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Solar Institute
Sustainability in Action:
Natural Solutions for a Brighter Future
An independent nonprofit
community of expertise to help you create a better life and sustain your
world
"Look deep, deep into
nature, and then you will understand everything better." -
Albert Einstein
Sustainability. One of the most significant scientific
discoveries of our time is that we are all members of a greater community, an
intricate web of life that embraces the whole world and everything in it. The
greatest challenge of our time is to learn how to fit in with this natural
biosphere as a sustaining and sustainable member of that community. The Solar
Institute is fundamentally concerned with helping people join together in
finding a better relationship with the world, to fit in sustainably with the
cycles of nature, and to create a greater harmony between the built environment
and the natural environment.
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You can live better - we can
help The Solar
Institute is a nonprofit research and educational organization offering a broad
range of information, referral and consulting services. These include
planning, design, construction, and improvement of homes, buildings,
communities, landscapes and ecosystems. Our focus is to create built
environments that fit in better with nature, as well as healthy living
environments so you and your world can thrive. |
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News
Sustainability and you. Just as
"environment" was in the 1970s, Sustainability is now the crucial concept of
our times. Soaring population growth is outstripping local resources all
over the planet, causing ever greater social, economic and environmental
disruption. In our corner of the world, Arizona's population having just zipped
past 6,000,000, the population of the Tucson metropolitan area is now over
1,000,000: Tucson is now larger in population than seven states. Lifestyles
dependant on importing virtually all basic needs from distant places are about
to become much more expensive. Click for more on what you can do to protect
yourself and your world.

"Solar and
Sustainability Month". In recognition of the importance of solar
energy and related sustainable measures to the people of Arizona, and in
support of the contribution made by the Tucson Innovative Home Tour and
Tucson Solar Tour and associated events in Arizona to progress in these
fields, the Governor has designated October to be Solar and
Sustainability Month in Arizona. You can see the text and news release by
clicking above. The Solar Institute is your source for help in putting
sustainability to work in sustaining your life in better ways.
Living sustainably in the desert. Click here to
see the Arizona Daily Daily Star's great Sunday Home feature on
one of the fascinating homes on last year's Tucson Innovative Home Tour, a
chance to see homes with "practical and cost-effective ways to exist better in
Southern Arizona's climate." The feature home is a "... treasure trove of items
that reduce environmental impact ... 70 percent of exterior irrigation comes
from gray water or rainwater ... By the kitchen sink, a tap dispenses water
from the rooftop solar water still ..." and much more,

"Home Sustainable Home: A tour of eco-friendly
Tucson houses shows the possibilities for a brighter future." Click here to
see the fine article in the Tucson Weekly about one of the homes on the
2006 tour, that of an expert on permaculture and rainwater harvesting. "There's
an insurgent joy to the clipped power cables ... a defiant beauty to the lush
enclave that surrounds his old adobe ... his world thrives on a fraction of the
energy and water used by most Tucsonans." Total utility bills? "Right now, it's
about $20 a month," he says with a big smile. "This gives people a chance to
find out how to live better in the desert."
Passive solar design is the hot building
technology of our times, according to renowned building
scientist, J. Douglas Balcomb. "I see two reasons for it to lead architectural
design in coming years: It is a critical technology for the 21st century, and
it works." Read this article and others in Solar
Today, the journal of the American Solar Energy Society,
including coverage of the National Solar Tour. |
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The latest help for you from the Solar
Institute
Earth Day has a greater urgency each
year. Soaring population growth is outstripping local resources all
over the planet, causing ever greater social, economic and environmental
disruption. Under this world-wide onslaught, the ecosystems that sustain us are
rapidly deteriorating. Lifestyles dependent on importing energy, water and
other basic needs from distant places are becoming more difficult and costly to
maintain. Living in harmony with nature is no longer about luxury, it's a
matter of survival. This is what sustainability is about: not just living as if
we have a future, but living to assure we have one. There are many things you
can do to make your life - and your planet - better. We can help.
Information, consulting and referral services. The
Solar Institute's family of community organizations offer expert help for a
wide range of services and products for your home and business. It's an
independent, non-profit, non-commercial, community sharing program that helps
you get the best unbiased expert information and advise to satisfy your needs
and the best value for your money. Join the Tucson Solar Alliance or the Tucson
Homeowners Alliance and you can get simple questions answered at no charge, as
well as professional consulting at greatly reduced rates. This works like
Consumer Reports: these organizations are not affiliated in any way with any
business and do not receive money or other considerations from any commercial
enterprise. Click here for information on how to get
in touch with us or see the Tucson telephone directory for "Solar
Alliance of Greater Tucson."

