.

A conservative estimate of $424 per year in energy cost savings based on these improvements was calculated by 4CORE.

Now that their home is more efficient, they are ready for the next step in their 'Journey to the Sun'. Stay tuned to the 4CORE newsletter for the Part Two!

About the Family

Will Finn is an internal medicine physician and his wife Sandra Beirne is a pediatrician. They have a four-year-old son Jasper. Previous to moving to Durango, Dr. Finn spent four years practicing broad-spectrum Internal Medicine on the Navajo Reservation in Shiprock. He and his wife enjoy hiking, biking, kayaking, and skiing. He believes that if everyone could make their home more energy efficient, we would make our community stronger and our world more liveable.

Energy Efficiency: The Carrot or the Stick?

Most of the time when I casually talk to people about energy consumption, they think the transportation sector is the largest consumer. However, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), 40% of the total energy consumed in the United States in 2013, was consumed by residential and commercial buildings, and is equivalent to 40,000,000,000,000,000 BTUs. The same amount of energy is contained in over 320 Million gallons of gasoline.

If my car could last long enough I could drive 16.86 Million miles with all that gasoline. With our buildings consuming so much energy, most of which is coming from fossil fuels, what are we doing to curb this consumption?

Strategies for improving the energy efficiency of buildings include mandatory and voluntary programs. In some parts of the country there are time-of-sale, energy efficiency mandates in real estate transactions. Generally, these programs save between 3% and 6% on electricity, and between 5% and 15% on natural gas. In areas where time of sale energy efficiency mandates are in place, participation rates are around 89%. However, in areas where time-of-sale energy efficiency programs are voluntary, participation rates are less than 1%.

Green buildings, such as certified Energy STAR or LEED buildings, can see total energy savings between 20% and 33%. Across the country voluntary green building programs for new constructions have participation rates from less than 1% up to almost 8%.

In San Francisco, all newly constructed commercial buildings over 20,000 square feet, must be LEED certified. However, only about 0.2% of commercial building space is built new every year. Energy information display meters, which allow for real time viewing of energy consumption, can save between 6% and 12% of household electricity consumption. However, voluntary energy display meter programs have participation rates around 4% and I’m not currently aware of any mandatory energy display meter programs.

While these energy efficiency related programs have the potential to save a significant amount of energy, the majority of households and commercial businesses are not engaging in this programs.

Lighting, which composes about 11% of a building’s total energy consumption, is one of the best energy efficient investments that people can make. Today there are federal regulations regarding lighting efficiency and a multitude of voluntary lighting efficiency programs. President Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) in to law seven years ago. This mandate was intended to phase out old inefficient incandescent bulbs and bring lights that are 25% more efficient to the market at reasonable costs to consumers. However, in 2012 Congress passed an amendment to the Energy and Water Appropriations Act which denies funding for the Department of Energy to enforce the 2007 EISA. Thus, there is a federal mandate for energy efficient lighting, but there is no one enforcing the mandate.

In Seattle, a voluntary mail-in rebate for free compact fluorescent (CFL) lights, resulted in a 50% participation rate. In Denver, a door-to-door campaign, which gave two free CFLs to every household, resulted in a participation rate of about 10%. Other voluntary energy efficient lighting programs include demand side management offered by utility companies. While these voluntary lighting programs can have good results, lighting efficiency alone, is not enough to reduce the energy consumption of our buildings.

Energy audits, can proved building owners and occupants with a comprehensive list of energy efficiency upgrades to improve the buildings overall efficiency. For low-income residents there is the Weatherization Assistance Program, which provides households with a free energy audit and free energy efficiency upgrades. Unfortunately, the demand for weatherization services exceeds the amount that can be covered by current funding. Only about 0.4% of the total housing stock receives free weatherization services.

In door-to-door campaigns in Denver that offered free energy audits to homeowner had participation rates around 10%; however only about 4% of those who received free energy audits followed through with installing energy efficiency upgrades. Over the last few years 4CORE has been providing homeowners with energy audits for a modest fee ($450-$650).

4CORE has performed energy audits on less than 1% of the homes in La Plata County that do not qualify for weatherization services. Has your home been assessed yet?

