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Our
Breakfast Buffet
Saturday and Sunday 6:30-9:30AM in the Pavilion:
Breakfast buffet of hot dishes, tortes and fancy breads,
fresh-baked rolls, muffins and cobblers, and whole-grain cereals and
yogurt. Something for every taste, different each day. Breakfast
tickets $8.00 at the door.
THE
JOHN DAY VALLEY FARMER'S MARKET
The fourteen growers of the John Day Valley Farmer’s
Market hope you will stop by their booth at the north side of the
Pavilion to try their farm-fresh fruits and vegetables. Munch some
vegies for lunch and take a basket of bounty home with you!
The average bite of food in the US has traveled 1500 miles
before you consume it. Local food is fresher, more sustainable, and
supports your local farmers!
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EORENEW’S
TWO SOLAR ELECTRIC SYSTEMS |
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Members of the
first pre-SolWest hands-on workshop raise the solar array at the
fairgrounds in July 2000. |
The Grant County Fairgrounds GridTie: While
you are at SolWest, check out our grid-intertied solar electric
system, installed as a hands-on workshop in 2000. You can find the
solar array and inverter in the Solar Power Cage, and the intertie
meters on the south end of the RV Park restroom (in the center of the
track). The system consists of 16 BP/Solarex VLX70 panels on a rack
made by Two Seas Metalworks, and a Xantrex Suntie XR inverter. Green
Tags for electricity produced by the Grant County Fairgrounds Gridtie
system are sold to Pacific Power’s Blue Sky Renewable Energy.
The EORenew Solar Office:
In 2001, a hands-on workshop installed the solar electric system that
powers EORenew’s office. Four 90W PhotoWatt panels on a UniRac
roof mount on our building power a system consisting of 6 Dynasty
105Ah batteries, an RV Power Products (now Blue Sky Energy) MPPT
charge controller, an Exeltech XP1100 inverter. Special thanks to
Ralph Hiesey of Bogart Engineering for our new TriMetric Amp-hour meter!
Take the walking tour of our solar installations on Saturday at
10:00, meet outside the Solar Power Cage. |
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Thanks to workshop instructors Richard Perez and
Joe Schwartz of Home Power Magazine, and equipment sponsors BP Solar,
Matrix Solar Technologies, Two Seas Metalworks, Xantrex Technology,
UniRac, Exeltech, Blue Sky Energy, Bogart Engineering, Schott,
Southwest Solar and Solar Depot. James Sanders Construction, B&D
Electric, Energy Outfitters, Electron Connection and Sunlight Solar
also contributed to these projects. -- Thanks to Bogart Engineering
for the new TriMetric amp-hour meter for the office! |
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E-vents
The
SolWest Electrathon
An Electrathon will provide lightweight electric vehicle
racing excitement each day at 11 AM on the Pavilion parking lot.
Electrathon rallies have been a popular sport in Great Britain and
Australia for over a decade. The goal of Electrathon is to provide a
spectator sport that will build public awareness of the capabilities
and potential of efficient electric vehicles. Developed around
specific rules to keep costs down, and competition high, the unique
Electrathon vehicles offer an opportunity and challenge to
experiment, learn, and compete.
Electrathon is a tremendous educational opportunity and a
stimulating sport for schools with industrial arts curriculum
combining physics, mathematics, electronics, auto technology and
graphic design. It’s a hobby for tinkerers and experimenters of
any age. The Electrathon format rewards strategy, skill and common
sense by limiting battery capacity and rewarding endurance. Limited
to 64 pounds of battery weight, Electrathons are won by the driver
who goes the furthest around a course in an hour. The results are
impressive, with vehicles typically traveling over 30 miles on a few
cents of electricity!
The SolWest Electrathon is run according to Electrathon
America design rules and safety regulations.
Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. in front of the Pavilion
2007
program and results for download!
AFV
Alley
AFV Alley is SolWest’s Alternatively Fueled Vehicle
display area, in the corridor between Keerins Hall and the Pavilion.
Check out the latest vehicles fueled by hydrogen, biodiesel, waste
vegetable oil (WVO), batteries, human-power, or whatever (we’ve
had hydrogen-combustion SUVs and wind-powered amphibious boats in the
past). If you bring an AFV to SolWest to display at AFV Alley, we
will give you one weekend pass for the price of a day pass.
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SATURDAY
IS FAMILY DAY
CHILDREN
UNDER 12 GET INTO SOLWEST FREE!
Child
Care
Fairgoers can safely leave their young ones to nap and
socialize with their peers in a supervised environment. Games,
crafts, and indoor/outdoor play during fair hours in the Child Care
room at the south end of Keerins Hall. Childcare fees support SolWest Fair.
Special
Children’s Workshops:
50. Family Walking Tour of Working Solar Installations. All levels
& ages. Take a five-block walk to see the working solar
installations which power the solar showers, the Sonshine Bed and
Breakfast, RV Park rest rooms and the EORenew office in downtown John
Day. Tania Parks, Solar Oregon, Portland OR; Scott Crawford, Solar
Assist, Eugene OR. Saturday 10:00, meet outside the Solar Power Cage.
51. Hands-on Solar for Kids! Ages 6-12. How do we use energy
in our daily lives? How can we use alternative sources of energy to
accomplish the same tasks? See how a working solar electric system
produces power. Michael Hippenhammer, E2 Powered, Bend OR. Saturday
11:00, Solar Power Cage.
