This year's Clallam Solar Tour features 17 solar homes and businesses, solar workshops, the north Olympic Peninsula's first solar hotel, a chance to see SunPower solar modules the most efficient in the US, and solar modules and inverters made in Washington State by Silicon Energy. This is a great opportunity to learn firsthand about how solar systems work, what they cost, and how well they perform in our area. The day starts with a kick-off event at 10 am located at the Sequim High School cafeteria located at 601 N. Sequim Ave. in Sequim. Tour maps and other tour information will be available at the kick-off event. Power Trip Energy and a number of other solar businesses will have displays on hand at the high school and will be available to answer tour participant's questions.
Free Solar Workshops - Sequim High School Cafeteria
The workshops include the following sessions:
10:20 am - 11:30 am: Going Solar - Andy Cochrane, President of Power Trip Energy will cover how solar PV systems work, system costs, financial incentives including local financing, equipment and system components, and how to evaluate your existing home for solar or design a new home ideally set up for solar power.
11:30 am - Noon: Q & A Panel on Going Solar. Panel members: Andy Cochrane, Power Trip Energy; Greg Williams, Sunergy; First Federal Savings and Loan representative, and Clallam PUD representative.
12:30 pm - 1:15 pm: Passive Solar & Energy Efficient Design, Bruce Glenn, Terra Sol Eco homes.
17 Solar Homes and Businesses on Tour
Seventeen homes and businesses in and around Sequim and Port Angeles equipped with solar arrays will be open for tours from 10 am - 2 pm the day of the tour. All sites will be staffed by home or business owners who will be on hand to answer tour participants' questions and show off their solar systems.
Some things you can see on the tour:
- The north Olympic Peninsula's first solar powered hotel - the Sequim Holiday Inn Express.
- Solar equipment manufactured in Washington State - two homes (Giersch and Wohlgemuth) on the tour have solar arrays made by Silicon Energy of Arlington, WA. These systems qualify the owners for the highest annual production incentives.
- The most efficient solar modules offered in the U.S. - the Barton residence is equipped with a 9.45 kW SunPower array. SunPower solar modules are the most aesthetic and efficient solar modules available.
After Tour Reception - Sequim Holiday Inn Express
From 2 pm - 4 pm after the solar tour, the Holiday Inn Express and Power Trip Energy, Corp. will host a reception for tour participants and tour hosts. This is a chance to speak with other PV system owners, tour organizers and other tour participants in a casual comfortable setting with no-host bar at Sequim's new green hotel. A tour of the hotel's solar PV system will also be offered.
To see a list of the homes on the tour and see on-line tour maps go to: http://solarwa.digitalaid.net/tour/2010/clallam-county
Power Trip Energy 