Through hard work and collaboration 4CORE has brought multiple incentives to the community for energy audits, including discounts from the City of Durango, ATMOS Energy, and Source Gas. Some homes in Durango could qualify for $250 in discounts for an energy audit performed by 4CORE. These programs are voluntary, and as an a-political nonprofit, 4CORE will not advocate for mandated energy audit programs. Rather, 4CORE will serve the community as a hub for energy efficiency information and inspire the community to invest further in energy efficiency on a voluntary basis.

Much of the information in this blog cam from “Quantifying Carbon Mitigation Wedges in U.S. Cities: Near-Term Strategy Analysis and Critical Review” by Ramaswami et.al in Environmental Science and Technology, April 3, 2012.

For more information on the EISA legislation read the “How Many Politicians Does it Take to Change a Light Bulb?” blog from the Alliance to Save Energy.

About the Author
Sarah Rank

Switch: A Journey to the Future of Global Energy

Browsing through a newsletter several months ago, I stumbled across the name of a documentary created by a respected geologist and energy researcher, Dr. Scott Tinker. The name of the documentary was Switch. Intrigued, I Googled the title and discovered a treasure-trove of resources supporting a film and educational program called Switch Energy Project. After watching the trailer, I needed to see the film.

I had finally found what I was looking for: an unbiased, agenda-free documentary reporting the realities of our energy landscape. But first, let me provide a little background on why this documentary was important to me.

Coal mine from Switch

Last summer I received an internship with a major gold mining company in Nevada. At that time, I had little idea of what mining was about, or how I felt about the processes they use. All of the things I had ever read about it were extremely negative and spoke of toxic releases, damage to natural habitat, and threats to the health of humans and wildlife. After three months of working in production, I became familiar with the incredible amount of time, effort, and capital spent to produce an ounce of gold from the ground. And as I observed the immense efforts to stay within strict environmental permitting guidelines, helped in conducting a preliminary wildlife evaluation in an exploratory area, and witnessed the reclamation and replanting of native grasslands on former mine sites, my mind began to change about what it meant to safely and conscientiously extract metals and materials that our society demands. The process isn’t perfect, and many risks are involved, but our dependence on raw materials and goods will always require and support the existence of mining.

As a student immersed in the geosciences and familiar with the extractive industries, I have found myself on the fence between two warring sides in a longstanding battle between environmentalists and industry. I was, and still am, attempting to see both perspectives in a world that believes you can only choose one. The more I learned, the more I became disappointed and frustrated by the disinformation and slander exhorted by both sides. I began to search for an educational resource to share with my college and community to shed the light on the facts behind some of the most highly politicized and volatile arguments involving the extractive industries, without the presence of an industry or environmental agenda. For months, I found nothing that fit the bill until I stumbled upon Switch.

Concentrated Solar from Switch

Switch is not another documentary telling you what do. Instead, it presents the facts on our current state of energy consumption, quantitatively describes each resource in detail, and offers a prediction for the future of our energy landscape. It provides numerous interviews from leading energy experts, researchers, and officials, and brings the audience on a tour of diverse energy sites around the world to explore restricted areas rarely seen by anyone outside of industry. Its compelling and unbiased narrative has earned critical acclaim, numerous awards, and support from industry, policymaking, and environmental groups alike.

I appreciate the opportunity to have worked with the Four Corners Office of Resource Efficiency (4CORE) to bring this film to Durango. It is my desire that Switch will spark tolerant and intelligent conversations about energy and our responsibility in conserving it. I hope that the realities presented in this film provide a sober awareness of the state of our energy needs and those required by a burgeoning population in the near future.

I hope members of our community leave more educated on the traditional, unconventional, and renewable energy resources available to us and use this knowledge in their future personal, political, and environmental decisions regarding energy.

For more info on Switch, visit their website. Two screenings will take place in Durango on Thursday, September 18th and Friday, September 19th. Join us for an evening of energy exploration!

About the Author

Sara Holden is a geology student entering her senior year at Fort Lewis College. Over the past year, she has grown increasingly interested in energy resources and her responsibility as a future geologist in their management. Luck led her to an internship with 4CORE, where for the past summer she has worked on bringing a particularly unique documentary to the Durango community.

