Canadian Triumph (no garden content)

A few months ago the NA Solar cars passed through Winnipeg, on their trip from Austin Texas to Alberta. Very interesting to see.

Calgary U, Queens and Western went on to the Australian race.

Queens withdrew, don't know what happened to Western and Calgary WON in its class. Totally awesome. 19 cars actually finished the race, from Darwin to Adelaide.

BTW, talking about solar power, there is a sub-division in Okotoks AB that is totally solar powered. Houses cannot be built fast enough.

Thank goodness we can talk about non-gardening things here on DG.

Yup, Queens withdrew, Calgary won in the Production Class (congratulations Calgary!!!!), and poor old Western - competing in the Open Class - trailed the field in 18th position all the way (I checked the official results on the Solar Challenge web site today). Here is a link to the Western News interview with the SunStang team http://communications.uwo.ca/western_news/story.html?listing_id=19892 in which the only mention by the team leader of the SunStang's ranking is that they don't know the official results yet. LOL I actually work here at Western, so I can commiserate with them not wanting to share that good news right away!
--Ginny

Hey, I lurk on this forum but have to say I'm delighted to see/hear ANY news about solar!!!

Hi darius! If you are really interested in solar, here's a link to Western Engineering's SunStang web site: http://www.eng.uwo.ca/sunstang/ . and here's a link to the official World Solar Challenge web site: http://www.wsc.org.au/2005/competition/ . Enjoy! --Ginny

Thanks. I've been a solar geek for many years, even built a couple of passive solar houses, and now hope to build one next year for my sister and me.

Keep us posted on your progress with the house once you get started darius. I'd be interested in hearing about it.

Inanda - Is there any significant price difference between traditionally powered homes in the area and the solar powered homes in that sub-division in Okotoks do you know? I wonder, if there is a higher price point, how long it takes to reach the return on investment point.

Ginny,

It depends very much on what tax or other rebates the Ont . govt. gives you. I know that there are many many SB (strawbale) houses in Ont with solar panels for heat, usually backed up by a wood stove. Very often the solar panels are used to heat underfloor heating, along with a heat pump. Talking about new houses here, both SB and stick houses.

Rules change all the time but with the kyoto accord and Ont. going to cut down greenhouse gases, there may be subsidies etc that I know nothing about. Check with Green Power in London (ont) 519-859-2634.

Pity that you just missed the SB house tour. It was last weekend.

We heated our swimmingpool by having a coil of 100 feet -maybe a 150 ft. coil - of black PBC that I originally bought to build a hoop greenhouse. We pumped the water through it and it really warmed up the pool very quickly.

Very simple.

There is a great book too, will have to get the name. Lent it to a kiddo after we finished building things out of it. Actually I want it back anyway, because I want to make some collectors for my windows.

Inanda

Those guys have been making headlines here in Calgary!

carol

Thanks, ginnylynn. I will. Lst year I designd a house for myself in the shape of a Nautilus (one bedroom) that would be perfect just for me, and easily made earth-sheltered and passive solar, with heating coils in the floor.

Just not sure how to enlarge it to a 2 bedroom, as each section is larger as the Nautilus grows!

Darius, What about a smaller rondavel with the heating coils attached to the major system. This would probably be cooler but as a bedroom, might not matter too much. You could still berm it. The trouble might be drainage where the two structures join.

Inanda

I've thought of the round houses... haven't done any efficiency studies, though.