al •,f -~:,. d ' ii,1 .' • , I f $!- .)" .tt4, :)r _A✓,'- ··~~;·~·- l he reason I'm writing is to see if you , will help me pull together some info on low voltage, low amperage electrical generation. We were given a 12-volt DC windcharger to play with and would like to develop it into our home energy source al~mg with solar cells. I have1a 12-volt DC windcharger and would like to make contact with others using 12-volt DC or low-voltage, lowamperage tools and equipment around their homes. By swapping ideas on ap- .. plications, materials, tools and supplies, a viable alternative to commercial electricity could be developed. In addition, anyone out there using solar cells, please get in touch. I'm sure we could all learn from each other. Joel Davidson, Dutton, Arkansas 72726. ' I'll let you know what develops. Peace, Joel Dear Persons, Re: "Taking off the Gloves:" Glad to hear it! Start at'home with an examination of the solar house up near the Japanese gardens.* Your utility company is sowing sterile seeds of solar thought in the minds of your local folks._As Steve Baer might say. The utility doesn't call it a house, but that's what is intended. They call it a lab and brag about all of the data the place will produce for local builders, etc., regarding various solar possibilities. The place is in fact a 1280 sq. ft. solar • house built for $300,000.00! The guides will tell you, though, that you could install all of the energy-saving accouterments for a mere $35,000.00. If, of course, the items were readily available. They are not. The place is sterile. The place is another engineer's dream, with a nightmare of waterbottles, pipes, valves, multihued arrows and other gadgets which ·cannot fail to impress Mr. and Mrs. Homeowner that solar is a long way off. The exact sentiments I heard one time I was there. One upstairs bedroom is a prison cell. They have trouble keeping the pla~ts alive in the greenho~se portion. Even their circulator fireplace is garbaged down with gadgets: It has a fan ~ that no partymaker would ev~r allow t upset _the post-tofu conversations. · -. I asked about heat loss. They referred me to a computer printout. An- •• other person asked about photovoltaic cells and was told by a guide that there ~ . were none here for obvious reasons: th~ cells produce electricity, and the utility__ _ was not about to help the competition. Trash these smirking, down-talking bozos before they pollute many more minds with high-tech mistruths. Best regards, • Richard R. Rahders P.S. I am lucky enough to work with two architect/carpenters who have ~ common sense. So far, we have built two of their solar homes. Designed for people. One passive, one active heat. ~ Total operating equipment: one fan (in~ the active house, of course). *The Terra One House by.Skidmore, Owings ana Merrill and Pacific Power and Light, located at the Oregon Museum ofScience and Industry in Portland. ~ . ~ Editor's Note/ It's a comforting balanc~ to such technotwits to hear from Ray ~ Wiley down the valley from us that the well-insulated "Arkansas Houses" they ~ are building there are working better ~ _than expected- lowering electric heat- -. ing bills to $25 per year. Why bother with $35,000 machinations?·-TB February/March 1978 RAIN Page 21 JOBS Oregon State University.has a position for a State Extension Agent in Solar Energy to set up a statewide extension service program, tra1n agents, put together educational materials, yop name it. Contact Irma Sargent (immediately), 125 Extension Hall, Oregon State University,·Corvalljs, OR 97331·, Phone 503/7 54-2261. The Institute for Local Self-Reliance has a series of positions open: a Small Business Development Specialist, Urban Gardening Specialist, and an Attorney to help in various aspects of community economi~ development. Salaries are at $15,000 each. They also need an Editor/ Community Information Specialist to . co-edit their bimonthly, Self-Reliance. Salary for that ·one is $12,000. For more details, contact Harriet Barlow, ILSR, 1717 18th St., N.W., Washington, DC 20009, Phone 202/232-4108. Rural Alaska Community Action Program is looking for a Controller with professional managerial experience for the $5.5 million budget and their statewide staff of 250. Salary is about • $30,000 plus moving expenses for the right person. Deadline is February 10, so call or write immediately: Phil Smith or George Irvin, Rural CAP, P.O. Box 3-3908, Anchorage, AK 99501, Phone 907 /279-2441. Farallones Rural Center in Northern California needs a multi-talented soul to fly their way with spoon in hand and solar dryer on back to be their kitchen manager. Expedence in food service, nutrition, preservation of garden and orchard produce and teaching is necessary. Room, board and potential income from workshops in this 20-member self-sustaining research-education community. Contact'Farallones Institute, 15290 Colem·an Valley Rd., Occidental, CA 95465, Phone 707/874-3069. A generally good source of job listings is the Organizers Clearinghouse at the Western Office of the Youth Project (149 9th St., San Francisco, CA 94103, Phone 415/626-5570). They have a m~nthly listing of interesting positions flt a variety of experience levels from action-oriented groups all over the country.
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