Love and Care of Red Wigglers

How to Compost Using Worms

Durango Compost Company

Container 
A typical size container is 1 foot high by 2 feet wide by 3 feet long. The container will need at least six holes that are 1/2 inch in diameter located on the sides and two holes that are 1 inch in diameter on the lid for ventilation. Either hot glue screen material over the holes on the inside of the container or insert vents (which can be found at the hardware store). Containers can be made out of wood or plastic, but make sure to thoroughly rinse plastic containers before using. The container can be kept in a garage, basement or even under the kitchen sink. Ideally the temperature will be constant and in the range of 65 to 75 degrees F. If the container is to be kept outside, it will need to be in the shade in the summer. In the winter, a soil heater or infrared light bulb will keep the worms, bedding and food from freezing and the composting process will continue.

Bedding 
A four inch layer of shredded newspaper makes a good starter bedding. Add a handful of fine sand to provide grit for the worm’s digestion, unless you will be using coffee grounds as part of your worm food. If possible, spread some worm castings over the bedding. The castings contain a healthy web of microorganisms which will increase the rate of food decomposition. The strips of newspaper should be approximately 1 inch wide to provide maximum surface area with minimum compaction. The bedding should be thoroughly moistened (ideally before it is added to the container). At the correct moisture level, the bedding will feel like a squeezed out sponge. Spread your worms over the moistened bedding (no more than two pounds of worms per square foot of surface area). The worms should burrow into the bedding in 10-15 minutes. To retain moisture cover the bedding with a layer of un-shredded newspaper or cardboard. The worms like to be in the condensation that forms under this cover. Keep the lid off and a light on for a couple days to encourage the worms to settle into their new home.

Feeding and Watering 
The worms will consume any kind of biodegradable matter, and enjoy a varied diet. Suggested: fruits and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags, crushed eggshells, stale bread and other vegan kitchen wastes. This includes napkins, paper towels, cereal boxes, tea bags, coffee filters, plant trimmings and other plant derived waste products. Do Not Add: Meat, bones, dairy, oils, very salty or acidic foods. While composted cow and horse manure are a favorite food for red wigglers, never add cat or dog manure (these carry diseases). For a faster rate of decomposition, chop or food process the food before adding to the box. Place the food into a different section of the bed each time you feed, and cover with fresh bedding material. The moisture content should be maintained at 65-75% for worm health and optimal decomposition rate. Either a moisture meter or the sponge test can be used to determine moisture content. It is best to use de-chlorinated water to avoid killing the beneficial microorganisms in the compost. Water from a tap can be set out overnight to let the chlorine outgas. Use a spray bottle to mist the bedding. This will ensure even wetting of the material and prevent compaction of the bedding. In dry climates a little misting every day may be necessary.

Harvesting the Castings 
Castings are the end-product of the earthworms’ digestive process. The castings are alive with beneficial soil organisms, some of which produce plant growth hormones and/or protect plants from diseases. The nutrients in worm castings are immediately available to the plant on an as-needed basis. You can begin collecting the castings 3-6 months after starting your worm box. Push all the material currently in the box to one side. Add fresh bedding to the empty side. Feed and water this side only. The worms will finish up on the old side and then move over to the new side. After a couple months the compost on the old side will be ready to harvest with only a few remaining worms to sort out. Depending on your intended use for the compost, you may want to pick out any unfinished paper products and add them back into the bin. If you plan on tilling the compost into a garden, it is fine to leave in the bits of partially decomposed material.

Using the Castings 
Castings Solution: Soak 4 Tablespoons of castings or two castings tea bags in one gallon of tepid de-chlorinated water for 12-24 hours. Strain, if not using a tea bag. Using a spray bottle, apply the solution directly onto the foliage of houseplants, including hydroponically grown plants. Or, water as usual using the castings solution instead of plain water. Using a garden sprayer, apply the solution to lawns, vegetable and flower gardens, landscape plants, fruit trees and any other plant which you would like to watch flourish.

Fine Castings: Use fine castings to make the castings solution, a potting mix or to sprinkle directly around the base of houseplants and other potted plants. Castings can be used with seedlings and transplants to encourage root growth and reduce transplant shock. To make a castings potting mix, use one part castings to nine parts traditional potting mix.

