Last Saturday, Robert guided us through the improvements the Boston House (1711 Mass. Ave NW) has made to the older building's windows, roof, water heating system and more. Significant savings were accomplished with off-the-shelf products that fit into the normal operation of a building.

Participants at a lively discussion about how to implement a number of the enhancements at their own condo buildings and explored additional ways energy could be conserved, such as making individual condo owners responsible for how much electricity and/or gas they consume.

Elements of the Boston House energy efficiency program
 
1. New windows with double panes have reduced air infiltration and heat loss through radiation.  

2. A new roof has an increased R level of insulation.  

3. New roof ventilation fans have reduced loss of heat or cool air.  

4. Core pipes of the heating and cooling system were upgraded with more efficient versions.  

5. Required condo owners to replace old convectors with new ones for better heating and air conditioning.  

6. Hallway lights have been changed to lower-wattage bulbs.  

7. New water heaters are not only more efficient in their own right, but automatically adjust to time-of-day use.  

8. Completed an extensive plumbing inspection and repair program to balance the hot water load, saving energy and providing more comfort.  

9. Presently shopping for a new air-conditioning chiller which will save electricity significantly (perhaps more than 25% over the old chiller).  

10. Establishing a meter-reading and utility bill monitor reading program for more intense analysis.  

11. Board frequently researches, discusses and debates alternative energy technology, such as solar hot water heating and green roofs.

Local Solar 101 Resource Guide
File Size:	61 kb
File Type:	pdf

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Local Solar 101 PowerPoint Presentation
File Size:	2435 kb
File Type:	pdf

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On October 1, CarbonfreeDC hosted the workshop Local Solar 101: Harnessing the Sun in the DC Metro Area.

The Local Solar 101 work shop covered the benefits of solar power and how you can successfully implement it in the DC Metro area. Neville Williams (Standard Solar) and Lesley Hunter (ACORE) presented. Above you can download the PPT and resource guide that was handed out.

Speaker Biographies

Neville Williams, Founder & Chairman Emeritus, Standard Solar
(http://www.nevillewilliams.com)

In 1997 Williams founded the Solar Electric Light Company (SELCO) and was the CEO and chairman until 2003. SELCO has now installed over 100,000 solar home lighting systems in developing countries, bringing household electricity to half a million people. Williams recounted this experience in "Chasing the Sun: Solar Adventures Around The World," a book which chronicles his 14-year effort to finance and implement solar power solutions.

In 2004, Williams came back to the USA and started Standard Solar, based in Gaithersburg, MD, which sells and installs grid-tied residential and commercial solar electric systems in the DC Metro area. The company has installed over 100 solar power systems in the DC area and recently installed a 204kW solar array atop US Deptartment of Energy headquarters near the National Mall. Williams is the chairman emeritus of Standard Solar.

Lesley Hunter, American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) (http://www.acore.org; hunter@acore.org)

Lesley Hunter recieved her Bachelor's degree in International Studies from the University of California, San Diego and recently analyzed the feasibility of utility-scale photovoltaic arrays on rooftops in the United States for the American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE).