Source: The Eureka Reporter

Solar energy works in Humboldt County, is affordable, and easy to install.

That’s what the Redwood Coast Energy Authority says. So, on Sunday, Oct. 2, dozens of energy-conscious Humboldt homes and businesses will open their doors and invite neighbors in for a look at how they have trimmed their energy bills through conservation, efficiency and harnessing the power of the sun.

During the free 2005 Humboldt Solar Neighbors Tour, participants will see how their neighbors are using the latest in efficient buildings and appliances to save money and energy.

The tour will feature a variety of solar and energy conserving techniques, including grid-connected solar electric, active and passive solar water and space heating and daylighting.

Conservation and efficiency, the most cost-effective ways to reduce energy bills, will also be included, as will earth-and-air-source heat pumps, biodiesel and electric cars.

“Energy costs are expected to rise as much as 40 percent this winter, and people need to begin preparing now,” said David Boyd, executive director of the Redwood Coast Energy Authority. “This tour provides a great opportunity to see real examples of energy efficiency and renewable energy applications in Humboldt County.”

“I always dreamed that one day I would have a solar-powered house,” said Bayside homeowner and tour host Jim Zoellick. “First, I worked to lower my energy use through conservation. This year I installed a PV system. Next year I plan to install a solar hot water system.”

Many of the energy-efficient homes and businesses on the tour also incorporate environmentally friendly or “green” building materials.

Judith Scharnberg’s house, for instance, besides having a net-zero electricity use thanks to her PV panels, also features bamboo flooring and cabinets, hemp countertops and formaldehyde-free fiberglass or blown-in cellulose insulation made from recycled newspapers.

Commercial buildings are included in the tour as well. The offices of Dr. Berg, a Eureka dentist, features high-efficiency evacuated-tube solar collectors that heat water for a sub-floor radiant heating system, electricity producing solar PV panels, and recycled building materials.

The self-guided tour will run from 10 a.m to 3 p.m., and has multiple starting points.

To better showcase the great strides Humboldt County has made toward energy sustainability, this year’s tour will be neighborhood-based, with more than 50 solar homes and business in clusters in Trinidad, McKinleyville/Fieldbrook, Arcata, Bayside/Sunnybrae, Freshwater and Eureka. Tour maps and other information will be available at starting points in each neighborhood.

To reduce the use of fossil-fueled vehicles, participants are encouraged to bicycle between tour sites where possible. Everyone arriving at a neighborhood starting point on bicycle will receive a free energy-saving compact fluorescent lamp, courtesy of the Redwood Coast Energy Authority.

One of Humboldt County’s leading solar installers will conduct a free guided walking tour of selected solar sites in central Arcata.

The walking tour will leave from Arcata City Hall at 11 a.m. The installer, known as “Roger,” will also lead a bicycle tour, which will cover a somewhat greater area, leaving from Arcata City Hall at 1 p.m. Arcata “Library Bikes,” located just west of the Arcata post office, will have free loaner bicycles available for use on the tour.

“This year’s solar tour is a true grass-roots effort of folks who are beginning to make the vision of an energy-independent Humboldt County a reality,” said Larry Schussler, manufacturer of locally produced energy efficient SunFrost Refrigerators, one of the tour’s organizers.

The Humboldt Solar Neighbors Tour is being held as part of a national solar tour weekend, with thousands of solar-powered homes open throughout the country.

For more information and a list of starting points, visit the Redwood Coast Energy Authority’s Web site at www.redwoodenergy.org, or phone (800) 931-7232.