Vermicompost: Use vermicompost in addition to traditional compost to give your garden soil a boost of microbial life, micronutrients, plant growth hormones, and humus. Also, use a generous amount before laying sod or reseeding a lawn.

For more information, or to order castings, worms and/or starter kits, please contact us.

Note: A more comprehensive explanation of vermicomposting can be found in Worms Eat My Garbage, by Mary Apelhof. This book is available from the Durango Compost Company.

Is the Air in Your Home Affecting your Family’s Health?

When you hear the phrase “air pollution” what do you think of? Before I became involved at 4CORE, I often thought of cities filled with smog from car exhaust, power plants and manufacturing. You can guess my surprise when I learned that the air inside our  homes, schools and businesses can be two to five times more polluted than the air outside. When the average American spends 90% of their time indoors and 50% of their time inside their homes, indoor air pollution becomes a much larger public health problem than most people imagine.

The most common indoor air pollutants include mold and moisture, combustion sources and secondhand smoke, building materials and furniture, household cleaning products and paints, and outdoor sources such as radon and pesticides. In the short-term, people may experience asthma and allergies symptoms, eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches and dizziness. In the long-term, exposure to indoor air pollution can cause lung and heart disease and cancer.

4CORE (myself included) became concerned about the issue of healthy homes while managing the low-income Weatherization program. Eighty percent of homes we weatherized in Southwest Colorado had health and safety problems, which could have been prevented with proper education on cleaning, maintenance, and ventilation. In 2013 as the Weatherization Client Services Coordinator I attended a conference discussing the overlap of Healthy Homes and Weatherization. I was shocked to learn the numbers of low income children who developed asthma from the homes they lived in, which in some cases was made worse by tightening up their homes for energy efficiency. I learned that we don't have to choose and that good air quality and energy efficiency can go together.

In August 2013, wereceived an Environmental Justice Small grant from the EPA to educate low income families about indoor air quality in La Plata County. In the past year I was able to lead 19 educational workshops across the county and reached 352 participants.

Healthy Homes workshop participants improved the health of their homes by using the free carbon monoxide detectors, radon test kits, Healthy Homes Pledges, resources and information. One participant reported, "Our neighbors, who have a young baby, almost got carbon monoxide poisoning from a dryer venting problem - I loaned them the carbon monoxide detector that we received from the workshop and when they were able to see their dangerously high CO level they moved out of the house since the landlord wouldn't fix the problem."

4CORE also partnered with CSU Extension on a radon education program, sponsored by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to hand out short term radon test kits to workshop participants and perform 25 continuous radon tests. One workshop participant said, "The radon test has prompted me to take action. I plan to retest and contact a radon mitigation contractor."

On August 19th 4CORE and CSU Extension will be hosting a community celebration of healthy homes and radon awareness from 11 am - 1:30 pm at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. I invite you to attend this free event which will showcase successes of the programs, discuss current resources and next steps towards improving indoor air quality in La Plata County with local leaders and staff from the EPA and CDPHE. Lunch and carbon monoxide detectors will be provided. I'd love to have you join us!

Please RSVP 

For me personally it has been a wonderful experience working at 4CORE for the past three and a half years in the Weatherization, HomeRx, Radon and Healthy Homes programs. I will be sad to leave when our Healthy Homes EPA grant concludes at the end of the month. I have learned so much about healthy housing, energy efficiency, and alternative technologies in our community to say nothing of the nonprofit skills I've gained. The most meaningful part of my work has been the relationships built with clients and families and the feeling that despite everything else happening in their lives I may be able to help, just a bit, in making their homes warmer, healthier or more affordable.

I hope you join me on August 19th to celebrate the conclusion of the Healthy Homes program. See you there!

About the Author

Sandhya Tillotson is Executive Director of The Garden Project of Southwest Colorado, as well as the Healthy Homes Program Specialist at 4CORE. Originally from California, Sandhya earned her Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science from The Colorado College in Colorado Springs. After moving to Durango in 2010, Sandhya is thrilled to be working for a local environmental non-profit and spending her free time volunteering, running, biking, climbing and exploring the vast wilderness that makes up Durango's backyard.

