"SolFest"

Real Goods/Solar Living Institute (RG/SLI)
 Annual Expo of Appropriate Technology (AT), 
Renewable Energy & Sustainable Living

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Report by Cliff Thompson,
Appropriate Technology Evangelist, Paths of Native Africa,
Webmaster, Friends of African Outlet SIG 

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9th Annual SolFest 2004 

Virtual SolFest

RG/SLI's Solar Living Center hosted SolFest 2004, the largest to date, around 10,000 folks the weekend of August 8/21-22, in Hopland, CA. The day before, the Ecological Farming Association, in collaboration with SLI, hosted "…a renewable energy tour of north coast farms…" also exhibiting at SolFest. The Event Guide description read "The tour will begin at Laguna Farm in Sebastopol, which is a veggie oil/biofuel farmer resource megalopolis, then you will ride a veggie bus to the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center (OAEC) for lunch and a discussion of photovoltaics and renewable energy, and end at Harmony Farm Supply with an even more hands-on discussion of PV on coolers, pumps etc.".  This year SolFest offered more resources than ever for AT (Maps (1, 2), Exhibitors (1), Workshops (1, 2); Photos (Overview (1, 2, 3),  Exhibitors (1, 2, 3), Workshops (1), Speakers (1,2), Party (1)). I once again ran into exhibitor "Sebastopol Heat & Cool" booth #93 Solar PV Engineer & "Drums for Solar" President Bruce Rhodes, & attendees African Outlet/Paths of Native Africa Officers Judah & Horgan, (this time joined by Officers Tony & Judy). 


Workshops

I again did the 2-day Workshops marathon (10 1-Hour sessions), last year having covered the "Renewable Energy" Track (Solar/Wind/MicroHydro/BioDiesel/Hydrogen), this year covering the next tracks "Green Building" & "Natural Home" Construction, covering Ecological Design, Natural Building Options & Building Construction with Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs), Alternative Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs, a.k.a. RASTRA), Straw Bales, Cob & Hybrid Adobe. 

Among the workshops were several highlights:

• Passive Solar/Ecological Design: Dan Chivas discussed (1) initial building energy assessment (optimizing energy efficiency & preventing leakage) & (2) passive solar home design (true (not magnetic) polar axial home alignment with yearly solar seasonal motion, south facing windows under appropriately extended roof eaves, thermal mass heat sink black body radiators such as stone tile floors & fireplaces…), these 2 preliminary tasks advisedly being done before installing your 1st solar panel. In the workshop, an ideal passive solar home was identified as a simple rectangular cottage-sized house. All of the calculations, diagrams & building material choices are thoroughly covered in Dan's books such as "The Solar House - Passive Heating and Cooling", "The Natural House - A Complete Guide to Healthy, Energy-Efficient, Environmental Homes (Amazon Look Inside)" & "The New Ecological Home - A Complete Guide to Green Building Options" (covers retrofitting existing homes), while complete instructions for building an appropriate rectangular house are available in President Jimmy Carter's namesake organization's "Habitat for Humanity" new book, "Habitat for Humanity: How to Build a House (the back cover shows a house photo)". Dan mentioned a handy solar calculating device, the "Solar Pathfinder", described in the Exhibits section below. Dan also recommended "The Last Straw", an "International Journal of Straw Bale and Natural Building" which publishes an annual Resource Guide offering a directory, by area, of local suppliers of the spectrum of natural building materials. Lastly, for a showcase of these construction methods, integrated with AT, serving as a model of Sustainable Living as instituted in  a real world working organic farm, Dan recommended a visit to "Hidden Villa".
  
