40 Years of Northwest Solar | Sunrise Design Center

SIMPLE SOLAR POWER

The sun provides ten times all our energy needs everyday. Technology now gives us the tools to use solar energy as a world community.
Subsidizing nuclear power guarantees war. The rest of the world no longer needs to subsidize bomb production. Everyone can use simple, clean sunshine for energy needs.

By its very nature sunlight is evenly distributed.

By its very structure sunlight is decentralized.
The sun meets all our needs with no pollution to our atmosphere.
The sun requires no maintenance work.

first grid-intertie PV system for rural electric coop utility – KEC. Small solar electric system equals conservation for any utility.

Because it is decentralized sunlight can best be collected and easily used at its end point – both passively and actively – with minimal transmission losses.
Where there is direct solar only part of the year, mother earth gave us abundant indirect solar energy including but not limited to wood, water and wind. Now there is cogeneration, thank God.

The dams of our magnificent northwest rainforest equal storage costs which are half the cost of renewables power production. Because of this simple fact, in 1977 my husband and I moved to Spokane. I was asked to design the opera house complex but turned it down when asked to also design prisons. Instead we moved to CDA and I worked with Architects West and did some fine projects.
American Indian – Spo-kan = children – sun
Thanks to Ron Tan and Bill Dahlberg I remain in the area.

1977-1978 solar project at Architects West – Greenview Condominiums, Post Falls, Idaho on Spokane River
48˚ north
62 units – 1 BR to 4 BR

Greenview Condominiums 2013 from Templin Resort docks

plus variety of other projects including Kootenai County Courthouse Annex (photo anon)

and Schuler Auditorium

1979-1980 Adler Passive Solar Residence, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

9 times thermal mass to window area ratio so minimal temperature swings

Myrtle Adler 1980

passive solar system – direct gain 9 times thermal mass to window area ratio using sensible heat storage with water. design parameters – concert hall, classroom, art studio & greenhouse exterior – steel siding & liver rock quarried by Myrtle and son Bob.

Atagahi Solar Healing Lodge 1998

new owners require privacy. They are modifiying the house to meet their particular needs. It will be even more beautiful.

Site originally was a sawmill. Myrtle taught science at Shaw JHS, Spokane. She designed and built the first house. Fire destroyed. God wanted her to have a solar house.

1980 Kootenai County Work Release Center

Schematic Design done with Bob Rickerts, business partner, who also designed and built the earth-sheltered house at Hwy. 95 and Dalton – using pre-stressed concrete panels for the roof.

PASSIVE SOLAR PLAYHOUSES 1981

NIC Passive Solar Playhouses Designed and built for North Idaho College Headstart – demonstrating solar works to children. 3 basic passive solar systems = Direct Gain, Trombe Wall, & Greenhouse.
Designed to be portable, they were built with donated materials, wonderful volunteers and $400 grant from Curt Nelson, Engineering Dept.

South Site Elevation – left to right – 1.GREENHOUSE with water storage 2.TROMBE WALL with 8″ reinforced CMU wall directly behind glazing 3.DIRECT GAIN with 4″-thk. reinforced concrete back wall

Purpose: demonstrate solar works and monitor solar performance. Plans are available upon request.

Each playhouse has a 6’x6′ footprint

R50 roof
R30 walls
R10 Insulated reinforced concrete slab
fixed glass collectors = double-glazed slider refills
doors and slider windows for controlled ventilation.

top photo -volunteers
middle photo – volunteer Gary Telford
lower photo – volunteers Shelley Salter & Duane Primozich

1981 WASHINGTON WATER POWER (WWP) – SOLAR HOT WATER HEATER WORKSHOP with Blaine Peterson

1981-1982 WWP – SOLAR DOMESTIC WATER HEATING DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM – as per IPUC order, how much energy can be saved using solar energy to heat water in May and June? Results: 61% – 80% Reports available upon request.

BPA Solar House 1982 Spokane WA

Entry Perspective.