101 Solar Contracts Empower La Plata County

Solarize La Plata, coordinated by the 4CORE, is now complete, with 101 contracted projects for installing solar photovoltaic systems through the program. A final report is now available detailing the program history, results, and challenges at fourcore.org.

The Solarize La Plata Steering Committee was formed in April 2013 and began meeting to define campaign parameters. The program focused on recruiting 100 La Plata County participants to go solar, targeting new capacity of at least 325 kilowatts (kW). 219 solar system proposals were distributed, and to date 522 kW are committed, exceeding the established kilowatt goal. Seventy-four of these systems are complete and energized, with another 12 installations in progress. Remaining installations will likely be complete by fall.

“The program made it easy and was a good push for us,” said Erika Brown, Solarize La Plata participant. “We had been considering solar, but Solarize La Plata was the catalyst we needed to make it happen in a limited time frame.”

Solarize La Plata is saving our community an estimated 822,399 kWh per year, equating to $80,587 in electricity bill savings. This translates to the prevention of an estimated 567 metric tons of carbon pollution per year. Economic impacts include the creation of fifteen fulltime jobs and a monetary impact of approximately $2,173,000 in La Plata County, of which some 60-65% remains circulating within our local economy.

“Looking back to our formative meetings in May 2013, I think none of us could have guessed the outcome of our work,” said Robert Lea, Solarize La Plata Chairman. “The work was challenging. We put out lots of mental, emotional and physical effort, had fun, met lots of good people, and accomplished a lot of good for our community.”

Solarize La Plata is supported by grants from Optony’s American Solar Transformation Initiative (ASTI) through the Department of Energy’s Rooftop Solar Challenge, Ballantine Family Fund, and the City of Durango.

Find more information on the 4CORE web site at www.fourcore.org, or by calling 970-259-1916.

Calling for a National Renewable Energy Standard and Emissions Caps

As a regular 4CORE reader and efficiency and renewable energy advocate in Empire Electric Association's territory, I want to add a perspective from the dry side. The Renewable Energy Standard for Tri-State was increased to 20% by 2020. Rumblings from the Colorado Rural Electric Association and Tri-State continue to harp on how this will hurt their customers due to price increases of bringing renewables online.

While carbon trading with other four corners states could bring more renewables online in neighboring states, it increases the cost, and without all participating states having renewable energy standards, the other states are just reaping the financial and environmental benefits of Colorado's well intended renewable energy standards. A National Renewable Energy Standard (RES) would cause renewable to come online more quickly without enabling energy produced in states without a RES to sell their renewable energy at higher prices to companies in states that have to meet those standards with no net benefit to the environment.

Another CRITICAL component of carbon trading and renewable energy standards as strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, is that we need to cap our emissions. Without the cap, renewables are being brought on to meet growing energy consumption, not to replace inefficient and dirty power plants, and there is no benefit to people or the planet. Carbon caps would force efficiencies, such as the switch away from incandescent lighting. I, for one, will refuse to charge a cell phone everyday so that anyone can get ahold of me anytime anywhere, to buy a new electric car so that I can charge it with coal fired energy, or to ever read novels on a handheld device.

Based on my Masters Thesis research, which I'll admit is a little outdated, we need:

• A carbon cap to get the U.S. closer to upholding our end of getting global carbon emissions back below 350 ppm, preferably with our nation pulling our head out of the bank and acting with the rest of the world on this; 
• A National Renewable Energy Standard as a strategy to bring our energy industry into the 21st century; 
• A national cap and trade system to make renewables more than just the right thing to do; 
• Electric Companies and Cooperatives that don't fight renewable energy with tooth and nail, but go to bat and help develop creative solutions to challenges with renewables; and 
• More organizations like 4CORE who are furthering energy and all resource efficiency and supporting distributed generation.

Becca R. Samulski
147 S. Washington St.
Cortez, CO 81321
(970) 564-3040

Please Pass the Carrots (hold the Policy)

In a world filled with political vitriol and lines drawn in the sand, isn’t it nice to know that some organizations are avoiding the sand box all together?

4CORE is a-political and non-advocacy by policy and works to motivate and educate, instead of regulate.