  

• Straw Bale building, originated in Nebraska where wood is scarce, shortly after the "mechanical baler" was invented, is the most ubiquitous natural building method, applicable & effective over the widest range of Earth's climates & environments. Structures are set on a foundation of gravel (up to a foot high to keep dry) & come in 2 general forms (1) "load bearing", which are "timber-frame free" wall structures made solely of stacked straw bales, on top of which a frame roof is supported (2) "non-load bearing", which utilizes a timber frame where the bales are set within the wall spaces for insulation. The Solar Living Center (SLC) is built this way & offers a cut-away section of wall, called a "truth window", in the back right corner of the store, showing the layers of frame, bale & plaster (SLC review noting truth window). Building Code considerations, in Counties like Mendocino, Humboldt & to a lesser extent Sonoma, include options like (1) room structures less than 120 square feet can be built of a wide variety of materials & could include more than one structure where there are no multiple building restrictions (2) Class K Owner Building requires only that an architect/engineer sign your plan & doesn't require blueprints or structural calculations (3) Universal Building Code "Experimental Building Permit" generally passes building inspector forms if they can check off "wood frame structure" (i.e. non-load bearing bale) (4) Building Code Clause "Alternate Building Materials/Methods" may work for you if you can prove your structure "meets with the intent of the code". US Government loans for Straw Bales homes are even gaining support from Fannie Mae (see paragraph 10) , while another possible financing resource may be the Permaculture Credit Union.

Exhibits

Of the exhibits, highlights included several innovative technologies:

• The Colorado Yurt Company: On display was a 20 foot diameter, elevated hardwood floor, all weather yurt, nicely equipped with windows, skylight, deck, & AT for solar panels & options for the usual AT-friendly appliances & utilities, with a setup/teardown time of about a day. Larger yurts are available, while multiple yurt configurations offer "room privacy" options.
  
  

• Solar Pathfinder: In the exhibit booth adjacent Bruce's, "Solar Pathfinder" booth #92, a very handy, analog computer calculator, "astrolabe/sextant-like" device for calculating, mapping & performing a solar site analysis was demonstrated, billed as "an instrument which has the unique ability to give quick, accurate solar/shade information for the entire year. Has proven to be the instrument of choice for your industry…".
  
  

• Solar Powered Cooling Misting Fan: Stand-alone portable solar powered appliances such as a portable solar powered WindChaser Outdoor Misting Fan, at the base of which a small toolbox contained a battery & DC-to-AC Inverter, were assembled with off-the-shelf gear from Orchard Supply Hardware & Kragen Auto Parts. Several such fans at various locations kept you cooled-off as you traveled about, & were greatly appreciated in the very hot sun, suggesting possibilities for staying cool during some kinds of activities when working outdoors in African villages like Horgan's village in Nigeria, where water is available from a nearby stream. Additionally, at the SLI store, one could buy Portable/Wearable Cool Misting Sprayers, some forms of which come with fan, such as the Mini Aqua Fan. For larger cooling applications, for that matter, an actual "Active Solar Cooling" small scale air conditioning system, powered by a solar photovoltaic (PV) system's AC side, could run a portable air conditioner, (prices for which are dropping to the below $500 range), or at least a relatively inexpensive portable evaporative air cooler.
  
  

• African Wind Power Generators, a favorite being the Model AWP 3.6, from North American importer/distributor "Abundant Renewable Energy" booth #98 who "offer on and off grid units and build towers for the machines."
  
  

• Solar Hot Water, Wind Power & Biodiesel Processor: Solar/Wind Power demonstrated several solar hot water systems, while Southwest Windpower offered a number of wind turbines. Biodiesel Solutions showcased their amazingly compact biodiesel processor system "FuelMeister".
  
  

• Electric Vehicles: A range of vehicles, from camper to bike, were shown, including several innovative designs from WaveCrest, Intergalactic Hydrogen, Electric Motorsport, Electric Cyclery & Solar BikeRayce (2003 photos).
  

AT Intern Program

At the end of the last day, after the last workshop, visiting the last exhibit, the SLI Information booth, I was informed of what to me was the most exciting resource & offering at the event, as I got to talking about the SLI "Intern Program" with one of this years interns, who described her experience & painted a general scenario as follows:

SLI offers an innovative AT "Intern Program" flexible enough to cater to a wide range of people of varied backgrounds, to enable a person to launch a career in AT, from scratch, even for those with no previous experience & no ability to pay, by means of a "Work-Study/Exchange Program", if the person's sincerity to contribute & desire to make a difference, coupled with a willingness to commit sufficient personal physical, emotional & mental "sweat equity" resources, in exchange for training & certification, is strong enough. Overall there are several main aspects to the program:

• Submit Training Request: The AT Intern applicant submits a request for the kinds of AT training in which they're interested (Solar PV Engineer, Natural Building Construction, Permaculture Specialist…).
  
