Join us for 2026 October Tours
Saturday, October 3rd, 2026, 10:00AM – 12:00PM
Join us as we visit three local solar installations! We’ll meet at our first stop and travel together to the next two, directions to Stops 2 and 3 will be given out at the previous stop, so you won’t need to look anything up in advance. Be sure to meet as at our first stop!
Stop 1: Solar Carport & EV Charging Station
Lakeview Village, 9100 Park St, Lenexa, KS 66215
This 75 kW solar carport covers 16 parking spaces and includes a 144 kWh battery system that helps reduce electricity demand for a nearby building. It also features energy-efficient LED lighting and was installed by World 4 Solar.
Here’s how to get there from I-35:
- Take 87th St. west to Pflumm Rd.
- Turn south (left) on Pflumm Rd. to 90th St.
- Turn west (right) on 90th St.
- Stay on 90th St., passing the main entrance to Lakeview Village.
- Turn left at the very next entrance, this leads to a parking lot on the back side of the building.
- Look for the solar carport in the parking lot. That’s our meeting spot!
Stop 2: Solar Canopy, EV Charging & Solar-Powered Building
Johnson County Community College (JCCC), 12345 College Blvd, Overland Park, KS 66210
This stop features a solar canopy with EV charging, plus a small building powered entirely by solar energy with battery backup. An HRES member will explain how the system works and demonstrate car charging using his own vehicle.
Directions and the exact meeting spot at JCCC will be shared at Stop 1.
Stop 3: Solar-Powered Home in Leawood
Leawood, KS (Exact address will be given at Stop 2)
This home uses 21 solar panels (440 watts each) to generate about 9.2 kW of power for the house and outbuildings. Some panels are mounted on shade structures. The homeowner is highly knowledgeable and will share data and answer questions about installation and how the system runs day to day.
RSVP Today!
Show & Tell on Small Scale Solar
Saturday, August 15, 2026, 10:00AM to 12:00PM @ The Birch Room, Meadowbrook Park Clubhouse
Come and share your small scale solar or renewable item to teach each other what’s out there for clean energy devices! Some examples include:
- Portable power: Solar chargers, portable batteries, and inverters (great for camping, picnics, or emergencies).
- Electric vehicles: Show off your EV in the parking lot, especially if it supports car/truck-to-house charging.
- Solar cooking: Solar cookers or PV-powered hot plates for preparing food or heating water. Demo space available on the grassy lawn just east of the building.
- Balcony solar: Small-scale solar setups for balconies or apartments.
- E-transportation: E-bikes, e-scooters, and other small electric vehicles.
- Renewable energy news: Updates on solar/renewable developments in the Metro, Kansas, and Missouri areas.
Can’t bring your item? Submit a short video, photo, or slide instead, submissions must be received by the August 6th deadline to be included.
The form for submissions and to RSVP is available below! But don’t worry! You can still RSVP after August 6th!
RSVP Today!
March 2025 Virtual Workshop
Kelly Gilbert Presents an Update on MEC Programming
Presented by: Kelly Gilbert, Executive Director of MEC
Link To View a Recording of Kelly Gilbert’s Presentation
Kelly Gilbert, Ex. Director of MEC
HRES October 2024 Virtual Workshop
In-Person Solar Home Tour of Melton Residence
Melton residence in Parkville, MO
- 22 solar photovoltaic panels. Each panel near 400 watts. Near net zero for summer usage.
- 10 panels facing near east.
- 12 panels facing south west.
- Grid tied inverter.
- Utility is Evergy.
- Production started this summer.
- A retrofitted home to be a high performance. Previous features in HRES you-tube session April 2023.
- Converted to all electric home.
- Attic insulation replaced and upgraded.
- Blower door tested to find and reduce air infiltration.
- Installed a high-efficiency heat pump
- Added an ERV for fresh air exchange
- And more.
HRES Presents Music by Soular
Craig Wolfe Presents an Environmental Musical Journey
Join This Musical Journey with Past HRES President Craig Wolfe
Our Zoom workshop on April 27 will be, well, a little unusual. In our youth, one way we were inspired to care about the Earth was through music. Our own Craig Wolfe was so inspired that he wrote music for his 5-piece band Amdahl Wolfe in the 70’s.
He continued writing and playing his environmental and other tunes in his duo Soular from 2012 to the present (and sometimes a 4 piece band and studio work). Craig also became well versed in his home-grown studio to make recordings of his tunes.
So, on April 27 we will listen to and watch Craig’s music videos of his own original environmental tunes, and talk with Craig and Randy Deutch, the bass player for Amdahl Wolfe and Soular.
Here are some of the titles we will see and hear: Hope Of Man, Take It Back, Joanna, You Better Worry, Book of the Heart, Solar Prayer, Please Take Your Devil, The Last Journal Entry, Stand Up, and Hang My Head Down.
Oh, and plug in your good speakers and head phones!!