Staying out of the political sand box is like walking a tight rope. A misstep and you fall. The 4CORE mission is to serve Southwest Colorado as the leading resource for the effective and efficient use of energy to promote and sustain vibrant local communities. As the director of 4CORE I believe that our a-political policy has kept 4CORE in a safe neutral position as a trusted non-profit. Affecting policy, lobbying, or campaigning for specific candidates is a direct path to change, but it is also tends to create opposition. 4CORE works hard to wield the carrot (instead of the stick) to inspire our community to be more energy efficient.

The Mandatory Austin Audit

I just had the pleasure of attending a family wedding in Austin Texas. Austin is a fun city with great swimming holes, and drinking holes that have live music seeping out everywhere. Austin also has a robust transit system with some busses running on compressed natural gas (CNG), B-cycle city bikes for rent at prominent street corners. Austin is also in the land of air conditioning, hot and humid high energy use. 

In 2009, Austin passed an ordinance called the Energy Conservation Audit and Disclosure that mandates home sellers to obtain energy audits on their properties and disclose these reports to potential buyers. Many organizations work to change political regulation like energy efficiency building codes and mandating energy audits, such as those that are now law in Austin.

4CORE uses a different strategy by working within any policy that is passed to disseminate information and provide resources for those who will need to comply. This approach takes patience and dedication to using inspirational stories and incentives to create positive, energy-reducing change in our community. 

Some Inspiration: How much money can you save on home energy costs?

Are you inspired? Pick up the phone and call us at 4CORE to schedule a voluntary energy audit of your home or business. We specialize in helping you save energy and money on your energy expenses and inspiring you with Atmos, AmeriGas, Empire Electric (EEA) and San Miguel Power (SMPA) and City of Durango financial incentives.

The average home uses $2,000 in energy per year, and efficiency improvements on average save around 20% or $400 per year at today’s energy prices.

The Take Home
Don't wait for a policy to be passed- get on the energy efficiency path while incentives are here!

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About the Author

Born and raised in the Washington D.C. area Gregg Dubit has been in Southwest Colorado for over 20 years. Gregg has a Bachelors degree from The University of New Hampshire, Durham in Forest Resource Management, and from Fort Lewis College, Durango in secondary education. Greggs’ previous experience includes Commercial energy auditing, Residential Services Network training and certification, residential general contracting, residential real estate inspection services, high school math and science teacher, former ski patrol, and aged outward bound instructor. In addition, Gregg is an avid dog musher, proud father of Lydia and Hayden, and happily married to Gretchen.

Solarize La Plata is Beaming

Solarize La Plata, coordinated by (4CORE), has confirmed 99 clients committed to installing solar photovoltaic systems through the program. Participants have confirmed their commitment to install solar by signing contracts with local contractors. 

A total of 387 people signed up for Solarize La Plata, and five solar contractors have distributed 219 solar system proposals. Fifty-one systems have been installed, with the goal of having all systems installed by the end of summer.

“We thought we were shooting for the moon when we set our goal of 100 systems,” said Robert Lea, Solarize La Plata Chairman. “SLP proved effective in removing substantial barriers to going solar for much of our community. Our committee is ecstatic about these program results.”

The group also set a goal of 325 kilowatts (kW) of newly installed system capacity, which has already been met and exceeded. The 99 systems represent a total of 538 kW that will now be provided by solar, a clean, renewable source of energy. This translates to 584 metric tons of carbon pollution prevented each year, or the equivalent of 123 cars removed from the road for one year. In addition, 8 jobs have already been created by the demand for these 99 new solar PV systems, which is generating over $2,000,000 for our local economy in only six months.

“The Solarize La Plata Campaign represents a paradigm shift that is underway in Southwest Colorado,” said Gregg Dubit, 4CORE Executive Director. “We speculate that our community is positively responding to the rising cost of power, 290 days of free sunshine per year, and increased effects of climate change, resulting in the accelerated adoption of distributed solar in La Plata County.” 

Solarize La Plata is supported by grants from the Optony’s American Solar Transformation Initiative (ASTI) through the Department of Energy’s Rooftop Solar Challenge, Ballantine Family Fund, and the City of Durango. The Solarize La Plata Steering Committee will be hosting a party at the end of July to celebrate the hard work and commitment of volunteers, partners, supporters, and clients. Everyone is welcome.

