Tour showcasing solar-powered homes

Maharishi University of Management?s Department of Sustainable Living joins the American Solar Energy Society to showcase more than 5,000 solar-powered homes, schools and businesses throughout the country ? including more than a half dozen locally ? for the 17th annual National Solar Tour Saturday.

The tour shows real-life examples of how people are harnessing free energy from the sun to generate electricity, warm and cool their homes, heat water and slash monthly utility bills. At the same time, they are reducing carbon emissions, enjoying tax credits and improving property values.

The local tour features open houses at more than six homes and businesses in the Fairfield area and is free and open to the public. Beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday, stop by the new Sustainable Living Center on the west side of the M.U.M. campus near the wind generator to pick up a map of all other tour locations, which can be visited in any order.

Site hosts will be on hand to answer questions.

The tour ends at 5 p.m.

Learn more at: ases.org/tour or contact Molly Reiff at 319-594-0086 or m_martlin@yahoo.com.