10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Saturday, Oct. 2, 2010

Rifle | Glenwood Springs | Carbondale | Blue Lake

May residence, Rifle
ENERGY STAR home built by Roaring Fork Habitat for Humanity, with solar panels (on roof, not visible) installed by Sunsense Solar of Carbondale.

Back row, from left, Brent Fitzke, AmeriCorps member; Jennifer Dority, Sierra Club volunteer; Jake Baker, Habitat volunteer; Travis and Stephanie May and their daughter, Elizabeth, homeowners.
Front row, from left, J.P. Strait, Habitat building superintendent; Crystal Wanner, Habitat coordinator of volunteers; Andy Lietz, Sunsense solar engineer and Habitat board member.

In the news: Rifle Citizen Telegram, Oct. 21, 2010
Final families move into Habitat homes
By Heidi Rice

Gran Farnum Printing, 1526 Grand Ave., Glenwood Springs
10 kW solar electric system installed on roof of printing plant by Sunsense Solar of Carbondale, saves $165 per month. Gran Farnum moved to this location in 2007 and carried out extensive energy efficiency measures, including upgrading insulation from R-7 to R-40. This is the first solar-powered printing plant on the Western Slope.

From left, Steve Haines, solar consultant for Sunsense Solar; Gran Farnum, owner; Doug Didonato, general manager; Kent Zeltner, owner of Morning Star Solar in Edwards.

Kurtz residence, Glenwood Springs
3 kW solar electric system installed by Atlasta Solar of Grand Junction. This home, built in 2007, is well-insulated in the walls and attic, with radiant heat floors. The lower level is a separate apartment, adding to the overall efficiency of the structure.

From left, Kent Zeltner, owner of Morning Star Solar in Edwards; Alice Gustafson, Sierra Club volunteer; Brian Kurtz, homeowner.

McDill residence, Spring Valley
6 kW solar electric system installed by Sunsense Solar of Carbondale. The grid-tied solar system added only about 1.7 percent to the cost of the home after subtracting rebates from Holy Cross Energy and federal tax credits, and is saving the family $175 a month on electric bills.

From left, Jim Austin and Lois Veltus, solar tour visitors; Mike and Penny McDill, homeowners; Gayle Wells, Sierra Club volunteer; Daniel Whitney, solar consultant for Sunsense Solar; and Kent Zeltner, owner of Morning Star Solar in Edwards.

Schlein-Ellison residence, Missouri Heights
4 kW solar electric system on three pole mounts, installed by Sol Sierra and Marty Schlein. The grid-tied system offsets all the electrical needs of the couple's home and Marty Schlein's professional woodworking shop for nine months of the year; electric bills in the winter run from $22 to $35.

From left, Mary Lou Pfeiffer, solar tour visitor; Amelia Potvin, CORE; Kent Zeltner, owner of Morning Star Solar in Edwards; Maggie Pedersen, Sierra Club volunteer; Marty Schlein, homeowner.

Brand residence, CarbondaleSolar electric and solar hot water collectors on roof, bi-facial solar awning on south wall, many energy efficiency features in this straw bale home. Homeowner Carrie Brand, in green shirt, talks with solar tour visitors.

Third Street Center, 520 S. 3rd St., Carbondale
52 kW solar electric system in multiple arrays across the roof of this reclaimed elementary school, installed by SoL Energy of Carbondale; extensive energy efficiency measures included in building renovation; solar thermal system to be installed fall 2010. Download the 3rd Street Center Energy Fact Sheet (1.3 MB, 2 pgs)

From left, Solar Energy International staffers Dan Giese, registrations and program assistant, and April Clark, communications and marketing director; and behind the tables at right, SEI Director Johnny Weiss and Jeff Dickinson, Third Street Center board member and sustainability team leader for CLEER, Clean Energy Economy for the Region.