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PAGE 4 Ion MILLION SOLAR ROOFS N J Archi" tect leads wav + . z in energy el'41111" clenc BY MARTY MAND ELL — which is the centerpiece of AND SUSAN LUSTER its sustainable design strategy Million Solar Roofs Committee ^ provides natural light for "No country on Earth has a two-thirds of the daylight- hours, serious, comprehensive, sustain- and reduces the installed cool- able, energy program, and the sit- mg equipment by more than cation is deteriorating rapidly. " 100 , tons. Daylightingdn schools — Denis Hayes, founder of Earth Day , means energy savings, and .I tests show it creates a superior Many people in Orange Coun- learning environment in which ty think° solar is the solution to attendance improves and . ' grades group : the worlds energy problems; . _ which is in direct contrast to Mike Nicklas has a degree in the majority of U. S . citizens; architecture from N.C. State who think the continued pursuit University, is a founder of the . Q. t of petroleum products is OK. . N. C. Solar Energy Association, Z ( We are part of a statewide and past president of the - Amer-and n -� movement toward the .use of ican Solar Energy Society and 0 alternative, renewable fuels the International Solar Energy Q that has, over the past two Society. He headed the solar. - U decades, made North - Carolina a section of the United Nations ' national leader *in solar energy. Rio Conference in 1992 and This growth in solar is large- gave a report on the conference O ly due to the influence and pro- in Carrboro to a group of 50 Z _ ductivity of architect Mike elected officials . from Orange, Nicklas and his firm, Innovative Chatham and Alamance coup =� ties. It is to re ort that his _ Design in - Raleigh, whose focus p is on energy-efficient, environ- I issues of ustainability areas. LU : 1 mentally sensitive design. That true today as they were 11 CL I.Q T means environmentally friendly - Years ago: ■ Societal costs of energy building materials, passive gY solar heating . and cooling, pho- - consumption — erosion of land, p - tovoltaics, natural daylighting loss of agriculture, health QQ� and solar domestic hot water impacts . W and space-heating systems . o Resource availability _ Since 1977, they have depletion of nonrenewables . J ; designed 650 solar buildings, a Pollution of land, air, water more than any other architec- — 'climate change. tural firm in the world. They've a Balance of trade one-. w_ renovated 34 schools using fifth of the world's financial - a - solar and energy improve- transactions are related to oil. _ ments, saving 250 million kilo- ■ Population growth — the U . I ,watt-hours of electricity, and Third World has cheap coal for w ' their nine. new daylit school industrialization (and pollution 1=- designs saved 24 million kwhs . like the West). These schools averaged 10 perw ■ Discrepancy of wealth - cent below. budget, and saved starving people don't care about $2 .5 million in energy bills each renewable . energy; 2 billion , year, plus a reduction in carbon have no electricity. dioxide and oil imports . The U. S ., with 5 percent of In addition, their design for the world's population, is Smith Middle School in Chapel responsible for 25 percent of Hill has eight hot water collet- global warming. Wouldn't it be tors that provide a third of the wonderful for us to stop pollut- school's hot water needs, . and an mg and become the first coun- underground cistern to collect try to adopt a sustainable ener- ' roof rainwater for flushing toi- gy program? lets and irrigating an adjacent You can reach Marty Mandell at 967 athletic field (with'A connection 9646 and Susan Luster at ncsea@mind- to city water in case of drought, spring.com. Innovative Design is like last year). - reachable at The school's daylighting plan innovativedesign@mindspring.com.