Next Generation Building
Institute. A broad network of
professionals and organizations are leading a quantum leap forward in building
design and construction: high performance buildings that function much better
but cost a lot less to operate and maintain, buildings that fit in with the
natural environment and contribute to a sustaining and sustainable built
environment, buildings as if people mattered. Tucson is recognized nationally
for being at the forefront of this work. Now owners, designers and builders
have a central resource to make their buildings the best they can be. Through
the Institute you can access some of the most knowedgeable and experienced
professionals in the country, as well as the unique Next Generation planning
and design methodology that brings it all together. Click here for information
on how to get in touch with us.
Now
is the time to build your dream home. The news gets worse every day
for home owners: the costs of houses, materials, products, utilities, taxes and
everything associated with homes are not just going up, they are increasing at
alarming rates. [See "Other News" below.] However, those who are interested in
pioneering a new approach to designing and building a high quality home that
will cost a lot less over the long term now have a unique opportunity to
fuflfill that dream. For years, Tucson's officially recognized
Next Generation Home
Alliance has analyzed not only all the functions and values of a home
and how to improve them, but also all of the major costs of a home and how to
reduce them as much as possible. Designing and building a new home the right
way can result in total savings of up to 50% for the long-term cost of home
ownership. This includes reductions as much as 75-80% for utility bills and
other operations, maintenance and repair costs. Think of what
it would mean to cut your costs of home ownership in half. The Alliance is now
ready to make the results of all this effort available to a few aspiring
homeowners who are willing to be the first pioneers to put this new approach to
designing and building a home to the test. The Next Generation Home Project is
accepting applications for the first pioneers of Next Generation
Homes. Applicants must understand that this is a new approach to designing and
building a home that has never been attempted before. Like any new pioneering
development, it will encounter new challenges and problems, and, of course, has
risks associated with that. Applicants should be highly interested, willling
and able to work together cooperatively with architects, engineers, scientists,
builders and others to faithfully follow this method through to satisfactory
completion, test the results and share their experience with the community.
Because this is a test of real-world conditions, applicants must also be
financially sound and have their own financing. The project will take advantage
of available tax credits, rebates and other measures to minimize costs, but no
grants are available for the project. It should be anticipated that the initial
price of the house will be higher than comparable standard homes to achieve the
quality necessary to reduce costs over the longer term. Click here for
information on how to get in touch with
us.
The Next Generation Affordable Housing Project is
looking for volunteers to help non-profit housing providers design and build a
new generation of much better, much more affordable homes for those who need
them most. You too can help! There are many ways you can help and no experience
is necessary. Click here for more
information.
 Alert: Now is the time to buy solar energy
equipment! If you are interested in a solar photovoltaic electric
power system, a solar water heater, a solar pool heater or other equipment of
this kind, the time to do it is now. New federal tax
credits, which started in January, 2006, offer up to $2,000 for
solar energy equipment and $500 for energy efficiency. In addition, the State
of Arizona offers a $1,000 tax credit - and Tucson Electric Power offers a
$2,000-3,000 rebate on pv systems! The net cost of a photovoltaic electric
power system could be a small fraction of normal cost. The
Tucson Solar Alliance can help you. It's a
non-profit, non-commercial community program that does not sell anything - it
just helps you get the best and most appropriate system for you at the best
price, with the best unbiased expert information and advise in town. It is not
affiliated in any way with any companies or sales programs. Considering what
happened the last time such high tax credits were available, things are going
to get wild in the solar marketplace. You will want to choose the right
equipment, the right manufacturer and the right installer very carefully to
avoid disappointments. With demand spiking, the prices are likely to go up soon
too. Cooperative Buyers Groups are now
forming. Click here for more
information. |
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More help for you
 How
to deal with soaring home costs
» In June, the federal government reported that the price of homes
in Tucson jumped more than 24 percent over the previous year the highest
increase in the nation. Last year, the increase was more than 29 percent.
Over the past 5 years, the increase was over 86%. - Arizona Daily Star,
September 6, 2006. » During the first six months of 2005, housing
prices rose by a minimum of $5,000 per month, according to the Tucson
Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service. Arizona Daily
Star, October 16, 2005 » The median price for single-family homes
in Tucson is now around $260,000. Arizona Daily Star, July 14,
2005
How
to deal with record energy costs » This year, the price
of oil, natural gas, electricity and other forms of energy all hit new record
highs again - U.S. Energy Information Agency, October 13, 2006 »
The price of oil broke $70 per barrel, and the price of gasoline $3.00 per
gallon again this year. - Arizona Daily Star, October 13, 2006 »
"Oil spurs U.S. trade deficit to a record." With oil leading the list of
imports, the U.S. trade deficit soared to a record high of $782 billion last
year, up 18% over last year's previous record and continues to set new monthly
records. - U.S. Energy Information Agency and Arizona Daily Star, October 13,
2006 » OPEC oil cartel plans cut in output on Nov. 1, which
will raise gas prices again ... after the U.S. elections. - Arizona Daily Star,
October 20, 2006 » Tucson Electric Power recently proposed a 23%
rate increase. - » Arizona Daily Star, August 19, 2006 »
In December, natural gas prices for delivery in January soared to nearly $15
per 1,000 cubic feet, compared with $7 per 1,000 cubic feet a year earlier,
according to the U.S. Department of Energy. - Arizona Daily Star, January 26,
2006
The Solar
Institute has solutions for you.
