This collection consists primarily of correspondence produced by the Workshop relating to the selection of site locations, responses to requests for information, and information from solar energy product suppliers. There are four main types of records organized in four equivalent series: administrative records consisting of general correspondence and papers regarding the operation of the workshop; correspondence dealing with the selection and organization of workshop sites, organized by state; correspondence and product information from commercial solar energy companies and related suppliers; and technical reports and studies concerning solar energy in general and Dr. Mumma's design in particular.
Identification:
MS MSS 15
Language:
Material in English
Repository:
Arizona State University Library. Design and the Arts Special Collections P.O. Box 871006 Tempe, AZ 85287-1006 Phone: (480) 965-4932 E-Mail: archives@asu.edu Questions? Ask An Archivist!
Historical Note
The National Solar Water Heater Workshop was developed by Prof. Stanley A. Mumma of the College of Architecture, Arizona State University from 1978-1982.
It was the outgrowth of his design for an inexpensive closed-loop solar water heater suitable for single-family residences and simple enough to be installed and maintained by homeowners with an aptitude for "do-it-yourself" projects.
The workshop began in 1978 with an $11,000 grant from the Small Scale Technology Office of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Participants first spent about 4 hours in a classroom learning the basic principles of solar energy and hot water heating systems; on a subsequent day they returned to spend 6 to 8 hours building the component parts of their system from materials that they had purchased from local suppliers according to the specifications provided by Dr. Mumma. They would then take these home and install them in their own houses. Tuition for the workshop cost $57 (later raised to $75), the materials cost about $550, and installation in the home might cost an additional $100 to $200 depending on the length of piping needed to connect to the existing water system. Approximately 2,500 Arizonans participated in the workshop during its first three years.
In September 1980 the DOE awarded a $1 million grant (DE-FG-03-80SF11444) for a two-year program to expand the workshop to 91 sites in all 50 states. Appropriate locations, suppliers, and instructors were sought out in these sites with the intention that, after a period of initial organization and training, they would become a permanent center for the construction of residential solar water heaters in their area, and perhaps become the seeds for setting up additional workshops in other locations. During this period of organization, Dr. Mumma was assisted by a staff of four: Maurice Ashland, Loren Milinarist, Michael Brennan, and Michael Marinello. In December 1980 Michael Scott Lynn was also hired as a workshop instructor.
During the first year of operation, however, complaints were raised that the program was competing unfairly with the private sector by teaching homeowners to build their own solar water systems rather than buying them from commercial companies, and also that there was a "special relationship" between the Workshop and one local supplier of materials. Although these complaints were quickly answered, the combination of the controversy and the changed political climate that followed the inauguration of the Reagan administration in January 1981 led DOE to terminate the grant after one year. By this time $600,000 had been spent to establish 48 workshop sites in 30 states. The established sites continued to function as a consortium for some time after the funding ceased.
Scope and Content Note
This collection consists primarily of correspondence produced by the Workshop relating to the selection of site locations, responses to requests for information, and information from solar energy product suppliers. There are four main types of records organized in four equivalent series: administrative records consisting of general correspondence and papers regarding the operation of the workshop; correspondence dealing with the selection and organization of workshop sites, organized by state; correspondence and product information from commercial solar energy companies and related suppliers; and technical reports and studies concerning solar energy in general and Dr. Mumma's design in particular.
Arrangement
This collection consists of four boxes divided into four series:
To view this collection, make an appointment at least five business days prior to your visit by contacting Ask an Archivist or calling (480) 965-4932. Appointments in the Design and the Arts Special Collections Reading Room at the Design and the Arts Library on the Tempe campus are available Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Copyright
Arizona State University does not own the copyright to this collection. We recognize that it is incumbent upon the researcher to procure permission to publish information from this collection from the owner of the copyright.
