ROGERS — Orlo Stitt's office on South Eighth Street here is a landmark for more reasons than the solar panels on the roof, but that is the only thing that makes the building stand out to passersby.
A lot of what makes the Stitt Energy Systems building unique is also easily overlooked, like the xeriscape landscaping, whichuses very little water, or the little contraption on a table inside the front door, which looks like a clock but actually details energy usage and carbon emissions.
The U.S. Green Building Council, however, calculated the value of all those overlooked touches and awarded Stitt's building a platinum rating, which Stitt says puts him in the company of about 80 other buildings.
Stitt is proud of his efforts in renovating the building - he had already converted it from an existing house - because much of the original building, about 75 percent, is still intact or wasrecycled in various ways.
"The history is kind of in the floor," Stitt said.
The concrete floor in the atrium still shows the separation between house and porch, including the spots where a railing was once secured. Upstairs, in the server room, the original roof dips down just below the new roof, which extends several feet higher.
"We didn't remove the shingles because we would have had to take it to the landfill," Stitt said.
Other features also rate the tour: the toilet that flushes using only 1.1 gallons of water, the motion-activated lights, thesoy-based insulation and the air-filtration unit.
Right now, because of an event Saturday, solar power is on Stitt's mind.
The American Solar Energy Society is sponsoring a solar tour Saturday, and Stitt's office, on South Eighth Street north of Olrich Street, and his 10068 Sun Ridge Circle home will be on display. During those tours, which are free, expect Stitt to speak about the shifting paradigm he sees.
"We're caretakers of the Earth, and my education (as a biologist) led me to believe we were violating that responsibility," Stitt said.
On a cloudy Tuesday, the solar panels were generating 388 watts of electricity, enough to supplement the energy need, but when the sun is out, especially when the buildings are empty on weekends, the wattage is in the thousands - generating so much that most is sent to the power company.
While Stitt may be showing off his solar panels, he said he would direct those wanting to turn green to simpler options first.
"We're really conscious of conservation first and then renewable energy," Stitt said.
News, Pages 2 on 09/23/2009