Solar Urban Neighborhood (SUN). Final report
The Solar Urban Neighborhood (SUN) project was conceived to demonstrate a widely applicable cooperative procedure for low and moderate income urban residents to conserve energy and promote neighborhood revitalization through installing affordable energy conservation and solar retrofit measures on their homes. The self-help retrofit systems demonstrated fan-assisted air panels for walls and a mansard roof as well as vented Trombe wall and a sunspace. Building upon a strong tradition of cooperation within their neighborhood (security watches, community gardening, bartering of skills for do-it-yourself projects), these Roxbury neighbors were able to use the DOE grant as a catalyst for doing a far more ambitious undertaking. Additionally, the project used elements of a private-public partnership since the project director was also an energy retrofit contractor with specialized equipment and skills to share, wholesale purchase access, etc. Countervailing negative forces which impeded the progress of the project were the very ambitiousness of the solar retrofit itself, the delays in receiving the initial start up grant advance and in overcoming zoning restrictions which required design modifications; and discovery of building defects (dry rot, carpenter ants) within the structures at the time of retrofit. Nevertheless, the SUN project did have a wide impact through formal and informal outreach; through an associated project, SUN-TECH, which promoted solar retrofit awareness and involvement of City of Boston building, energy, and housing officials; and through evolvement of a grass roots level public-private partnership.
- Research Organization:
- Ellertson (Jon), Roxbury, MA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG41-80R110400
- OSTI ID:
- 5898395
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/R1/10400-T1; ON: DE85006027
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Paper copy only, copy does not permit microfiche production
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
City of Phoenix - Energize Phoenix Program
Passive-solar heating and cooling demonstration project. Final report
Related Subjects
14 SOLAR ENERGY
ENERGY CONSERVATION
DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS
HOUSES
PASSIVE SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
SOLAR SPACE HEATING
ATTACHED GREENHOUSES
RETROFITTING
SOLAR AIR HEATERS
THERMAL INSULATION
TROMBE WALLS
URBAN AREAS
WEATHERIZATION
AIR HEATERS
BUILDINGS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EQUIPMENT
GREENHOUSES
HEATERS
HEATING
HEATING SYSTEMS
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR HEATING
SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
SPACE HEATING
WALLS
320101* - Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization- Residential Buildings- (-1987)
140901 - Solar Thermal Utilization- Space Heating & Cooling