  

• Arrange Work Exchange: After a candidate is accepted for the program, they agree to provide typically 20-34 hours/week working on SLI site, systems maintenance and special projects, under SLI staff guidance, ideally across various areas, (office, garden, events, AT gear maintenance...), in exchange for blocks of time (1-several days) after work, to take the SLI's formal AT training program Workshops (for example, "5-Day" Workshops typically range around $600, individual Workshops typically $135), paid for in work exchange labor rather than money.
  
  

• Real World Work Experience: The Work Exchange, in turn, also provides real world work experience in the very fields of study being trained for, at a leading place in the world to work in AT, the SLI itself, & provides the AT worker with a solution to the beginning job hunter's "Catch 22" - you have the training but employers won't hire you because you have no experience, but you can't get the experience until they hire you. However, with the SLI "work-study" approach, you can confidently inform prospective employers that, in addition to your completed training & certification, you've been working in AT for some time, currently at the SLI, who's staff in turn can provide respected references. 
  
  

• Intern Program Duration: The Intern program normally lasts for 3 months but often can be extended/repeated. 
  
  

• Eligibility: Though the Internship webpage "Eligibility and Requirements" section states "This program is open to all students with at least one year in undergraduate studies. All students interested in making a difference in the world are welcome to apply", it does not seem an absolutely rigorous requirement, as bio's of a number of this & last year's interns (2004, 2003) show several who did not appear to exactly meet this requirement but were nevertheless accepted.
  
  

• Room/Board & Food: During the intern period, room/board & food is provided, as described on the Internship webpage "Benefits" section: "Students will be growing some of their own food on site supplemented with a weekly food allowance. During good weather, primitive camping is available on site. Individuals may choose to sleep under the stars or in their own tent. Winter housing is provided in our 30' renewable energy-powered dome. There is a community cooking area and hot showers are provided through a solar hot water system year-round. Interns will be able to attend workshops free of charge (a $135 value for each workshop day) on a space available basis." 
  
  

• Time Off: As described on the Internship webpage "Additional Comments" section, "Interns will have access to numerous recreational activities in the area. There are lakes and rivers nearby for canoeing, sailing, fishing, river rafting and tubing...There are plenty of nearby opportunities for hiking, on and off road cycling, camping...and several hot springs for soaking and relaxing nearby." 
  
  

• Career path with RG/SLI: A unique career path possibility, as training is completed, is working at SLI itself for a while, fulfilling positions such as staff person, workshop instructor or AT-desk consultant, then later advancing to join the "Real Goods Design and Consulting Group", initially as Team Member, finally as Project Manager, for AT projects of all sizes, across the country & around the world. Starting out working at RG/SLI would be an ideal employer to list on a resume, when seeking employment with any AT firm in the industry.
  
  

• Employer Contact & Networking Opportunities: Being on-site for the training provides additional benefits for the AT job seeker, particularly in the area of networking - every day provides opportunities for meeting AT business professionals & clients who are continually passing through the RG/SLI on business, some recruiting for AT-trained people, all of whom represent contacts for future employers, clients & referrals - this is especially true at events like SolFest, where industry exhibitors you can access directly number in the 100's, & where you, as a Solfest exhibitor offering your services to SolFest attendees, are reaching potential clients who number in the 1,000's.
  

Further AT Studies


Information on a number of Degree Programs in AT for post-intern work showed up at SolFest:

• De Anza College: The mid Silicon Valley Cupertino Junior College offers Environmental Studies Certificate and Degree Programs in the areas of Environmental Compliance, Energy Management Technology, Biodiversity Specialist & Environmental Studies.
  
  

• Presidio World College: The San Francisco College offers an MBA in Sustainable Management degree whose description reads, "...integrates social environmental and ethical values with core business competencies. Monthly weekend classes with online learning designed for working adults."
  