Not many people realize that it is possible to substantially
reduce the costs of home ownership. Studies by the Next Generation Home
Alliance analyzed all of the major costs of home ownership in Tucson and then
determined how to reduce them. Designing and building a new home the right way
can result in total savings of up to 50% for all costs and savings as much as
75-80% for things like gas and electric costs, and other operations,
maintenance and repair costs. Think of what it would mean to cut your costs of
home ownership in half. Savings for existing homes can also be substantial.
One of the main focuses of the Tucson Innovative Home Tour and
the Next Generation Home Course is to show you how you can do that. You may be
surprised at how much better you can live at much lower
costs. To help you do that, the Solar Institute now offers
information, consulting and referral services for members of any of its family
of community organizations, generally at very good discounts. Others have done
this - we can show you how. Click here for information on
how to get in touch with
us. |
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Additional help from the Tucson Homeowners
Alliance
 Fall Home Tips. Now that cooler weather is back,
our compilation of practical information and ideas can help you complete
important home priorities and prepare for winter.
Tips for Hiring a
Contractor The government reports that the number one source
of complaints from homeowners is problems with contractors. This Homeowners
Alliance compilation can help you learn from other people's experience and
avoid pitfalls.
Property Tax shock. The
average valuation of homes for tax purposes jumped 30% this year according
to the Pima County Assessor's Office in Tucson. For some, the increase was even
more. That's on top of an average increase of 30% in 2006, 19% in 2005 and 11%
in 2004. Click on the link to learn more about why this is happening and what
you can do about it.
"Mold stirs worry in homes."
- Read the Arizona Daily Star's report on mold problems in local homes
and learn what you can do to avoid such a disaster.
Solar Institute sets record straight on
summer comfort. The front page of the Arizona Daily Star
featured advice from the Solar Institute on how to stay comfortable at low
cost. Click here to see the article and get more information under "News You
Can Use."
Homeowners unite! Join the
Tucson Homeowners Alliance to share and obtain information, ideas and
experience in owning, operating and maintaining your home. In the immortal
words of Benjamin Franklin, we can hang together or we will most assuredly hang
separately. |
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Additional news and information
Popular press
discovers value of next generation of homes. "We are building the wrong kinds of
houses. Last month, while researching a story on energy-efficient home
building ... dozens of experts convinced me we can change the way we build
houses. The new methods range from subtle, such as passive solar design and
framing with structural insulated panels, to advanced, such as using rooftop
photovoltaic modules for converting the sun's rays to electricity and
constructing exterior walls with insulated concrete forms." - Newsday, February
17, 2005. For more information and to read more of the article, click on the
title above.
"The Power is theirs" -
it can be yours too! - Read the Arizona Daily Star's Sunday feature
article about homeowners who power their homes from the sun. You have seen some
of these homes on the Tucson Innovative Home Tour. Click here for
more
information on how you can do this yourself.
Universal
design is an important new concept for anyone planning to build
or buy a new home. It's about designing homes as if people mattered. It means
greater functionality, adaptability, flexibility and much lower long-term costs
in a home to meet our curent and changing needs. Thanks to the leadership of
the Tucson Commission on Disability Issues, our community is also at the
forefront of advances in this field. Click above to learn more about why this
is important to you. Sustainability in action at the UofA. The student
organization, ECLIPSE,
is putting solar energy and sustainability into action at the University of
Arizona. It has successfully launched an initiative to install the University's
first major solar electric power system - funded by students. Congratulations
to our friends at ECLIPSE and the UofA student body!
DIY
Rammed Earth workshops. "Rammit Yourself!" A comprehensive
full-day workshop where you can learn rammed earth construction "hands on,"
both theory and practice, through actual construction. Bring a sample of your
soil if you would like it tested. A rare opportunity to learn from one of the
top experts and pioneers in the field: Quentin Branch. 9:00 am - 4:00 pm. Fee
of $100 includes good lunch. Plan on getting dirty. For information on the next
one, call (520) 896-3393.
RIP: Dr. Helmut Frank, a good friend and colleague,
died November 10, 2004. A remarkable man. A remarkable life. We honor his
memory. His obituary. |
The Solar Institute is a
501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to helping individuals,
corporations and communities put sustainability into action, creating home,
corporate and community environments that better sustain us and our world.
