Solar Demonstrations on Federal Residences: Better Planning and Management Control Needed

The Solar Heating and Cooling Demonstration Act of 1974 provides for demonstrating the practical use of solar heating in various U.S. geographic and climatic regions. To demonstrate the residential use of solar heating in the federal sector, the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA), whose responsibilities were assumed by the Department of Energy (DOE), provided funding authority to the Department of Defense (DOD) for two demonstration projects. Under the first project, DOD was to install solar heating devices on 35 new and 15 existing single family residential units at military bases. The second project was for the demonstration of solar heating systems on 80 residential units using central collector fields near the residences.