Solar buildings on display

Four local buildings will be open to the public Saturday, Oct. 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. as part of the annual "National Solar Tour" sponsored by the American Solar Energy Society (ASES).
The buildings in Sussex County are located at 19 Fox Hill Road in Lafayette, N.J.; 82 Beaver Run Road, in Lafayette; 15 Price Road in Augusta, N.J.; and at the Sussex County Fairgrounds on 37 Plains Road in Augusta, N.J.
Across the country hundreds of buildings are open to the public that day, free of charge, so visitors can talk with owners who have made a commitment to reduce their use of fossil fuels and discover the ways people are conserving energy, saving money, and protecting the environment.
The tour provides the opportunity for homeowners to experience first-hand what life in a more sustainable, energy efficient home is like. Visitors will learn first-hand how incorporating green
building design and equipment can help to dramatically reduce electrical and heating costs, increase energy conservation, and generate surplus clean energy.
A contemporary solar home will be on view at 19 Fox Hill Road in Lafayette, New Jersey. This home features a 9 KW solar electric system, a solar hot water system, passive solar space heating, earth sheltering, and a two-story sunspace which result in a Net-Zero-Energy use home.
Visitors also will see a 100 percent electric vehicle and electric charging station which allows the car to be charged from the home's solar collectors, resulting in zero energy cost and producing zero emissions.
Nearby, at 82 Beaver Run Road in Lafayette, visitors can tour an energy efficient home constructed with a structural insulating panel system. This home is heated and cooled by a high efficiency geothermal ground loop system and is powered by a 9.4 KW solar system.
A few minutes away at 15 Price Road in Augusta, visitors can see a dramatic 10 KW wind turbine and 10 KW ground mounted solar electric system which provide almost all of the electricity needed for this home.
Visitors will also see components of a geothermal heat pump system which is planned to provide high efficiency heating and cooling for this home.
At the nearby Sussex County Fairgrounds there will be a tour of the recently installed large 508 KW solar system. Comprised of 1,882 high efficiency SunEdison panels, the system provides 92 percente of the Fairgrounds' annual electrical needs. Visitors may park at the Fairgrounds and walk over to between Livestock barns #2 and #3 for a tour. (There is also a Fall Festival at the Fairgrounds that day which is open to all.)
If residents have been considering making energy efficiency improvements to their homes but weren't sure where to start, they're invited to join in the National Solar Tour. A complete list of sites and events is available at: www.ases.org or email spectorarch@earthlink.net
Examples of green features that are used in homes and buildings that will be open during this event include passive solar heating (advantageous placement of windows), solar hot water collection and storage, radiant floor heating, the generation of electricity by using photovoltaics (solar panels) or wind turbines, use of energy-saving appliances and techniques (super-insulation and sealing air spaces), use of sustainable and healthy building materials, and the use of water-saving fixtures.
The ASES National Solar Tour is the largest grassroots solar event in the nation. It offers visitors the opportunity to informally tour innovative green homes and buildings, see how solar energy can be used efficiently, and reduce carbon emissions.