Find more information on the 4CORE web site at www.fourcore.org, or by calling 970-259-1916.   

How Much Fresh Air is Enough and Who Decides?

My assessment of adequate indoor air quality is when you can move from indoors to outdoors, or outdoors to indoors, and air inside feels as fresh as it does outside. My recommendation for assessing your home’s indoor air quality is to NOT do the math and rate to standards, but to take a deep breath inside your home. Before you forget how it feels, walk outdoors and take another deep breath of fresh outdoor air. Does it feel different? Does the outdoor air make you feel better? The air you prefer to breathe is the air you should be breathing.

Why Does Indoor Air Quality Matter?
Familiarize yourself with problems caused by poor indoor air quality. There is a good article by James Hamblin that appeared in “The Atlantic” in March of 2014 titled “The Toxins That Threaten Our Brains.” We also have a lot of great resources at our website.

If there is one idea I would like to be able convey to readers it is that like temperature, fresh air introduction and indoor air quality exists as a range. That range can be from bad to good, and it can be changed to suit the occupants’ preference, comfort, and health needs.

Below are two standards for indoor air quality.One standard strives toward “A High Level of Comfort,” the other to not dissatisfy the majority of occupants. One strives to not cause or aggravate illness, the other recommends reducing the likelihood of health risk.

Standard 1
“Acceptable indoor air quality: air toward which a substantial majority of occupants express no dissatisfaction with respect to odor and sensory irritation and in which there are not likely to be contaminants at concentrations that are known to pose a health risk.”

Standard 1 is part of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standard “62.2-2013 Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Low-Rise Residential Buildings”. This is the guiding standard for home indoor air quality in the US and is likely the standard that was used for your home if it was built in the last few years. It states, “While acceptable IAQ is the goal of this standard, it will not necessarily be achieved even if all requirements are met.” This doesn't exude confidence in a standard that is not very demanding to begin with.

ASHRAE has calculations and tables for calculating the ventilation rate for a given residential configuration, but they are not available to the general public (at least not for free). Remember that installed equipment and systems often do not deliver at their intended capacity. For example, it is not unusual for a fan rated to move 100 cubic feet per minute of air to only deliver a small percentage of this volume.

If it were easier to assess health risks from long term exposure to indoor pollution I believe that ASHRAE would have a whole different set of recommendations. Energy savings are pretty easy to assess, while the correlation of health problems to long term exposure to indoor pollutants has so far been impossible to prove.

Standard 2
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) can be defined as: the physical, chemical and biological properties that indoor air must have, in order:

• not to cause or aggravate illnesses in the building occupants, and
• to secure a high level of comfort to the building occupants in the performance of the designated activities for which the building has been intended and designed.

Standard 2 is from the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate (ISIAQ). It is from the ISIAQ’s, “Performance Criteria of Buildings for Health and Comfort.” I like this standard better because it strives for a healthier environment.

While my recommendation will not likely end up being the new standard for building code, I do have my own ideas on the topic. I like the 0.5 air exchanges per hour that is the standard in a number of European countries. I like this number because I believe it is a good starting place for fresh air introduction. From the 0.5 air exchanges per hour, the homeowner can regulate fresh air introduction to a level that makes sense both in comfort and in utility cost (there is a cost to heating and cooling fresh air).

When I first started working in my present office, the indoor air quality was lousy. My office is now ventilated at the 0.5 air exchanges per hour rate. When I walk out of the building at the end of the day the difference in breathing outdoors is negligible. In case you missed it, my assessment of adequate indoor air quality is when you can move from indoors to outdoors, or outdoors to indoors, and the difference in air quality is negligible.

In my home the difference is negligible during temperate and warmer months, but more noticeable in the middle of the winter. We sacrifice some indoor air quality for lower heating bills during the winter, and boost our fresh air intake as much as possible when it is more affordable.

My recommendation for assessing your home’s indoor air quality is to NOT do the math, and to remember that even if you knew how much fresh air was being introduced into your home, the design amount was to meet building code, which is the minimum. Instead, take a deep breath inside your home. Before you forget how it feels, walk outdoors and take another deep breath of fresh outdoor air. Does it feel different? Does the outdoor air make you feel better? The air you prefer to breathe is the air you should be breathing.