52. Pizza Box Solar Ovens. Ages 8 and up. Bring your kids,
ages 8 and up, to build a functioning solar oven. This solar over is
made with a regular pizza box and other materials. We will not only
make the ovens, but we will have some goodies on hand to cook. Each
kid takes home his/her own oven!
This workshop teaches children (and adults) the basics of
using solar energy (the sun) to cook food. Solar ovens are a great
solution for cooking in developing countries and remote locations.
Solar ovens don't pollute, and are cheap to make. Many thanks to the
OutPost Restaurant, Dirty Shame Pizzeria, Ace Hardware and True Value
Hardware for donation of materials. Elaine Mezzo, Up the Lazy River
B&B, John Day, OR. Saturday 2:00, in the Solar Power Cage.
53. Fun and Games with Solar. Ages 7-12. Introduction to
renewable concepts, discussion of energy and solar. The Utility Game
challenges you to pay for the energy you use (with rewards for
conservation), and the Electron Action Game is full of fun and
movement. Tania Parks, Solar Oregon, Portland OR. Saturday 3:00,
Solar Power Cage.
54. Children’s Story Time. Ages 4-7. “The Fable of
Max” is a charming story that teaches young children about
renewable energy concepts. It will be followed by participatory
activities and coloring. Tania Parks, Solar Oregon, Portland OR.
Saturday 4:00, Solar Power Cage.
EORenew
Awards Prizes for Science Projects Displayed at SolWest
If your child has done a school science project on a topic of
renewable energy or associated subjects, bring it along for display
at SolWest! Please submit your project by Saturday morning July 28th
at the Pavilion office. We’d like to show projects about
electricity, especially in combination with wind, sun, or water.
Projects about energy efficiency or energy comparisons should be
submitted. Associated topics like solar cooking, heat and thermal
properties, rolling resistance (go-karts), boats, or radios are good
ones. Categories are: 5th & 6th; 7th & 8th; and 9th through
12th grade. Winners will be chosen by a panel of RE industry experts.
Each project will be judged for its own grade level. Awards will be
given at 6:15 PM Saturday July 28th in the Pavilion.
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Live
Demonstrations and Hands-on Participation
FOR
YOUR COMFORT: SOLAR SHOWERS
Solar showers are being provided for SolWest Fair-goers by
Solar Assist of Eugene, OR, Mr. Sun Solar of Portland, OR. If you
need a refreshing break, check out the solar thermal technologies at
the “Wash Rack” near the east end of the big red barn!
John Patterson of Mr. Sun Solar, and Scott Crawford of Solar
Assist, will demonstrate and explain the technology that makes hot
water with sunshine at 4pm on Friday and Saturday, and 1pm on Sunday,
at the solar showers.
View
the Sun Safely Through Solar-powered Telescopes
Bob Yoesle has two telescopes that track the sun on a
motorized mount. One of the telescopes is equipped with a "white
light" filter. It provides a view of the Sun in all visible
colors of light, although greatly reduced in brightness. The major
features visible are the surface of the Sun and sunspots -- cooler
regions where powerful magnetic fields erupt through the Sun's surface.
The other telescope is equipped with a sophisticated
"Hydrogen-alpha" filter. This shows the Sun in a beautiful
ruby-red light, and reveals solar flares and "prominences"
that are often associated with sunspots. An H-alpha Hi-res module
significantly improves the contrast provided by the telescope, as
well as decreasing the amount of scattered background light, giving a
much more detailed and "crisp" view of the Sun's
chromosphere, flares, and prominences.
The telescope mount's drive (which tracks the Sun by
compensating for the Earth's rotation), and the temperature
controlled Hydrogen-alpha filter itself, are powered by a 12 volt
battery which is recharged by a photovoltaic (PV) "solar panel."
Take
the Tour to the Co-Gen Plant in Prairie City!
Co-Gen is an electric power generating plant. It recycles wood
waste to generate electricity, using scrap from its companion stud
mill, and forest thinnings that are too small-diameter to make a
sawlog. The company's goal is to use the entire log. After solid sawn
lumber and wood chips, residual by-products are utilized as fuel to
power Co-gen.
The electricity generated by the plant is sold to a local
power utility. The plant, rated at 7.5 MW, burns the wood fuel at
such high temperatures that emissions compare favorably to the
cleanest combustion-based power plants. The benefits of controlled
emissions, compared to the alternatives of open slash burning, are
considered to be advantageous to forest communities.
Transportation to Prairie Co-Gen will be supplied on a
first-come, first-served basis. Tours will take about 2 hours
including travel time. LIMITED TO 15 PEOPLE, ADVANCE
RESERVATIONS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED -- Call or email EORenew at
541-575-3633 info@solwest..org, to reserve space. Jim Munyon, Prairie
Wood Products and Co-Gen, Prairie City, OR. Friday 2:00, meet for bus
transportation (provided) at campground gate of the fairgrounds
(behind the classrooms).
Many thanks to DR Johnson Lumber and Prairie Co-gen for
providing transporation and hosting the tour.
Renewable
Energy Film Festival
More filmmakers are addressing energy in creative ways. This
year’s Renewable Energy Film Festival will focus on
America’s transportation system, how and why we’ve been
forced into a position where we have no good choices. Come to the
Sale Barn on Saturday at 4:00, and join the audience in voting which
films to watch. Choose among:
Free fair entry Friday 5-7pm and
Sunday 1-3:30pm. |
