There are many reasons why a Solar Home Tour is a good idea. It's fun. It's interesting. It's a great way to meet new people. But most of all, a Solar Home Tour is an excellent way to learn.

No matter how much we may have read about things like renewable energy, efficiency or green building, there's nothing like seeing, touching and walking through the real thing....and the Southern Nevada Solar Home Tour will immerse you in the experience directly. Seeing several homes (and other interesting buildings) in the same day, each with their own unique features, allows one to compare styles, concepts and techniques. It's a glimpse into our future.

On the tour, you may feel the difference between a stick-built home compared to one built with straw bales or other alternative technology. You may sense the positive effects of good daylighting on your mood or notice the absence of that "new home smell" when standing in a home designed for healthy indoor air quality. You may see the conceptual connections between the solar panels on the roof of a building and the electric meter spinning backwards, between a greatly reduced electric bill and the avoided generation of greenhouse gases and other undesirable byproducts of typical power plants.

This is where the "juice" is. Direct experience....Talking to fellow Southern Nevadans who have found ways to live lighter on the planet....To make a difference while at the same time, maintaining or improving their lifestyle and our environment. No matter how much we think we know, there's always plenty more to learn.

Through the generosity of the owners on this tour, who are opening their homes and volunteering their time, we gain from the experience. By sharing ideas and discussing them one on one, each of us just might find some exciting new ways we can make a difference in our community. THAT'S why a Solar Home Tour!

Solar Home Tour Flyer (PDF)