If you've been looking into the renewable energy or green building field, you may have come across Chiras' name. In fact, if you've purchased any how-to books on the subject, there's a good chance he may be the author.
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Now Chiras, who lives in a state-of-the-art rammed earth tire and straw bale home in Evergreen, Colo., is taking his how-to information a step further. He has opened The Evergreen Institute Center for Renewable Energy and Green Building on a 50-acre tract in Gerald so he can lead hands-on workshops teaching people things like how to install solar panels and how and where to build a wind turbine.
Workshop topics include home energy efficiency, solar electricity, wind energy, passive solar heating and cooling, green building, natural building, natural plasters, EV car conversion and homebrew wind turbine design and construction. The Center also offers certificate programs in green building for people interested in pursuing a career in green building or renewable energy.
"We're very hands on here," Chiras said. "We're all about teaching people how to do these things.
"We won't just tell you what's out there, but we'll tell you where to find it and teach you how to do it."
Each workshop at the Center runs between one and six days, depending on the subject, and they are open to anyone - from homeowners to builders, architects, electricians, utility company executives . . .
Chiras said he expects people from all over the country will come to the Center in Gerald for these workshops. Already he's attracted people from Texas, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma . . .
Cost of the workshops start at $125 for a one-day class, to $225 for two days, $325 for three days . . . up to $700 or more for a six-day workshop on something like how to build your own wind turbine. The cost of each workshop includes the price of the book.
The Center held its first workshops last weekend. The next one is planned for the end of May, a five-day workshop on Green Building: A Systems Approach. For workshops that last more than a day, the Center allows participants to camp on the property or refers them to motels in nearby communities like Union.
Bought Property Sight Unseen
Chiras had never been to the property in Gerald before he bought it.
His partner's brother, Fred Stuart, an electrical engineer who lives in the area, called him up out of the blue one day last September to see if he wanted to bid on the property which was being sold at auction.
He knew Chiras had been looking for a place where he could hold hands-on, how-to workshops on renewable energy and green building, and believed the Gerald property could be it.
Stuart was already at the auction in Gerald to purchase other items when he learned the owners were selling the entire property. He saw the asking price and picked up the phone.
Chiras said he only had about 10 minutes before the auction started to make a decision, but he trusted Stuart's assessment. When Chiras finally got to see the property, he couldn't have been more pleased.
"It's a great solar and wind site," Chiras remarked. "It has southern exposure, it's on top of a hill, there's not a lot of trees, it already has several buildings - we couldn't get better than this.
"And we got it for a song and dance. In Colorado, this would have cost us $3 million."
There are three buildings on the property - a 1970s farmhouse, which will be used as the Center's headquarters until the second building can be remodeled into classrooms and an office space, and there also is an 8,400-square-foot barn.
"We plan to do a complete retrofit of all the buildings," said Chiras. "The home is already pretty energy efficient - insulation-wise it seems pretty tight."
Chiras plans to install wind turbines and a solar electric array, which will actually be part of a six-day workshop being offered in October.
"It's hard to get your hands on this kind of training, so we're going to use these buildings as an opportunity for people to learn how to do this stuff," he remarked.
There also is a 1-acre pond on the property, and Chiras plans to build a dock out of recycled plastic.
'Walking My Talk'
Chiras has been involved in renewable energy on a personal livel since the mid-1970s. Originally, he was planning to become a doctor and earned a Ph.D. in reproductive physiology, but gave it up.
"I said no to that (career) because I was deeply involved in understanding the environment," said Chiras. "It's been my goal since the '70s to find (energy) solutions that are good for the environment, good for people and that make sense economically."
In 1984, Chiras founded Sustainable Systems Design in Evergreen, Colo., to consult on residential green building design and renewable energy.
In 1995 he put his ideas to the test when he built his state-of-the-art rammed earth tire and straw bale home.
"I believe in walking my talk," Chiras remarked.
He installed solar electric panels on the roof, and a year or so later, a small wind generator. Since then, he has met nearly all of his electrical needs for his home and office from these clean, renewable sources.
"I haven't paid an electric bill since June 1996," Chiras notes.
His home in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains (8,000 feet above sea level) is heated with energy from the sun through passive solar design. For backup heat, he burns a cord a year gathered free from his community. His annual gas bill, mostly for showers and cooking, runs about $180 a year or $4 to $5 a month for natural gas and $10 per month to read the meter.
In addition to his many books, Chiras also writes extensively for magazines, journals, newsletters and newspapers, according to his Web site (www.evergreeninstitute.org). He has published approximately 250 articles on environmental issues, sustainability, natural building, natural plaster, green building, and passive solar heating and cooling. His articles appear regularly in Home Power, Mother Earth News, Natural Home, Solar Today, and The Last Straw. He also writes frequently for World Book Encyclopedia (Science Year) and Encyclopedia Americana. He authored a 12-page article on the environment for Encyclopedia Americana.
Chiras has written the environmental pollution section for World Book Encyclopedia's annual publication, Science Year, since 1993. In 1997, he wrote an extensive piece for World Book on population growth and its many implications. He also wrote the ecology and air pollution sections for Encyclopedia Americana.
Chiras has been an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado in Denver and the University of Colorado at Denver. He has been a visiting professor at the University of Washington, where he taught a course on environmental science. He currently is a visiting professor at Colorado College where he teaches courses on renewable energy, ecological design, and sustainable development.
For more information on the Center for Renewable Energy and Green Building or to register for a workshop, people should visit www.evergreeninstitute.org.
Workshop Schedule
May
Hands-On Home Energy Efficiency - May 16 and 17 (Denver, Colo.). Green Building - A Systems Approach (five days) - May 30 to June 3. June
Passive Solar Heating and Cooling (two days) - June 4 and 5.
Straw Bale Design and Construction (one day) - June 6.
Natural Plasters (one day) - June 7.
Natural Building (two days) - June 13 and 14.
July
Residential Renewable Energy (two days) - July 11 and 12.
Intro to Wind (one day) - July 13
Intermediate Wind (two days) - July 14-15
Wind Site Assessment (two days) - July 16-17
Homebrew Wind Turbine Design and Construction (six days) - July 25-July 30
August
Intermediate PVs - Aug. 22-23
Build Your Own PV Rack - Aug. 24
Grid Connected PV with Battery Backup Installation - Aug. 25 - 27 September
Convert Your Car to Electricity (six days) - Sept. 5-10
October
Green Building: A Systems Approach (five days) - Oct. 3-7
Passive Solar Heating and Cooling (two days) - Oct. 8-9
Home Energy Efficiency (one day) - Oct. 10
Basic PV (one day) - Oct. 11
Intermediate PV - Oct. 12-13
PV Installation - Oct. 14-16
For more information, visit www.evergreeninstitute.org, send an e-mail to info@evergreeninstitute.org or call 303-883-8290.