Combination of active and passive solar features. viz., attached central sunspace + direct gain + concrete thermal mass floor and wall. Attached garage with connecting breezeway. Flexible 2-3 bedroom floor plan allows site access from north or south side of dwelling.

East Perspective BPA Solar House 1982 Spokane

1982 BPA Solar House Spokane WA East Perspective

Direct Gain + attached central sunspace.

Composite Building Section – Summer Cooling Mode

For external cooling mode – temperature-activated fan at top of sunspace and/or easy-to-open upper window in sunspace. Cooling breeze created through dwelling from northside windows through doors and slider and out through sunspace. Doors and windows = dampers. Additional concrete thermal mass in floors and chimney keep temperatures cool. For internal cooling mode turn on fan only and circulate house air through concrete floor tubes.

Composite Building Section – Winter Heating Mode

BPA Solar House Winter Heating Mode Section

Solar Heating Mode: fan turns on when temperature reaches 85 at top of sunspace and slowly circulates warm air through insulated duct(s) and concrete chimney and floor tubes. Wood heating mode – internal loop through concrete chimney and concrete floor tubes. See diagram.

1981-1982 Solar education classes at North Idaho College. Touring educational classes with Bob Rickerts for the Idaho Energy Office. Cassettes available of Rickerts talks.

1981-1985 CALDWELL DOUBLE-ENVELOPE SOLAR RESIDENCE North Idaho

1984 ADDITION

son David at job site

COMPLETED CALDWELL ADDITION

Caldwell South Elevation

CALDWELL SOUTH ELEVATION TODAY

CALDWELL ENTRY TODAY

1983 Taylor Solar House located at Hackney Airfield near Athol in north Idaho.

Photo shows dwelling as seen today – Dunhams are now present owners.

Original structure was an airplane hanger.

In the 1970’s Art Fall helped start the North Idaho Building Contractors Association. He developed the waste-heat from septic tank system. Report available upon request.

Art designed and built various experimental solar and energy-saving houses in our area and in Moscow at the University of Idaho. Before his transition in 1989, Art Fall transferred the title of “energy nut” or “e-nut” to me – thank you, Art. Future section at my website will present and share some of Art’s projects, thanks to his wonderful wife, Sue Fall.

1984-1988 NIBCA Homeshows

NORTH IDAHO BUILDING CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION Homeshows

Some solar house designs.

For each homeshow participant I provided a perspective rendering and floor plan for advertising purposes.

Schmand Split-Level Solar House
1985

Stay tuned for more Homeshow renderings.

From 1984 to 1995 I designed a variety of projects including sanctuaries and dwellings for various clients – building designers, architects, realtors, builders and assessors – including Dave Salois, Gordon Longwell, Bill Dahlberg, Roxanne Gunther, Paul Heutter, Scott Weston, and Jim Miles.

Wombolt Lake Residence

1995

Wombolt Residence, Squaw Bay, Coeur d’Alene Lake

Deborah Katrina Warner with completed de la Salle statue

Deborah with de la Salle statue 1997 St. Mary’s College, Moraga, CA

de la Salle was a Catholic priest who educated the Indians. The 9-foot tall kneeling bronze statue is the campus focal point and from the entry looks like a perched eagle. Deborah helped artist Bruce Wolfe design and get manufactured the white terra cotta clay base – manufactured by Gladding McBean. She also helped design the Ceremonial Plaza.

de la Salle head before casting – oil- based clay over foam core

artist Bruce Wolfe working on oil-based clay atop foam core body in background at Artworks Studio, Berkeley March 1997

wax miniature in foreground

Wax miniature in foreground at Artworks studio in Berkeley – March 1997. Artist Bruce Wolfe working on full-sized hand (oil-based clay over foam core) in background.

Berkeley Foundry team plus St. Mary’s College team

posing in front of bronze sculpture base.