Advances in solar energy and other environmentally responsive and responsible
technologies are leading a revolution in living better, more affordably and
wisely. We invite you to take part in this community and join in the solar
revolution.
Community
programs
Next Generation Building
Institute - leading a quantum leap
forward in building design and construction
Next Generation Home
Alliance - creating far better,
more affordable homes
Tucson Solar
Alliance - helping you connect to
solar & other advances
Tucson Homeowners
Alliance - community network for
home improvement
Tucson Innovative Home
Tour - sharing great ideas for
much better homes
Natural Living Alliance - think globally, act locally
ECLIPSE - putting solar
energy and sustainability into action at the University of Arizona
Progress
Through Community In addressing
challenging environmental conditions, Tucson has become recognized as a leader
in advances in solar and environmental design, solar houses, new materials,
sustainable development and other innovations in home building and more
environmentally and people friendly living. Professionals and others come here
from all over the world to see and become part of this revolution in
consciousness, design and construction.
Much of this progress is due to a
long tradition of community action in these fields. As a means to bring the
community together and foster greater progress in this way, community leaders
formed the Solar Institute. Among its accomplishments are ...
An
Overview
Next Generation Building
Institute. A broad network of
professionals and organizations are leading a quantum leap forward in building
design and construction: high performance buildings that function much better
but cost a lot less to operate and maintain, buildings that fit in with the
natural environment and contribute to a sustaining and sustainable built
environment. Tucson is recognized nationally for being at the forefront of this
work. Now owners, designers and builders have a central resource to make their
buildings the best they can be.
Next Generation Home
Alliance. A large on-going
community partnership continues to help homeowners, community non-profit
housing providers, architects and builders design and build a new generation of
advanced homes that offer a quantum leap in performance, yet reduce long term
costs by up to 50% and even more. It also pursues new ways to improve existing
homes with the same goals.
Tucson Solar
Alliance. A large community
coalition helps everyone access solar energy and related technologies and
practices as practical and cost effective choices. Its successful Community
Solar Program was awarded national funding to help people obtain solar energy
systems at greatly reduced prices, plus get expert, unbiased, noncommercial
information and advice. Maintains community information and referral service
(see "Access Solar" in Yellow Pages under "Solar Energy."
Tucson Homeowners
Alliance. A network of homeowners
helping homeowners opens the door to solar and environmental design, greater
use of on-site renewable resources, solar and other new sustaining
technologies, a host of new and rediscovered materials, holistic architecture,
integrated systems engineering, greater efficiencies, a new focus on long term
economics and other advances that are changing the way people look at designing
and building houses. It all adds up to a much better house at much lower
costs.
Tucson Innovative Home
Tour. This annual community
sharing event offers a chance to see and learn about advances in home design
and technology that make a big difference. Affiliated with the National Tour of
Solar Homes, sponsored by the American Solar Energy Society and the U.S.
Department of Energy, the annual Tucson tour is one of the largest local home
tours of its kind in the nation.
Natural Living Alliance. The Solar
Institute, a member of the Earth Day Network, is centrally concerned with
helping people find a better relationship with their world, to fit in with the
natural cycles of life and sustainability, to reduce our impact on the
biosphere, and to create a greater harmony between the built environment and
the natural environment. Earth Day reminds us to come together in community
action on behalf of this greater community of life on earth. We invite you to
join in this community effort to "Think globally, act locally."
Sustainability and You The term, sustainability, known to only a few at the time of the
first Earth Day in 1970, is now a major concern all over America and all over
the world. The need to "Think globally, act locally," has become more urgent
and many are heading the call, including here in Tucson and Pima County. See
what this means to you.
You're
Invited Participants and
supporters of these programs include many individuals, community organizations,
professional organizations, businesses and business organizations, educational
institutions, the City of Tucson, Pima County, State of Arizona and the federal
government.
We invite you to become a part of
this community sharing too. Just click here for information on
how to get in touch with us.
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Site. This site does not use cookies or any other
information-gathering devices on visitors. We try to make this site as
accessible and useful as possible. If you encounter problems or have
suggestions, please be sure to let us know. Thank you!
Credits: We would like to thank
the City of Tucson, Pima County, the State of Arizona, the U.S. Department of
Energy, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for support
and funding, as well as the many organizations and individuals who have
contributed to making these community initiatives such a success.
© Copyright 2007 Solar
Institute, Inc. ® Solar Alliance, Tucson Solar Alliance, Solar Alliance of
Greater Tucson, Tucson Innovative Home Tour, Next Generation Home, Next
Generation Home Alliance, Next Generation Building Institute, Tucson Homeowners
Alliance, Natural Living Alliance for Sustainability and Tucson Community Solar
Program are registered trade names of the Solar Institute. All rights
reserved.
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