Lake Chapala Green Group Jan 4 Meeting

Energy? It’s a Steal, with Passive Solar Design

Passive solar home design is perfect for sunny Mexico. Architect Rick Cowlishaw will show how a home that incorporates passive solar principles here on Lake Chapala’s North Shore—taking advantage of the sun, lake and mountain breezes, topography, and landscaping—saves both money and declining energy resources while providing maximum living comfort.

Our climate may be ideal, but it still varies. Designing or retrofitting a home for natural warming during our cool months and natural cooling in those warm, sticky ones requires careful use of locally-available materials and efficient regulation of sunlight and air flow. From his considerable knowledge, Rick will teach us how to “steal” from Nature’s bounty, to the benefit of all.

As an architect in Colorado and several other states, Rick Cowlishaw specialized in energy-efficient and passive solar homes. He later worked for the State of Colorado in the Colorado Office of Energy Conservation where he headed up the residential section. There he created the Colorado Green Program for the state, which led to 38 states in the US adopting similar green programs. Cohousing, a type of design for community living, is Rick’s current passion. He is also a member of the LCGG steering committee.

The meeting will be held at LCS, Neill James Patio, beginning at 3:00 pm. Bring any "green buzz" you have to share.