DFW Solar Tour, Saturday, October 4, 2014

[bollar]

Only six days until the 5th DFW Solar Tour! Thanks to our friends at Mad Duck Sports

It was a beautiful evening last night and we were heading home after dinner with windows down & pano open when we pulled up at the light next to a Corvette. He gave a little rev, so when the light turned green, we dusted him. At the next light, the car was making a lot of noise and we could tell he meant business this time. So, we dusted him again. At the third light, our cabin filled up with his exhaust after he caught up with us and I felt guilty about increasing his carbon footprint.

So, in a form of carbon offset, the DFW Solar Tour would like to invite you to see the tour the no-carbon, no-guilt way: On a bike! Our friends at Mad Duck Sports (721 E. Northwest Hwy, Grapevine, TX 76051) will be leading a tour of the Southlake and Grapevine homes. As luck would have it the four homes are on the most popular bike routes in NE Tarrant County, so it's actually a nice way to spend the afternoon.

Take your bike to meet the Ducks at their store at 2:00pm on Saturday and see two Models S, a Roadster, two near net zero homes, ground source heat pump, SolarCity installation, home automation and DIY solar! http://myemail.constantcontact.com/...rnoon.html?soid=1101232982716&aid=DJN8unO-To0

 

[jaysquyres]

Rick,

Awesome job on House Talk yesterday. Thanks for promoting. It's great that Realtors will be visiting these Solar homes that have Tesla's. I would like to see a Solar survey (next year) of Tesla homes that have Solar. California has the highest average, but I'll bet TX will be close - next year. Let's wait till our promotions & DFW Solar Tour help our average before submitting.

Speaking of smoking Corvettes, I had a similar experience yesterday while taking a Road Trip to Belton for the Renewable EnergyRoundup & Sustainable Living Expo. His plate made me think I would be losing? We passed 3 Corvettes, but could NOT pass a Diva from Highland Park? I hate fessing up, Embarrassing.

 

[bollar]

Only five days until the 5th DFW Solar Tour! Thanks to our friends at Tesla Motors

DFW Solar Tour burnout? Me too! Still, we must power through and make it to the finish line. We got good coverage at Green Source DFW today, and once again, someone let me talk to the press (when will they learn, I ask you?): DFW Solar Home Tour to showcase electric vehicles at solar-powered homes | Green Source DFW This reminded me of a discussion with the DFW Solar Tour planning committee, where it was suggested that we list the nearest charging station to each host location. So, 1) I was thinking, "I wake up with 200 miles+ range every morning, so why do I need this?" and 2) PlugShare actually shows there's a public charging station within three miles of every host aside from the awesome Renner home out in Weatherford. Did you know that DFW has more public charging stations per capita than any other major US MSA? (Yes, even more than Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro)

Today, I want to introduce you to a home that just joined the Tour -- a brand new Solar City & Tesla Model S installation: Peters House - DFW Solar Home Tour

​We hold a moral responsibility to not continue the global chemistry experiment we're conducting on our only planet. But even if one discounts the ethical, moral and ecological concerns, with the cost of solar panels dropping 70% in the last five years we have reached a crossover point where it makes absolutely no sense to NOT convert a portion of ones roof into a power- and moneymaking-surface. In our case, with these changes, and a plant-based lifestyle, we have reduced our carbon footprint to almost zero (a few projects to go yet), especially as we also “fuel” our car using power from the sun. In our case, a one-time lease payment of $8k to SolarCity provides us with electric bills that will total under $100/year, if not less, for the next 20 years. When combined with the joy of no longer buying gasoline (hundreds saved per month), it's an absolute “no brainer” to install solar power if you have an appropriate amount of Southern exposure. Combine with an electric vehicle and your cost savings are multiplied....

 

[stevejust]

We signed up. Also if you have voted in the driving on sunshine poll Driving on Sunshine - Page 13 please do so as I am trying to collect statistics on the % of Tesla owners that have take the solar plunge.

