THE BATTALION
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 1980
Page 11
iece of the Sun’ drawing consumers
h H United Press International
lACRAMENTO, Calif, — Cali-
Knia’s free guide to buying solar
Rrgy systems for the home is be
aming a best seller, and not just in
Golden State.
first 20,000 copies of “Get a
of the Sun” were grabbed in
k 1 f)W c mon ^ ls - More than a third of
I ■ ( I second printing of 50,000 copies
llVeasgone in another two months.
Bequests come from all over the
ndromt sa ^ Kathryn Ramsay, mana-
>ome pat# r ^e state Solar and Insulation
help f: •W'- that published the booklet,
well. bI
“We are trying to help the con
sumer protect himself from being
ripped off and get the most from his
solar energy dollar, ” Ramsay said in
an interview.
California has 40 percent of the
nation’s solar energy systems instal
led for heating air and water and air
cooling. More than half of that 40
percent are used exclusively to heat
swimming pools.
Ramsay said the booklet is a pro
duct of complaints and questions re
ceived by her unit in the Depart
ment of Consumer Affairs. The unit
mediates consumer complaints.
Many complaints result from con
sumer ignorance about solar energy
systems and solar contractors’ un
familiarity with the new technology.
“The solar energy industry is
being asked to grow up overnight
and have a perfect system,” Ramsay
said. “It is doing a good job. But
always when there is something
new, there’s more of a chance of
something going wrong. A consumer
has to be cautious. ”
For example, Ramsey said, roof
top solar collectors installed at a new
San Diego subdivision faced diffe
rent directions on many houses in
stead of the desired southerly direc
tion for maximum exposure to the
sun’s rays.
She said workers were told to face
the collectors toward the sun. As a
result, units installed in the morning
faced east, those installed at midday
faced south and those put in during
the afternoon faced west.
Basic solar energy systems are
either passive or active.
Passive involves structuring a
home to collect, store and distribute
the sun’s heat or protect the interior
from the heat with a minimum of
mechanical aids. Passive homes have
such features as large south-facing
windows, dense walls and floors, in
sulating window shutters, and strate
gically located shade trees.
Active systems use basic plumbing
equipment such as tanks, pumps and
collector panels to capture the sun’s
energy and convert it to practical
use.
Many solar homes combine both
systems.
The booklet says the average do-it-
yourseller can handle many energy
conservation tasks needed for install
ing a passive system. They include
attic insulation, weatherstripping
and caulking windows and doors.
An active system has mechanical
aspects, so its installation without
professional help calls for know-how
in plumbing and related techniques.
“If you have any doubts, hire or
consult a professional architect, de
signer or contractor,” the booklet
suggests.
The two biggest steps, it adds, are
selecting a suitable system and
choosing a professional to install it or
help in the installation.
The booklet recommends that
homeowners have a professional de
signer analyze their heat load re
quirements and hot water needs to
assure proper sizing of the system.
For a copy of the free booklet,
write: Solar &c Insulation Unit, Divi
sion of Consumer Services, Depart
ment of Consumer Affairs, 1020 N
Street, Room A-547-D, Sacramento,
Calif, 95814.
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