  

• Sonoma State University: Their Department of Environmental Studies & Planning offers several Academic Programs & Study Plans for Bachelor Degrees & runs an Environmental Tech Center (ET Center, Earth Lab) which provides a Green Building Professional Certificate Program (info)

Post SolFest Followup:  Visit to "sustainable architecture and agriculture" based organic farm "Hidden Villa"


Returning from SolFest to my new place in Los Altos, I was amazed to find, quite coincidentally, that Hidden Villa was located on Moody Road just one freeway stop before home. I visited the Farm, taking a "Self-Guided Tour"; besides the several animal barns & pens (chickens, pigs, goats, sheep, horses) & vegetable gardens, there's a Forge & several examples of  "Green Building" & "Natural Home" Construction including a Yurt, an Earth Berm House & multi-cabin International Youth Hostel, culminating in the Wolken Education Center (WEC), built by San Luis Sustainability Group (1, 2). WEC has the following description on it's webpage: "Its passive solar design used super-insulating straw bale walls and thermal water tanks for distributed mass. Photovoltaic roof panels provide the electricity needs of the building. The passive solar features and super-efficient appliances mean that the WEC will use 73.5% less energy than a typical building of its size.". Sample upcoming Hidden Villa 2004 events include "'Sustainable Building Seminar: Size Matters. Reducing the environmental impact of big houses' (Friday, September 10, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. $25 per person, lunch included. AD (Adult Program))"  & "'Green Remodeling Fair. Learn about products that can help green your next home remodeling project. Visit with vendors, attend talks and see examples of green building practices' (Saturday, October 16, 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. $10/person. AD)".

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8th Annual SolFest 2003

SolFest 2003 saw nearly 10,000 folks in August at Hopland, CA (photos). In the 100+° heat, I managed to stay a bit cooler wearing a uniquely AT-engineered head covering, (a SEQUEL  Solar System  River Rhat Sun Hat, whose embedded reflective foil breathable mesh heat dissipation system (diagram) proved as effective in Hopland as it did a few years ago on a trip my wife & I took through Malaysia), the hat made cooler still by attaching to it's brim a Real Goods "Clamp On Solar Hat Fan". A further pair of portable cooling devices, a portable wearable micro evaporative air cooler work around the back of the neck, the Sharper Image Personal Cooling System 2.0, provided a sheet of cooled air falling over the neck & back, which proved effective while sitting under the workshop tents, especially when used with occasional spritzs of cool water mist from a portable cool misting sprayer like Mini Aqua Fan. For cooler pants, a pair of Ex Officio Convertible Amphi Pants with built-in mesh brief, in shorts mode, also double as a swim trunk, for those post-SolFest dips into nearby Russian River swimming holes, while for cooler footwear, a pair of Maseur Sports Sandals provide for air flow under the foot by supporting the foot on a raised platform of "coin mat like" supporting column "nodules" which also provide total support (arch, heel, ball). 

At SolFest I ran into attendees African Outlet/Paths of Native Africa Officers Judah & Horgan &, of the exhibitors, 2 were from Mali, West Africa - "Taste of Africa" restaurateur Abdul Niang, (serving a tasty Mali cuisine favorite, the chicken dish Mafé), & "Drums for Solar" President Bruce Rhodes - a pretty amazing coincidence, finding these 2 Malians in Hopland, CA, considering Paths of Native Africa/Friends of African Outlet SIG was shifting into  high gear on it's Mali Water Pump Project at the time.


Workshops

I did a 2-day Workshops marathon, 12 1-Hour sessions covering the "Renewable Energy" Track spanning generating power from Solar (Photovoltaic (PV), Integrated Solar Roofing, & including Solar Heating/Cooling / Solar Hot Water / Solar Water Pumping), Wind (Windmills), Water, (Micro Hydro river turbine generators), BioDiesel & Hydrogen (Fuel Cell).