View attachment 60041

This is a really good poll. Thanks for doing this!

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Rick,
Speaking of smoking Corvettes, I had a similar experience yesterday while taking a Road Trip to Belton for the Renewable EnergyRoundup & Sustainable Living Expo. His plate made me think I would be losing? We passed 3 Corvettes, but could NOT pass a Diva from Highland Park? I hate fessing up, Embarrassing.
View attachment 60211 View attachment 60212

Jay, you left out the part about the fact you were driving a speed-limited loaner. A most important data point in the story.

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This reminded me of a discussion with the DFW Solar Tour planning committee, where it was suggested that we list the nearest charging station to each host location. So, 1) I was thinking, "I wake up with 200 miles+ range every morning, so why do I need this?" and...
[/FONT]View attachment 60320

Rick, you're too spoiled with the solar power Tesla. You're forgetting that if I'm going to make the bike tour from 1Soltech, I'm going to need to drive my Leaf 'cause it's not going to fit in the Roadster-- and if I try to do 1SolTech, Westbrook's, and the Mad Duck ride, I may need to charge somewhere at some point in the Leaf 'cause I'll need to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time!

 

[bollar]

Rick, you're too spoiled with the solar power Tesla. You're forgetting that if I'm going to make the bike tour from 1Soltech, I'm going to need to drive my Leaf 'cause it's not going to fit in the Roadster-- and if I try to do 1SolTech, Westbrook's, and the Mad Duck ride, I may need to charge somewhere at some point in the Leaf 'cause I'll need to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time!

Steve, I hope you do the ride. The Ducks are awesome folks, and the Easter Egg is that one of the houses belongs to NCTCOG's Principal Air Quality Planner...

And I know y'all Dallas folks don't get out West very often, so bring your spurs & chaps for the ride...

And BTW, Grapevine has Blink charging at the Farmer's Market parking lot and at The Original Pancake House. Meet me post-Tour for Esparzaritas!

 

[bollar]

Only four days until the 5th DFW Solar Tour, sponsored, in part, by http://www.universalrenewable.com

If you're on LinkedIn, a like and share of this article would be much appreciated: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/arti...w-solar-tour-saturday-october-4?trk=prof-post and would help us spread the word about the Tour!

The Southlake Cabal met in our secret location on the corner of Carroll Avenue and Southlake Boulevard for the all-important exchange of apparel granting the wearer the power of the DFW Solar Tour. Because of the necessary secrecy of this meeting, pictures are naturally not possible, but let me say that the only thing keeping P85s apart was a 35 year old 350SL, that had been permanently top-down for at least the last ten years.

In celebration of today's successful meeting, I'd like to highlight this home, which represents what I hope becomes the “new” Southlake. It was designed from the ground up with sustainable systems such as ground-source heat pumps, solar PV, electric cars, foam-encapsulated walls and low E windows. AND it is the *ONLY* home on the tour with a Model S and Roadster: Melbourne House - DFW Solar Home Tour

As if you needed any other reason to come to Southlake, let me help -- this weekend is also Southlake Chamber of Commerce Oktoberfest, so after seeing the Southlake homes on the tour, you can get your fill of Bier and Bratwürst!

My wife Lois and I have always dreamed of building an energy efficient home. Our home is still under construction with a planned move in date in November of this year. We have 78 solar panels on the south facing roof. The solar array is not yet in use but it is in place for when the power is turned on to the house. Please feel free to come out and look at the installation and ask questions. Some of the vendors involved in the implementation will be on-site if you have any in-depth questions.

 

[RossMelbourne]

Rick, thank you for highlighting our home and the DFW Solar Tour of Homes this weekend. I would like to add that Rick Bollar is THE guy to talk to about adding solar power to your house. He designed, ordered and installed his own PV system at his house in Southlake which is also on the tour this weekend. I used Axium solar for my install after Rick referred me to them.

