Children's Education

Roasting marshmallows over a parabolic solar cooker...

Learning about different solar ovens...

Making cob bricks out of clay, straw, and gravel...

Throwing food scraps in the compost bin...

Playing with solar panels...

We kicked off spring field trip season last week by hosting our first children's tour on site -- with 70 Grade 3 students from a local public school. We had the kids rotating through seven stations to get their hands dirty in a number of areas related to renewable energy and sustainable living: solar cooking, natural building, composting, chickens, solar electricity, gardening, and a ride on our solar-powered carousel. I had the great privilege of teaching the kids how to cook with a solar oven, demonstrating the power of the sun by roasting marshmallows over a parabolic (curved concentrating) solar cooker. Needless to say, it was the most rewarding experience I've had in awhile.

p.s. For those friends who have expressed concern over the lack of variety in my wardrobe lately, I assure you that I don't wear overalls every day -- just on days when I happen to be photographed.

How to Design and Install Off-Grid Solar Systems

I started solar training this week with a two-day workshop on how to design and install an off-grid solar photovoltaic system. The highlight of the workshop was getting to know the 18 displaced and unemployed individuals participating in the Solar for All California program, which I wrote about a few postings back. During the breaks, I was able to chat with them to get a better sense of who they are and why they're participating in the program. Here are a few of my favourite stories:

Verne was born and raised on a local aboriginal reservation. He's been driving trucks his whole life, delivering heavy goods along the I-5 from the Bay Area to Los Angeles, but recently had an accident on the road that's preventing him from continuing in this line of work. The combination of this accident and the arrival of his twin children provided the perfect opportunity to find a new job that will allow him to stay closer to home.

Carlos was born and raised in Jalisco, Mexico, but moved to California in his twenties to build a better life. For the last 16 years, he's been working at a rehabilitation centre for troubled youth, until funding dried up recently and he was laid off. He found out about the program through a local employment service centre, and thought it was a great opportunity to learn a new trade and make a difference in the world.

Manny was born and raised in rural Nigeria, where most of his neighbours are not connected to the electricity grid. Those who are connected have sporadic service due to the inefficiency of the country's large state-owned electrical monopoly, which Manny says is corrupt and unreliable. He looks forward to taking the knowledge he acquires in this workshop back to Nigeria, where he hopes to start a small solar business to light up his community and improve the quality of life of his fellow citizens.

A good friend of mine who works in the solar industry has asked for more tech talk in my blog postings, so I've included a photo of my notes from the in-class portion of the workshop. I am proud to say that I now understand the difference between a volt, amp, and watt; that I can confidently distinguish between poly/mono crystalline and thin-film solar modules; and that I know how to wire a solar panel in parallel or series configuration.

Emily Uses a Power Tool

Montgomery Woods

This posting is dedicated to my dad -- nature photographer extraordinaire xo

I met a farmer last week who explained to me why he'd recently made the move from Montana to the Golden State: "California is home to the world's oldest tree, the world's tallest tree, and the world's largest tree. Enough said."

In this vein, I've decided to take a trip to all three, starting this past weekend with the world's tallest tree in Montgomery Woods State Reserve, about 25 miles northwest of Hopland. Towering at over 360 feet tall, these giant Redwoods reach for the sky like peaks of a cathedral.

Solar for All

Since I haven’t written about anything policy-related yet, I would like to profile an exciting new initiative that we’ll be launching next week at the Solar Living Institute. First off, I get very excited about the prospect of using renewable energy to fulfill social policy objectives. There are a number of reasons why I am drawn to renewable energy, most of which have to do with economic and environmental issues. But with the right mix of idealism and pragmatism, I believe that renewable energy can also be a powerful social policy tool by reducing utility bills, contributing to a healthier and cleaner local environment, and functioning as a source of community building and empowerment – all of which have important effects on overall quality of life. With this in mind, I am thrilled that the SLI is participating in a new project called Solar for All California, which will train a group of 18 displaced and unemployed individuals (50% from local aboriginal groups) to install 3 kW solar PV systems on 150 low-income single family homes.

The project is being coordinated by North Coast Energy Services (NCES), the LIHEAP (i.e. Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) provider for seven counties in Northern California – and includes a collaborative team of local governments, solar companies, non-profits, economic development organizations, and local aboriginal groups. The SLI is providing the training and certification for the 18 individuals selected for the installation component, and Real Goods Solar (SLI’s partner company) will be installing the systems and hiring the trainees as full-time employees after project completion. Funding for the project came from the Department of Community Services and Development, State of California.

In addition to the socio-economic benefits associated with the project, the solar installations (and some weatherization measures) are expected to generate a 50-90% reduction in energy consumption per household, and result in a carbon emission reduction equivalent to removing 3300 cars from the road!

Meet the Chickens

Rosalina and Sheila

Rosalina and Sheila

Wisconsin

The Twins

Rosalina and Carmelita

Ol' Crooked Leg

It's my first week on chicken duty, and I've spent most of my early mornings shooting portraits of them. On a daily basis, the chickens supply us with over a dozen of the most delicious eggs I have ever tasted. They also provide an endless source of entertainment throughout the day.

San Francisco Farmer's Market

One of the first places I like to go when visiting a new city is the local farmer's market, which is often a microcosm of the city's values, practices, and beliefs. The Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market in San Francisco is undoubtedly the most stylish farmer's market I have ever been to (take that, Prenzlauer Berg!) The market is run by the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA) -- a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting a sustainable food system. After waiting in the half-hour lineup for the trendiest cup of organic coffee in San Francisco (this place epitomizes the concept of slow food -- they french press AND filter each cup of coffee individually!), I fluttered from one vendor to the next, admiring the design of the signage and labeling attached to each stand and food item. I would seriously recommend this place just for the signs and labels. Which one is your favourite?