The head of the dinosaur is finally turning with regard to the use of solar energy, and advocates are hopeful that the body will soon follow. What began with famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1940s, and continued in earnest with Harold Hay (the “godfather” of passive solar energy) in the ‘60s and ‘70s, this once eccentric, oddball idea has slowly come into its own, gaining both credibility and popularity as the new millennium unfolds.
It’s been a long, arduous march to get from there to here, and as the solar energy movement finally gathers momentum in the mainstream, an in-depth look at what we are doing in San Luis Obispo County to embrace this more renewable, sustainable, and earth-conscious way of living poses some provocative questions.
A brief look back: In the 1960s, the concept of providing heating and cooling for homes and businesses by harnessing the energy of the sun was considered lofty, far-fetched, and risky by a majority of builders and homeowners. The late 1970s saw a bigger push for solar energy, and with the support of the Carter Administration, it began to catch on. And while the Reagan years all but killed it, by the mid-1980s, solar energy began to make more sense to a larger number of people. But because traditional energy was still cheap, it failed to gain much traction, and the 1990s gave it little help. By the year 2000, however, more people began to understand the value of alternative energy in general, and passive solar energy in particular. The brave and tenacious voices of the few were finally heard and today, architects, builders, and energy suppliers alike have taken up the cause.
Active or passive? There is a distinction to be made between active and passive solar energy. Both types use the power of the sun converted to energy to provide heating and cooling for homes and buildings.
Active solar energy is the type most familiar to most people, as in “Oh, solar energy? You mean those flat-looking panels on the roof, right?” Right. Or in the backyard. Sunlight is converted to electricity using photovoltaic panels, which are made of solar cells that undergo an electrical reaction when sunlight strikes them, creating a charge. The charge is then gathered by wires and either stored or sent to the local electrical grid through the utility company.
Passive solar energy involves no panels, no batteries, no grids. Instead, through the use of building materials, design elements, thermal mass, and sometimes air and water, harnessed sunlight is used to create efficient, inexpensive heating and cooling systems for any sized home, building, or complex. Eco-friendly passive solar emits no greenhouse gases and has low maintenance costs.
Our place in the sun: While other California counties have a higher rate of solar energy use in general, San Luis Obispo County boasts a number of firsts and of pioneers in the field of passive solar energy. Designed by Harold Hay, who turns 100 this year, the first passive solar house in California was built in Atascadero in 1973. Three years later, two of California’s first green architects (who were part of the team that worked on that house) formed The San Luis Sustainability Group (SLSG). Since then, they have built over 300 passive solar buildings, including Congregation Beth David Synagogue in San Luis Obispo, the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden’s Educational Center, Tierra Nueva Co-Housing Community in Oceano, Camp Ocean Pines in Cambria, and dozens of private residences.
SLSG principals Ken Haggard and Polly Cooper rebuilt their entire complex when the “Hwy 41 Wild Fire” destroyed their home and office in 1994. Using the sustainable methods, designs and materials that had become the hallmarks of their practice, they went “off the grid” in 1995 and found that “… the application of our design theories to our own situation has helped convince clients and others that sustainability is more than just another theory,” said Haggard in an article that appeared in Solar Today. “It’s a way of achieving better value while simultaneously having far less impact on our planet.”
House of straw: Among the most effective methods to harness passive solar energy is straw bale construction. Straw bale provides better insulation, resulting in dramatically reduced heating and cooling costs. It greatly reduces the risk of allergic reactions to the molds and toxins associated with standard building materials. It creates enhanced sound-proofing, and has three times the fire resistance of conventional construction.
Lindsay and Casey Pera have built two straw bale, passive solar- and photovoltaic-powered homes on their 40-acre property in Templeton. Family friendly and eco-conscious, these homes have softly curving walls and a very small carbon footprint.
The Peras admitted it takes a little more legwork to find like-minded contractors, and the expense upfront can be a little more than is standard. “But these houses are built to last,” said Casey Pera. “It actually saves more in the long run. It’s about thinking sustainably and is very much a community process.” The Peras had a bale-raising that brought 50 neighbors of all ages to their construction site. “There was something for everyone to do,” said Casey. “Somewhere under the plaster, you’ll find all their initials.”
The Greening of SLO County: The Peras chose the San Luis Sustainability Group as their architect with building designer Scott Clark in charge of the project, they purchased materials from SLO Green Goods, and they acknowledge SEMMES & Co. for its positive influence on straw bale construction in this county. A pioneer in the solar energy movement, general contractor and Cal Poly graduate Turko Semmes co-founded the California Straw Building Association of architects, engineers, builders, and activists who have worked hard to promote straw bale building throughout California and to make it an acceptable practice within the Uniform Building Code. Semmes has been an integral part of bringing green building practices into the mainstream. Today there are more straw bale houses per capita in San Luis Obispo County than in any other county in the state.
Local architect Alex DeLeon combined his passion for Mayan influenced, pre-Colombian architecture with his belief in the efficacy of solar power when he built his own home in San Luis Obispo. DeLeon chose a mix of active and passive solar elements, with the windows, angles, room placement, and orientation all designed to reflect or maximize the sun’s energy. “My father was born in Mexico in what was once a monastery,” he said. “They used adobe and straw in those thick walls. Before technology, people had to build with whatever materials they could find to deal with the weather. The concept of passive solar energy was intuitive for them.”
Powering Up: San Luis Obispo’s first alternative energy store was opened in 1980 by John Ewan and Troy Spindler. The increasing interest in and need for solar electric equipment, wood stoves and fireplaces, and expert installation services has built Pacific Energy Company into a highly sought-after purveyor for both residential and commercial projects. “The industry is maturing rapidly,” said Ewan. “And the product is magic. It just sits there and noiselessly, fumelessly makes power!”
One of the county’s busiest contractors, Frank Cullen, has been at the forefront of sustainable building in SLO County since 1995. “The last five to ten years have seen an increase in the use of solar energy and straw bale construction, and now it’s increasing at a much faster rate. More and more, people are realizing that a house is so much more than a box to live in. It’s hugely important, and we need more education and more incentives.”
Indeed, there are a number of county, state, and federal incentives that can make it more appealing to build or remodel using solar energy. Assembly Bill 811 allows local government entities to offer sustainable energy project loans to eligible property owners. Federal income tax incentives for energy-efficient products and technologies were made available as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Homeowners can get reimbursed for installing solar heating and cooling systems, solar water heaters, and energy-efficient appliances. Contractors who build new homes can get rewards for building energy-efficient homes that meet certain guidelines. And businesses can get investment credits for installing energy-efficient systems.
Then and Now: Thirty years ago, when attempting to convince a reluctant public of the many and obvious advantages of solar energy – moral, fiscal, environmental, and practical – Ken Haggard once wondered: Is it me who’s crazy, or is it society?
“Once we get beyond the fears of scarcity that haunt our industrial culture,” he said later, “we will see that these two values, better quality and ecological correctness, are interrelated.”
Solar pioneers like Haggard and Hay got the attention of a dim-witted dinosaur more than four decades ago. Is Haggard right? Has the lumbering body finally caught up to its head? •
Susan Stewart has been writing about the history, people, events and issues that affect San Luis Obispo County for 15 years. She is grateful to the people she interviews who have taught her about everything from the cultivation of exotic mushrooms to the evolution of solar energy.
