Greater Houston will be one of many metropolitan areas in 48 states hosting a self
-guided, open-house tour of public and private solar-power facilities on Oct. 3
when the 6th Annual Houston Solar Tour kicks off.
Discovery Green, which hosts a pre-tour social from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., is one of
several well-known tour stops, alongside its neighbor, the George R. Brown
Convention Center, the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Headquarters, the City of Houston
Code Enforcement Building and Green Bank on Memorial Drive. There’s even an animal
farm and permaculture center north of Sealy on the tour, which incorporates several
Houston neighborhoods as well as Bellaire, West University, The Woodlands and
Spring.
There are 20 home and business stops on Houston’s tour, which is held in
conjunction with National Energy Awareness Month.
“The Houston Solar Tour offers Houstonians the opportunity to explore how everyday
homeowners and businesses are taking control of energy use with solar technologies
and other energy efficient solutions to cut monthly energy bills, reduce harmful
carbon emissions, while also generating green-collar jobs in our community,” said
Kathleen Reardon, chairwoman of this year’s tour.
According to the American Solar Energy Society, or ASES, this is the largest
grassroots solar event in history. In addition to the City and ASES, the Houston
Renewable Energy Group and the Houston Advanced Research Center are organizing
partners of the tour.
Free to the public, the tour officially starts at 11 a.m. at Discovery Green and
goes until 5 p.m. Metro will provide special bus service to select tour sites from
Discovery Green.