Only four days until the 5th DFW Solar Tour, sponsored, in part, by http://www.universalrenewable.com

If you're on LinkedIn, a like and share of this article would be much appreciated: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/arti...w-solar-tour-saturday-october-4?trk=prof-post and would help us spread the word about the Tour!

The Southlake Cabal met in our secret location on the corner of Carroll Avenue and Southlake Boulevard for the all-important exchange of apparel granting the wearer the power of the DFW Solar Tour. Because of the necessary secrecy of this meeting, pictures are naturally not possible, but let me say that the only thing keeping P85s apart was a 35 year old 350SL, that had been permanently top-down for at least the last ten years.

In celebration of today's successful meeting, I'd like to highlight this home, which represents what I hope becomes the “new” Southlake. It was designed from the ground up with sustainable systems such as ground-source heat pumps, solar PV, electric cars, foam-encapsulated walls and low E windows. AND it is the *ONLY* home on the tour with a Model S and Roadster: Melbourne House - DFW Solar Home Tour

As if you needed any other reason to come to Southlake, let me help -- this weekend is also Southlake Chamber of Commerce Oktoberfest, so after seeing the Southlake homes on the tour, you can get your fill of Bier and Bratwürst!



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[bollar]

Only three days until the 5th DFW Solar Tour, sponsored, in part, by Axium Solar

With some trepidation, I mention the weather. Last year was just gross. It was cold, windy and rainy. Just miserable shivering and standing outside looking at large sheets of silicone attached to roofs. But this year is looking fine! Your National Weather Service predicts sunny and a high of 80 for the Tour! Really, just perfect weather for spending a day out looking at solar and other renewable energy / sustainable technologies.

To celebrate, I'd like to introduce you to this house that uses their sunlight for organic gardening and vermicomposting! It's in a place called Rowlett. I have no idea where that is, but I understand that it's close to my Dallas friends, and the Tesla Nav, even with the old maps, will be able to find it!

We have " been in " our garden for 15 years. Vermicomposting is a critical component of our life. We grow worms for their poop - castings. Amazing fertilizer! Everything goes in the worm bin, except meat by products, animal feces. The results are stunning. Coffee grounds with their acidity, Egg shells with their calcium are spread around our flower beds. We use cedar spray on our dogs for pests. In the fall, we take leaves from our neighbors to spread on the garden. We take loads of ground up trees and spread them around the yard.

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Rick, thank you for highlighting our home and the DFW Solar Tour of Homes this weekend. I would like to add that Rick Bollar is THE guy to talk to about adding solar power to your house. He designed, ordered and installed his own PV system at his house in Southlake which is also on the tour this weekend. I used Axium solar for my install after Rick referred me to them.

Ross, that's kind of you... I guess I should mention my place, but I think we have a day or two left. Time enough to find Andrew W and get that referral fee!

 

[bollar]

Only two days until the 5th DFW Solar Tour, sponsored, in part, by Longhorn Solar

So, it all comes down to this. Severe storms tore through the Metroplex this afternoon, but basically missed us here in Southlake, leaving us with one of the driest years on record and really just enough rain to make the panels nice and dust-free for the DFW Solar Tour. It must be a sign.

Today's house is one you may have seen before on this board and it has some cool features: DFW Solar Tour - Bollar House

- 68 panel, 17 kW solar array that was self-installed,
- circuit-level household energy monitoring,
- home automation that integrates lights, security, HVAC and even the Tesla S into one command system,
- experimental evapotranspiration-based irrigation system,
- LED lighting

-- Be there at 2:30pm to meet and cheer on the guilt-free, carbon-free Mad Duck Cycling tour!
-- be there at 4:01pm for happy hour!
-- Understand why you got dual chargers when you top off from the 80 amp, solar-powered HPWC!
-- See two grey mares (one of which is a horse)!

