Dale Swope
Interesting Neighbors Doing Fascinating Things: Solar Entrepreneur
by Joyce Tepley
August, 2010
Dale is a man with a mission. Behind his ready smile and friendly unassuming manner is a powerhouse of knowledge and experience in green living. Words like ‘energy efficient,’ ‘sustainable,’ and ‘renewable’ are not just catch phrases to sell the latest appliances or make a new home construction seem more appealing by adding a few energy saving devices.
Those words to Dale are a living philosophy, large in scope and ambitious in execution. He’s thinking about what kind of legacy his twelve-year-old daughter will inherit. Will she be raising her children in a world stripped of its natural resources, asthmatic for lack of clean air, and unable to afford basic utilities? Or will she and her grandchildren enjoy an urban life that supports health and replenishes resources?
Technology fascinates Dale. “We’re at the beginning of a new era. That’s what really excites me.” He spent fifteen years in the computer networking industry working on communication infrastructures. A big mouthful. Now he’s communicating about what once was a hobby – remodeling homes using as much green living technology that an owner can afford.
His own remodeling company is DKL Partners and he’s Manager of Business Development for Helios Electric whose goal is to give its customers the ability to become independent of fossil fuels and off the grid. He is an active member of the North Texas Renewable Energy Group. “There’s only a handful of companies in Dallas who have been around in the green building business as long as we have,” he proudly claims.
With Dale’s depth of knowledge and enthusiasm for his chosen field it doesn’t take much to get him talking about the ‘ideal community’ when it comes to energy utilities.
“Here in the United Sates we are trying to build large solar and wind areas at a distance from cities. The problem is who pays for the power lines? In Germany they are building new developments around a power facility.” Helios Electric is in the initial stages of talking with a developer in Keller who wishes to build a sustainable community that is more self-contained around a solar power source. This vision is balanced with his practical, what-can-we-do-now attitude.
His advice to people who want to convert their existing homes to solar and/or geothermal energy is first to make the house as energy efficient as possible. Do the basics. Foam insulation in the attic and walls, double pane UV rated windows, programmable thermostat, foam inserts in wall plugs, replace incandescent light bulbs, and anything else that he and his colleagues would be happy to tell you about.
His own house has a solar powered attic fan which, along with the insulation, lowered the temperature 30 degrees. It runs thirteen hours a day, circulates the air in his home and the best part – it’s free. The solar panels are the ‘Thin Film’ kind. They are more sensitive to light than the more common Photovoltaic cells. They can also be made into very large panels for industrial use and install on big buildings.
You can see solar panels recently installed on the DaVinci School roof facing south on Midway. Solar panels must face south and not be shaded by trees. They also loose their efficiency during our recent 100-degree days, but that can be remedied with a simple misting system.
With a guarantee of up to 20 years, a pay back period of about 10 years, and utility bills only getting higher Dale says they are a good return on your money. Solar is predictable and free. You won’t be stranded with your food rotting in the refrigerator during power outs. We have plenty of sun in Texas but what about our hailstorms. Solar panels are as strong and durable as a windshield.
Solar panels can be put on awnings, poles, and stands as long as they face south. Consider security and landscape lighting with timers or heating your water from the sun. The solar thermal system Dale can tell you more about has a 3-year payback period. After that, no gas bill!
Besides the joy of helping individual homeowners like a couple on Snow White who have a 2500 square foot house design a solar energy system that will eliminate half their utility bills in one year, Dale is excited about mentoring students at W. T. White in solar car racing.
Helios Electric took a Honda Integra that had 100,000 miles on it, pulled out the fossil fuel engine and transmission, and put in an electric engine and lead acid batteries. It hugs the road and is low maintenance since there are no moving parts. It has better acceleration than a Ferrari, a range of 40 miles, and goes up to 55 miles an hour. The best part is it plugs into a 110 V outlet.
There hasn’t been much publicity yet, but the Dallas/Ft. Worth area has been selected for a federal grant to install about 200 electric charging stations in public areas like shopping centers, restaurants, and municipal parking places. They will be like parking meters but will be free to anyone who owns an all-electric vehicle.
Imagine, driving your non-polluting car, free of ‘charge’ to meet friends at a restaurant, running low of electricity (like you used to run low on gas), plugging into a nearby meter, eating your dinner, then having enough ‘juice’ to get you back home.
Dale is an informed leader in a new wave of hope for our neighborhood, country, and world. He has a clear vision of what is possible and readily available to change our wasteful, squandering habits toward our natural resources. He doesn’t preach. He teaches. He is the best example of a 21st Century practical visionary.
