On Saturday September 13th, folks from all around NoVA joined neighbors and local legislators for the first ever Solar Home Tour in NoVA.  We visited a handful of Loudoun County homes with both PV and thermal solar, educating local elected officials along the way.
After the tour, we sat down with Natalie Pien, who worked to organize the tour, and hear why using resident clean energy is important to her as a climate activist.
Q: Why did you want to organize a solar tour?
A: The tour was not my idea, but it was a great one that Phil Hostetter (a CCAN activist) came up with during CCAN’s activist conference call last Spring.  It is important to promote solar energy in Loudoun. I wanted to showcase homeowners who feel so passionately about using clean, renewable sources of energy that they have installed solar despite the lack of financial incentives.  These people understand the problem with using fossil fuels as an energy source and want to do whatever they can to reduce their carbon footprint.
Q: How have you used solar and retrofitting to reduce your home fuel use?
A: The solar panels on our roof is only one part of our home designed to lower our carbon footprint.  We installed the panels when there was limited funding from VA when it received federal funds to stimulate the state economy.  The Governor decided to designate the funds for solar installations.  Without that funding, we probably would not have been able to afford the installation.
Our home has other energy efficiency/lowering carbon footprint features, including:

• passive solar design;
• 2 X 6 framing to allow extra insulation on exterior walls;
• thermal mass in the form of water tubes and tiled, concrete floor;
• ductless, mini-split heat pumps, providing true zone controlled air conditioning.
• high energy washing machine
• energy efficient refrigerator
• practice composting in the kitchen and the yard
• vegetable garden
• hybrid car
• occasional commuting by bike

Q: What did you hope to accomplish with this tour? And, did you accomplish those goals?
A: The tour was a success!  We had elected officials from state government and town of Leesburg government.  These officials were able to learn what their constituents have encountered with installing solar under current conditions.  Each home was different, showing that any style home can use solar panels.  Also, each homeowner had different information and experiences to share. Tour attendees gained a new level of comfort they did not have before.  They also got a sneak peak to Solarize Leesburg, a program that will make it even easier to go solar.
Q: What was your highlight of the day?
A: I really enjoyed the last stop on our tour at Sunset Hills Vineyard. Owner Mike Canney gave a really powerful speech about his solar powered vineyard that was interesting and inspiring.  It is wonderful to have small business so passionate about solar.
To see more photos from the tour, check our Facebook album here.
Interested in getting involved in our solar work at CCAN? Click here to check out our new solar campaign!