PVOutput - House of Grue
SiteSage - House of Grue
Enphase Enlighten - House of Grue

Our house incorporates several energy-saving systems and we have installed almost all of them ourselves, so we can get into technical conversations about the decisions we made and the challenges we faced as we were evaluating and prioritizing systems. It’s important to us to do our part to help improve Metroplex air quality and to reduce our use of dwindling water resources, so we’ve chosen our systems with that in mind.

 

[pete8314]

Rick, thank you for highlighting our home and the DFW Solar Tour of Homes this weekend. I would like to add that Rick Bollar is THE guy to talk to about adding solar power to your house. He designed, ordered and installed his own PV system at his house in Southlake which is also on the tour this weekend. I used Axium solar for my install after Rick referred me to them.

Very cool. We're hoping to build within the next 4-5 months, so it would be interesting to see your house in a pre-finished state, the renders look great, even though none of the cars on the drive are EV's

 

[stevejust]

Do you have any details about the Houston version? I see nothing about it online, although I see they have done it in years past.

Stephenpace, I just came across this from HREG (The Houston Renewable Energy Group). Of course, you could always come up to Dallas on Saturday for the real thing!

Virtual Solar Tour 2014 New!

The Annual Solar Tour that usually takes place in October to commemorate the national solar energy month has been moved to the spring of 2015. In its stead, we are introducing the Virtual Solar Tour as a permanent offering. The Virtual Solar Tour highlights installations in the surrounding bedroom communities so you do not have to drive across town to see these systems. So relax and enjoy the “virtual tour” from the comfort of your chair! Click here or the image below to begin your virtual tour.

HREG Events

 

[bollar]

The 5th DFW Solar Tour, presented by North Texas Renewable Energy Group is TOMORROW!

If you leave your house tomorrow, it'll be hard to miss us. The DFW Solar Tour has just under 50 locations all across the Metroplex and we're showing off solar, wind, geothermal and other renewable energy systems as well as radiant barrier, LED lighting, home automation and other sustainable technologies. Download our quick guide: Location Quick Guide (78 KB .PDF)

Come see the EVs! We have LEAFs, Volts (and of course many Teslas). See the list: Electric Vehicles (EVs) on the Tour

What else can I do to entice you to visit a location or two (or even spend the entire day on the tour)? To me, the biggest benefit comes from being able to meet people who have already installed these systems and see what it's like to live with them day-to-day. You can find out why they installed them (and in some cases, I guarantee you'll be surprised) and get answers to the questions the sales guy can't answer.

 

[redi]

Wow! I plan on visiting a few tomorrow. Great weather for it.

 

[bollar]

Wow! I plan on visiting a few tomorrow. Great weather for it.

That's the spirit!

We couldn't ask for better weather and we couldn't be more ready!

 

[bollar]

Thanks to all of you who came to the DFW Solar Tour. We had a strong showing from TMC and I'm glad you came! We'll report out in the next couple of days once the dust settles -- and happy hour is over...

 

[ggies07]

Thanks to all of you who came to the DFW Solar Tour. We had a strong showing from TMC and I'm glad you came! We'll report out in the next couple of days once the dust settles -- and happy hour is over...

and a big THANKS to you and all the other hosts! It was nice being able to have actual products with knowledge rather than someone (me) explaining this new era of energy to my wife. She learned a lot and hopefully we will get solar soon.

 

[pete8314]

Yep, thanks to the hosts. We only went to Ross's palatial pad , but it was very interesting, and will help us when we build next year.

 

[Rockster]

Thanks to all of you who came to the DFW Solar Tour. We had a strong showing from TMC and I'm glad you came! We'll report out in the next couple of days once the dust settles -- and happy hour is over...

Thank you for championing the event! We loved seeing your setup and Ross's place.

 

[bollar]

Here's some news coverage -- three TMC members are profiled: 'Green' efforts showcased during DFW Solar Tour - The Leader - Star Local Media

 

[bollar]

The Texas tours were featured in this month's Solar Today magazine. I'm briefly quoted, gushing about my car.