ASES National Solar Tour 30 Years of Solar Stories and Inspiration

What an incredible weekend! On October 3–5, we celebrated the 30th Anniversary National Solar Tour, and it was one for the books.

This year’s Tour brought together over 800 solar and sustainable sites across the country, from solar-powered homes and schools to large-scale community and agrivoltaic projects, each one inspiring visitors to take steps toward clean energy adoption in their own communities.

Thanks to all the hosts, volunteers, and visitors who made this milestone year so impactful! Your enthusiasm and commitment to renewable energy are what make the Tour the nation’s largest grassroots solar event.

We’ve received inspiring stories and photos from Tour participants nationwide, showing how local action continues to drive the clean energy transition. Together, we’re proving that solar works everywhere, for everyone. View the solar tour map at map.nationalsolartour.org.

2025 National Solar Tour Highlights

How to Attend In-Person Tours: Although the showcase weekend is over, there are still in-person tours taking place all throughout the rest of the year! Check out the National Solar Tour map or digital app to RSVP to in-person tours near you to view the exact address. Optionally, some hosts have made their street address, email address, or phone number viewable in the tour description as well.

How to Attend Virtual Tours: View all the virtual tours featured on this year’s National Solar Tour, simply head to our National Solar Tour map and start selecting the pins you’re interested in, or use the filter feature on the top left hand corner of the map. These virtual tours contain various photo and video tours featuring a wide range of sustainable features.

© Ben Zook

Ben Zook’s Solar Home: Ben Zook, owner and NABCEP Certified Master Electrician at Belmont Solar, hosted a passive solar open house on October 4, featuring a 33 kW solar PV system with 40 kWh of onsite storage, enabling off-grid operation. Upgrades to insulation, windows, and skylights improved comfort while maintaining the home’s original design. Powered entirely by renewable energy with no fossil fuels or gas connections, the home included EV charging, a ground-source heat pump, and all-electric appliances such as an induction cooktop and heat pump systems. With exceptional indoor air quality and abundant natural light, the home operated beyond net-zero.

© Brett Little

Little Residence GreenStar: Join Brett Little, Education Manager at the GreenHome Institute, who wants to invite you over to his home (virtually) as part of the American Solar Energy Society National Solar Tour! Discover how he transformed a 2002-built residence into an all-electric, solar-powered home, achieving a DOE Home Energy Score of 10, PEARL Platinum Certification, and the ultimate holistic approach using the GreenStar Homes Certification. This tour will guide you through the process of transforming a traditional home into a sustainable showcase, covering every step from initial green inspections to upgrading heating, cooling, ventilation, appliances, plumbing, and more—all while maximizing comfort, safety, and utility cost savings.

Utility-Scale Oxbow Solar Project: The Oxbow Solar project is a utility-scale solar farm generating 345 MW-dc / 300 MW-ac of clean, locally produced electricity. Its construction created 400 jobs, the majority filled by local workers, and represents a $394 million private investment in Louisiana’s energy infrastructure—strengthening the state’s energy security. Each year, the project reduces approximately 458,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions, equivalent to removing about 100,000 fuel-burning cars from the road. Over the next 35 years, it is projected to provide $30 million in revenue to Pointe Coupee Parish government agencies.

© Exact Solar

Exact Solar Local Tour: At Exact Solar’s Local Tour, visitors can explore more than twenty virtual tours showcasing solar installations from their own customers. Each tour highlights unique solar projects from residential rooftops to local businesses, demonstrating the real-world impact of clean energy adoption. These videos showcase firsthand stories from homeowners and business owners about their experiences going solar, including the motivations behind their decisions, the benefits they’ve seen in energy savings and sustainability, and how solar has helped strengthen their communities.

About the Author
In the 1980s, Gale Marsland designed passive solar homes and partnered with a PV installer in the mid-90s doing mostly off-grid. As time went on, she got more involved in the solar community and was a media spokesperson for ASES Buildings Division and on the Editorial Advisory Board for Solar Today magazine. In 2001, she drifted into planning, designing, and building sustainable communities.