Among the workshops were several highlights:

• General Power Circuit: An overview of the common components of the general AT power circuit.  The input(s) typically consist of an array of solar panels, but could also include a mix of windmill(s) & micro hyroelectric(s). Power from the input source then travels to a Voltage Regulator (to smooth out variations in energy), then is sent on & split into two branches, DC & AC. The DC branch ends in a bank of typically 12-60 Deep Cycle batteries (different than, but resembling, car batteries) & a connector panel routing power to DC devices. The AC branch passes through an Inverter to convert DC-to-AC, then ends in a connector panel routing power to AC devices & optionally, the utility grid - the grid option, called an "inertie system", sells power back to the utility, causes the "meter to run backward", reducing one's utility bill, & treats the grid network as a giant "storage battery". The entire SLI is powered by such a system from Beacon Power Corporation, running their popular "M5 5kW Grid-tied PV Solar Powered Conversion System" (scroll down the specs page 2 to see circuit diagram) & the system can be seen in action by looking through a window labeled "Control Room" at the end of the SLI building.  Within the SLI building, in the store, is a "Science Fair like"  exhibit of the components of a typical PC system, which is also more fully explained on a Beacon Power web page titled how solar power works.
  
  

• Biodiesel: Made from "biomass" ranging from mass quantities of vegetable matter stored in ground pits, to used restaurant cooking oil stored in gallon plastic buckets.  To these sources are added a catalyst chemical mix (notably "lye") for a reduction process that's repeated several times until a clear combustible liquid emerges as a high quality diesel fuel.
  
  

Exhibits

Several exhibits offered innovative technologies:

• "Drums for Solar", a non-profit run by President & Solar Appropriate Technologist Bruce Rhodes, from Mali, West Africa, arranges for villages to sell their handicrafts in exchange, & to pay for, solar technology. Bruce has established a network of Malian Solar PV Engineers, & has further arranged the setup of an eLearning system for village Malians to receive AT training & certification in solar engineering over the web, so that they themselves can determine and administer their own local village AT projects.
  
  

• Biodiesel & Hydrogen Fuel Cell: Outside SLI, occupying the volume of a washer/dryer machine & resembling a miniature chemical plant, a compact biodiesel system offered input tanks for oil & output about a quart of diesel at a time. Also on display, on a table in an empty fish tank, was a "Science Fair like" exhibit of a solar powered Hydrogen Fuel Cell working model.
  
  

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Closing Summary Statement

A  quote from the printed SLI Course Schedule of Workshops says it all:

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has" -- Margaret Mead

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Epilog

The Ecological Farming Association farm tour's end at Harmony Farm Supply was located, coincidentally, right next door to one of Bruce Rhodes' other workplaces, "Ace-in-the-Hole", a restaurant/pub microbrewery specializing in ciders ("America's 1st Cider Pub") & offering unique musical entertainment (including country zither), where Bruce is Manager for California Cider Company. Between SolFest days, Bruce let me stay over overnight at his place in nearby Sebastopol, (sparing me the long "commute" betwixt SolFest & my new place in mid Silicon Valley Los Altos) & provided an excellent "Hang Out" experience those evenings, as we enjoyed ribs & cider, accompanied by zither music & lively discussion of SolFest-related topics, notably colonialism, capitalism & general global, political, economic, social & sustainability issues, ending with a look at potential new energy sources emerging from modern physics (vacuum zero-point energy), and current developing scientific concepts  of the Nature of Reality and Mind. much of which was controversially stimulated by SolFest speakers & events. During the talks I recalled a number of related resources which tended to vindicate &/or put in perspective the impact of the many issues addressed at SolFest. Of particular value were the following:

• "Commanding Heights", a PBS documentary covering the 1990's World transition to a single Global Economy & the impact on, & control of, World Resources. Available on DVD (Vol. 1, 2, 3) & Web (Note: all the video on the DVDs is also available as clips on the Commanding Heights web site via the link path...
  Storyline > Episode (#): see the chapter menu > Chapter (#) : (title) Video: (player...bandwidth...) low|high.
  
  

• "The Corporation", the recent documentary film, is an excellent follow-on companion to "Heights"; in the film, the carpet manufacturing corporation "Interface" is profiled as taking a promising path toward Global Sustainability (see their web site's navigation links "Our Goals", "Getting There", "The Results", as well as their page on "Sustainability"). All the resources noted in the film are listed on The Corporation web site page of links, & the film is available on DVD.
  
  

• "Capitalism, the Next Generation", a.k.a. "...'Bounded Capitalism'...embracing the 'Philosophy of Enough'...[a.k.a.]...the Doctrine of Enough or the Theory of Limits…[as proposed by] …United Kingdom Founding Father of Management Education, Social Philosopher/Managerial Psychologist Professor Charles Handy…" is described on the Friends Of African Outlet Website "Mission Statement (scroll down to '(3) Philosophy of Enough')".
  
