The Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES) has recently concluded its solar home tours throughout Colorado, allowing homeowners curious about clean energy to peruse other peoples’ homes in order to learn about photovoltaic technology and how it can potentially work for them.

Now that the home tours for this year are over, has CRES seen a rise in the number of people interested or excited about installing solar panels on their homes?

Cliff Kotnik, coordinator of the Colorado Springs solar tour for CRES said, “We added between five and ten more people to our chapter’s official membership list during the tour organizing process and at the tour itself.”

Solar home tours give attendees a chance to see firsthand solar energy working for homeowners, and they are a place to converse with fellow clean-energy advocates.

“People come with all sorts of goals. Certainly many are considering installing some renewable energy equipment. Some people just enjoy discussing renewable energy. Rebates are a hot topic. The do-it-yourself spirit is very much alive in renewable energy.”

Krotnik said it wasn’t just homeowners who were present at the home tour events.

“In addition to the homeowners’ stops, we invited the local utility and various [solar] installers to the home base. This gave people a chance to have detailed discussions and, at times, line up a follow-up visit,” said Kotnik. “A number of home-energy audit firms also were at the home base, and I know some deals were closed,”

In clean-energy form, CRES is also keeping an eye on the future and working to educate young people.

“Another push we made this year was to get school-age folks involved. Students from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) were our hosts for the home base,” Kotnik said, “In the courtyard at the home base, we have various photovoltaic demonstrations and solar cooking. People often spent a lot of time at these events with their kids. The common thing is that people want to learn, and we try to facilitate that.”

Pictured: participants listen to a guide on a solar tour in Vancouver. Image courtesy of vrec.ca.