May 1997

Dedication ceremony for de la Salle sculpture

Dedication ceremony for de al Salle sculpture atop terra cotta base (by Gladding, McBean) at Ceremonial Plaza in front of St. Mary’s College Cathedral, Moraga, CA

June 1997

Ceremonial Plaza in front of Chapel, St. Mary’s College, Moraga, CA with de la Salle statue surrounded by water pond.

April 1997

Some projects with architect & longtime design friend, William E. Dahlberg (sudden unexpected transition in May 2007)

William E. Dahlberg, Architect and longtime design friend

Martin Residence Entry, Carlin Bay, Lake CDA

MARTIN RESIDENCE ENTRY ELEVATION Carlin Bay, Coeur d’Alene Lake, ID

2005 Major Remodel and Redux of former two-story artist’s studio and home into three-story residence

MARTIN RESIDENCE SOUTH PERSPECTIVE

Carlin Bay, CDA Lake

2005

NORTHWOODS VETERINARY HOSPITAL

NW corner Hwy 54 & N Meadow St

North Meadow Subdivision Athol, ID 2005

KIDD ISLAND CABIN

2005

Kidd Island Cabin from lakeside

KIDD ISLAND CABIN

from lake side

Bill and I designed many other residences

and multi-dwellings over the years.

To honor his memory I continue his good attitude

and service to all sectors.

FAMILY DENTAL CLINIC

west of Silver Lake Mall

Dalton Gardens

2003

St. Pius Addition 2003

ST. PIUS ADDITION

Coeur d’Alene ID

2003

PROFESSIONAL OFFICE BUILDING

Lincoln @ 95 south, CDA

2003

Bill Dahlberg, design friend and design partner for 30 years.

To honor his memory I continue his good attitude

and service to all sectors.

- - - - Ten times the amount of sunlight we need each day falls on our heads and homes.
      - The sun does not break down and need repairs.
      - The sun does not pollute.
      - When there is not enough direct solar energy there is stored solar energy in the water, wood and wind. Now thanks to technology and certain intellient souls, there is co-generation. We are learning how to harness and use that stored renewable energy twice over.

before Joy Redux 702 Government Way, CDA

2004 FUTURE JOYS SOLAR REDUX

702 N Government Way Coeur d’Alene, ID

(northeast corner of Foster and Government Way)

EXISTING 1928 RESIDENCE

before Joy Solar Redux

EXISTING 1928 RESIDENCE

Southwest perspective

EXISTING WELL-LOVED HOME

Southeast perspective

REMODELED RESIDENCE

JOYS SOLAR REDUX

Southeast perspective

WEST ELEVATION

JOYS SOLAR REDUX

northeast corner of Foster and Government Way,

Coeur d’ALene, ID

SOUTH ELEVATION

JOYS SOLAR REDUX

stay tuned for more details

SIMPLE SOLAR POWER

1979-1980 Adler Passive Solar Residence, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

1980 Kootenai County Work Release Center

PASSIVE SOLAR PLAYHOUSES 1981

BPA Solar House 1982 Spokane WA

1981-1982 Solar education classes at North Idaho College. Touring educational classes with Bob Rickerts for the Idaho Energy Office. Cassettes available of Rickerts talks.

In the 1970’s Art Fall helped start the North Idaho Building Contractors Association. He developed the waste-heat from septic tank system. Report available upon request.

1984-1988 NIBCA Homeshows

From 1984 to 1995 I designed a variety of projects including sanctuaries and dwellings for various clients – building designers, architects, realtors, builders and assessors – including Dave Salois, Gordon Longwell, Bill Dahlberg, Roxanne Gunther, Paul Heutter, Scott Weston, and Jim Miles.

Some projects with architect & longtime design friend, William E. Dahlberg (sudden unexpected transition in May 2007)

Ten times the amount of sunlight we need each day falls on our heads and homes.

The sun does not break down and need repairs.

The sun does not pollute.

When there is not enough direct solar energy there is stored solar energy in the water, wood and wind. Now thanks to technology and certain intellient souls, there is co-generation. We are learning how to harness and use that stored renewable energy twice over.