  

• "Peace Corps Social Psychology", information I received from the  Peace Corps Resource Center Technician, as described on the Friends Of African Outlet Website, Appropriate Technology Resource Directory, Peace Corps Resources page, inquiry & response section (scroll down to "Peace Corps Inquiry" & "Peace Corps Response") concerning their initial community "1st Contact" method of "Appreciative Inquiry" & follow-on results, which they've detailed on their Peace Corps Volunteer Training Manuals web page, in the sections on  Methods & Training.
  
  

• "Weeping Camel", the recent documentary film that shares an intimate look at indigenous Mongolian nomadic yurt-based culture & offers a "double surprise ending" involving mysteriously effective shamanic psychiatric veterinary practices & the arrival of Appropriate Technology, is available on DVD.
  
  

• Quantum Physics/Quantum Consciousness : Several very approachable, plain English, profusely illustrated and  thorough-going laymen's accounts can be found in the following resources:
  
  

  • Physics: Stanford Physicist Nick Herbert's book "Quantum Reality : Beyond the New Physics", City University of New York Physicist Michio Kaku's book "Hyperspace: A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes, Time Warps and the Tenth Dimension" and Columbia University Physicist Brian Greene's book "The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory" and PBS NOVA Documentary which includes all episodes video online. A discussion of zero-point energy from the energy-filled vacuum of space is available at Institute for Advanced Studies Dr. H. E. Puthoff's article "Quantum Vacuum Fluctuations: A New Rosetta Stone of Physics?"
    
    

  • Consciousness: Physicists Fred Alan Wolf and Jack Sarfatti's book "Space-Time and Beyond: Toward an Explanation of the Unexplainable", Stanford Physicist Nick Herbert's book "Elemental Mind: Human Consciousness and the New Physics" and University of Oregon Physicist Amit Goswami's book, "The Self-Aware Universe: How Consciousness Creates the Material World"
    
    

• "Synchronicity" - it seems remarkable that, in tracking down AT resources for Paths of Native Africa/Friends of African Outlet SIG Projects such as the "Project: Water Pump", for the Project's Dogon village peoples living on the Bandiagara Escarpment area in Mali, West Africa., that we encountered several remarkable coincidences clustered together along the way, to wit: 
  
  

  • At the largely US-oriented SolFest in tiny Hopland, CA, meeting not one but two exhibitors from Mali, one of whom, "Drums For Solar" Bruce Rhodes, happened to have come up with an exceptional solution for the kind of model our group had been searching for to serve our Mali Project, & the other of whom, "Taste of Africa" Abdul Niang, would, within a few months, & for the 1st time in over a decade, happen to be returning to his home in Mali adjacent the Bandiagara close enough to our Project's village for him to arrange a reconnaissance visit.
    
    

  • The SolFest farm tour ending in Sebastopol at the address adjacent Bruce Rhodes "3^rd workplace", (in addition to "Sebastopol Heat & Cool" & "Drums for Solar"), a position which I was unaware of until that day.
    
    

  • The SolFest Workshop-recommended visit to the model of real-world implemented sustainability farm "Hidden Villa" turning out to be just a freeway stop away from where I'd just moved to the week before.
    

  To consider these events as being attributable to mere, or sheer, chance seems itself a stretch of the imagination. If there is more to it, trying to understand this phenomenon recalls the strong efforts made during the mid 19^th century, as the modern models of both Psychology & Physics were emerging, concerning this very topic, that arose from discussions between Co-Founder of Modern Psychology Dr. Carl Jung & Co-Founder of Modern Physics Wolfgang Pauli, concerning the interaction of Consciousness & Quantum Field in phenomena like "The "Observer Effect", from which discussions emerged the concept of "Synchronicity", or "Meaningful Coincidence". A fairly intriguing report germane to this topic can be found on the Society for General Systems Research (SGSR) International Society for the Systems Sciences (ISSS) Special Integration Group (SIG) Primer Group website page on Synchronicity.