Böer estimates going solar has cut his heating bill $5,000 a year

10:25 a.m., Oct. 3, 2003--Tucked away in the quiet town of Kennett Square, Pa., lies the solar-powered home of Karl Böer, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Physics and Solar Energy.

Martin Green (right), University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, receives the 2003 Karl W. Böer Solar Energy Medal of Merit from the medal’s namesake, who founded UD’s Institute of Energy Conversion. The University established the Karl W. Böer Solar Energy Medal of Merit in his honor in 1987. The award is given biannually for significant pioneering contributions to the promotion of solar energy as an alternate source of energy.

It’s especially fitting that this solar energy pioneer’s home, known as the “Solar Knoll,” has been heated by 13 solar collection plates located on the roof of his indoor pool for more than 25 years. The heat is transferred from the roof throughout the house and the excess heat is stored in the 25,000-gallon indoor swimming pool. When needed, heat is taken from the pool and used to keep the house warm.

By switching from oil-based heat to solar heat, Böer has saved on average, $5,000 a year, and throughout the years he has saved more than $100,000. The entire set up cost him about $30,000, so the solar panels have more than paid for themselves, he said.

His success with solar heating led Böer to take the next step in solarizing his home. In 1999, he set up 114 silicon solar collector modules on his guesthouse and his garage, which supplies electrical power to Solar Knoll. In its first year of operation, 1999-2000, Böer paid $2,500 less in electricity bills than he had the previous year. Since they are relatively new, Böer says he will need a longer time span to make more accurate statistical comparisons and determine when these silicon solar panels will pay for themselves. But, he does say that they are creating power at a rate that has surpassed his expectations.

Böer recently transformed his garage into a museum of solar energy. Having dedicated more than 50 years of his life to the advancement of solar energy, Böer had no trouble filling the museum with all sorts of gadgets from the first type of solar cells made from cadmium sulfide, to the new, sleeker silicon panels, which line the roof and power the air-conditioned museum. The museum stands as a testament to Böer’s lifelong devotion to the advancement of solar energy.

Böer began his career at the Humbolt University in Berlin, where his home and office were on opposite sides of the Berlin wall. He took his work to the United States and began working at the University of Delaware in 1962. In 1971, Böer established the University’s Institute of Energy Conversion, which was designated as a National Center of Excellence for Photovoltaic Research and Education by the U.S. Department of Energy, an award given to only one other school.

Böer honored at Solar World Congress

Karl Böer, a longtime UD faculty member, founder of UD’s Institute of Energy Conversion and a distinguished scientist in the field of solar energy, has won the Farrington Daniels Award, the highest award the International Solar Energy Society can bestow.

The award was given to Böer in June at the Solar World Congress in Gotenborg, Sweden. He was cited for “his leading role for more than 40 years in the field of energy conversion research and application,” as well as “unsurpassed contributions as an author and an editor” and as founder of the annual professional review, “Advances in Solar Energy.”

At the beginning of his career, Böer worked on harvesting sunlight with cadmium sulfide cells. Because of his work, cadmium sulfide can now be found on nearly every streetlight in the U.S. A cadmium sulfide sensor is placed on top of the streetlight and when it is not receiving enough sunlight, it triggers the streetlight to turn on. The same device is used to control the shutter on modern cameras and to help keep satellites correctly positioned. All of these advances are explained in more detail at the museum.

Böer also designed the Solar One house, built by the University in 1972. Solar One was the first house to convert sunlight into both heat and electricity for domestic use. The lessons learned from Solar One helped convince Böer and his wife to solarize their house in Kennett Square.

In 1987, the University established the Karl W. Böer Solar Energy Medal of Merit in his honor. The award is given biannually for significant pioneering contributions to the promotion of solar energy as an alternate source of energy. The first recipient of the award was President Jimmy Carter for focusing world attention on environmentally safe energy production from the sun.

Böer will officially open his solar energy museum on Saturday, Oct. 4, during an open house as part of the "National Tour of Solar Homes," which everyone is welcome to attend. After that, Böer will accept visitors by appointment from April 15 to Oct. 15 each year. The cost of admission, like the use of solar power, is free. For more information, e-mail [Solpax@aol.com].

Article by Dean Geddes, AS ’05

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