January 17, 2015
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It’s called a tour of solar homes, but the 3rd Annual Golden Solar Tour held Oct. 4, was more than that.
Solar technologies and strategies are critical to creating a more sustainable world, but they are most effective as part of a larger, more holistic approach to sustainability.
This year, Golden tour organizers made a conscious effort to include only properties that demonstrated this holistic approach.
![This charming and colorful standalone sunspace was one of the 11 solar sites solar enthusiasts visited on the Golden Solar tour. Photo credit: Andrea Dumais](https://solartoday.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/p21GoldenSolarTour350.jpg)
The 11 homes and one business on the tour demonstrated to the 250 paying visitors—50 percent more than last year—that there are many energy-saving, resource-conserving, money-saving, energy-efficient, and just plain smart strategies for reducing a building’s carbon footprint.
The larger turnout was thanks in part to a Denver Post feature article the day of the tour that touted the electric and hybrid vehicle roundup.
A dozen or more electric and plug-in vehicles were on hand, including Teslas, Chevy Volts, Nissan Leafs, and a Ford Focus.
Realtor Jim Smith gave about 25 lucky tour participants a ride in his 2014 Tesla.
![Carly Rixham, ASES Executive Director, learns about the details of solar-powered radiant floor heating at a house on the Golden Solar tour. Photo credit: Andrea Dumais](https://solartoday.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/p21RadiantFloor350.jpg)
The Golden Solar Tour was cosponsored by the Colorado Renewable Energy Society (an ASES chapter) and Golden Earth Days.
If you own or know of a property in the Golden area with multiple solar and sustainability features that might be appropriate for next year’s tour, please contact Sheila Townsend at sheilatownsend@q.com.
For more information, visit goldensolartour.org.
Maureen McIntyre is the editor and publisher of SOLAR TODAY. Special thanks to Sheila Townsend for information about the Golden Solar Tour.