About the author
David Davis is a Certified Energy Manager, and product designer for the Fresh Air Manufacturing Company. Among experience leading to this role was five years as a utility efficiency expert, five years as an HVAC instructor for Boise State University, and a number of earlier years as an Engineering Specialist for Siemens and Honeywell. Learn more about fresh air here.

Solar Experience in Montezuma County

This posting describes my success with simple passive solar principles. Some of these had been learned at an earth shelter house seminar at the University of Minnesota. I made a cardboard model of the house I wanted to build and handed it to a Montezuma County contractor. He built it. That was in 1980.

Standard materials and construction techniques were used. The house was economical to build. PV panels added in 2013 raise its efficiency. Empire Electric buys the surplus power. Here are the details:

• The rectangular 44’ x 24’ house faces directly south
• 4’ X 6’ windows and 6’ double pane patio doors admit the sunshine.
• The doors and windows have clear glass. If building code demands Low-E glass, try to get a variance.
• The objective is to admit all the sunshine that we can.
• Drapes close off and insulate the glass on winter nights and summer days.
• Concrete walls and floor for the lower portion are insulated with 2” rigid foam on the exterior and under the floor to serve as thermal mass. This mass absorbs the heat which has penetrated through the windows.
• It is critical to balance the mass with the amount of glazing. Imbalance will cause either overheating or a cold house.
• The upper floor is insulated with 1” rigid foam outside the studs and 3 1/2” fiberglass between them.
• The 2’ overhang is a permanent awning which restricts sun entry in summer when the solar angle increases.
• A small stove on the lower floor supplements heating. No butane or propane is used.
• A 20 gallon, 120 volt water heater is good for a family size of 3, even 7 when visitors come.
• Countertop oven, microwave, electric stove are used to prepare food in that order.
• A photo voltaic array was put on the south side of the barn in 2013. The installed cost was $15,500 for 14 panels. Rated capacity is 3220 watts.

The best performance centers on the several weeks of mid-winter. The sun angle is then low in our Colorado, and the cold, clear nights change to bright sunny days. The house then takes in enough warmth that temperature in the living space is above 70 degrees until bed-time at 10:00 pm. Although it can’t exactly be felt, heat goes into the concrete walls. But in the floor its warmth can be felt when in stocking feet even near the patio doors.

As I got older (I am now 88) I found myself wanting a wood fire at night even when the house temperature was 70⁰. But now, I can rationalize that it is OK to use a portable electric heater because of the photo-voltaic panels. On a cloudy winter day there will be enough warming radiance coming through the glass to keep me warm when I am engaged in regular household activity. The house is freeze proof. It can be left with the drapes half-closed and the temperature will not fall below 55 degrees. With the drapes are operated every day and night, the air temperature will not fall below 64 degrees.

For summer, there is a 500 BTU wall air conditioner. It gets limited use. The construction keeps the house cool. All appliances and water heating are electric. Monthly usage centers around 250 Kilowatt hours with one person living in the home. Electricity usage may reach 500 kWh if five persons occupy it. A clothes line is used for drying clothes.

Critical to lower hot water use is that the water heater, showers and all sinks are grouped on one wall so that pipe runs were kept to a minimum. A low flow atomizing shower head (Delta 52650-PK) works quite well with a full curtain that confines the water spray and maximize its heating effect.

There is an advantage of wood for the stove being available from the piñon juniper forest.   A hundred years of mismanagement caused the stand to be far too dense and most of the pines were killed in the beetle epidemic of 2003. Before the photo-voltaic panels made electric heat a responsible choice; about one cord was burned in the stove each year.

Ceramic tile was used for the lower floor. It goes without saying that there should be no insulation, no carpeting of this thermal mass.

About the Author

The electric meter spinning backwards
from William's solar

William Hendrickson lived through the depression and served as an engineering officer on merchant ad navy ships during WWII and Korea. He had a career with the National Park Service as manager and ecologist. He married into Montezuma County after meeting a waitress when they both had summer jobs at Mesa Verde. He is working to reduce the immense quantities of energy we all use.