Our first scientific paper on research was published at the, Solar World Congress 1991 Held at Denver, Colorado of which we flew out there on a Delta Jet to present to the Congress that year such amazing times. Some here may still remember that Congress but for all those that didn't meet us that year would like to further introduce a bit more about our adventure in solar energy.
We were raised on an organic farm in rural Alabama, thus always been keenly aware of the natural environment as much of our farm at that time was overgrown forest and thickets. We would spend a lot of time exploring these natural places growing up, while planting crops harvesting lumber from our trees to build most all the buildings in our village. I became very interested in solar energy as a young adult during the oil embargos of the Jimmy Carter years, so began experimenting with many renewable energy projects around the farm, as some built on site but many other solar devices we bought, tested, and experimented with. We soon founded the, Southern Enviro-Shelter R & D, which quickly evolved and became incorporated as, Sol-Era Inc. ( Solar Environment Restoration Association ) With mounting interest in alternative energy soon several of our, Scientific papers about the research, got published in the International Solar Energy Society, among several other societies and groups, so we began traveling around the country doing solar presentations but soon became focused around Auburn University, ( Solera @ Auburn 1996 ) where we became involved in many solar projects in the local area for many years, but soon migrated back to the farm and as of now spending most of our time developing and consulting others for off grid solar cabins, organic gardening, lifestock, fishing, boating and writing as well operating the shops and labs here at the Solera site. We love to explore new building techniques, especially natural materials that exist within nature locally, such as sawmilling storm damaged, or older trees, rocks, clays, sands, concrete, gravel, and dirt, basically older tech yet incorporating advanced high tech renewable technology features as well along with PV/electric transportation vehicles and solar energy storage techniques.
The Human Species has lived along with the planet hundreds of thousands of years, but only of late have developed technologies that can actually alter the climate in dramatic ways, some very detrimental to our species, but by understanding this, then developing technologies that are more in harmony with natural energy systems, we could alter global civilizations enough to not only save our species but all the other species that home here as well. It will be a huge challenge but one, we believe one, we all can accomplish if so desired.
Big Wind, Big Solar, Big Hydro, Big Coal, Big Nuclear, Big Oil, Big Gas, Big Government, Big War, Big whatever will fail.. At the end of the day, it is what you do on the very rooftop of your own habitat, home, yard, garden, and shelters that matters. In the end no one will be hooked up to the BIG Boys at all. So yes in the end, " BIG" is just another waste of time and energy trying to capture the very energy commercially that falls naturally locally to every single surface of the earth very efficiently where people actually live, without the same price tag or the greedy electron meters, distribution loss, and the related pollution. Electricity as a commodity will only exist as long as people are willing to buy it from someone else at a price cheaper than they can produce the darn stuff themselves. Once electricity becomes very easy to produce just by changing roofing materials, or what ever, well then a whole new ball game is afoot.
Our Forecast - Building Science will merge with, natural electrical producing technologies such as photovoltaic roofs/advanced self-charging electric vehicles with unlimited range smart PV highways. Organic food markets will merge with every yard, garden and farm in America as every home/habitat will become a producer of food and energy instead of a consumer.
Here & Now - Become human again, learn to become self reliant thru self sufficiency. Educate yourself- Explore Your DNA Memory- Then invent your best possible future. Acquire some land- Farmstead, own a piece of your Mother Earth that way you will have an invested interest in her future as an holistic living entity.
" Hey, it's good to be back home again
Sometimes this old farm feels like a long lost friend
Yes, and hey, it's good to be back home again "
" The human and political factors will always play a part in things we humans invent around ourselves nevertheless in a world finding itself on the brink of some pretty radical changes in all things energy, it could become that ," way out there " is not as far as we think, as humans all over the planet reinvent themselves as well their systems of operations to a more sustainable model. Ultimately to make our counties great again we must first begin to engineer things that last, but seems with this current world of non-renewables, and disposables are what is being created due mainly to our current failed monetary systems that suggest that to make a buck one must cut corners. - Even though we have the technology to create products that would last many lifetimes the companies are settling for the repeat sells of basically inferior made to fail products that weight heavily on the natural environments."
You can find attached below the paper we presented that year way back in 1991
ENERGY SELF-SUFFICIENT SINGLE FAMILY HOME
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Timothy Mcbride
CEO/Owner
Sol-Era R & D
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