La Casa del Sol, EarthConnection and a solar golf cart three case studies in solar energy

Over a three-year period (1982-1985) 35 volunteers converted an old frame chicken coop into an energy efficient solar-based sustainable home called “La Casa del Sol” (The House of the Sun) using recycled and donated parts along with purchased items and services funded from periodic yard sales. The 1500 square-foot super-insulated passive-solar house that Sister Paula Gonzalez and Sister Mary Bookser have now lived in for nearly 30 years was built for less than $10 per square foot and uses less than 500 KWH of power per month. This is proof that sustainable living need not be costly or unpleasant. The success of “La Casa del Sol” led to a three-year year project (1991-1994) during which an unoccupied garage was transformed into EarthConnection Learning Center, an extremely energy efficient building that is sustainable down to the re-use of an old garage as its framework. One of the most sustainable features is its solar assisted geothermal system of 5000 feet of plastic tubing embedded in the ground that connects the thermal collectors filled with water on the roof. Solar PV panels generate electricity to power the heat pump directly and the building is equipped with super insulation and passive solar architecture that are highly energy efficient. The final case study is in mobile solar energy - an electric golf cart whose batteries are recharged by solar photo-voltaic panels.