Bruce Brownell
SUN’ S and puts it to use!
THE
HARNESSES
ENERGY
WRITTEN BY WENDY HOBDAY HAUGH PHOTOS BY WENDY HAUGH AND BRUCE BROWNELL
W
hen it comes to passive solar energy, Bruce Brownell of Edinburg is nothing short of a local legend and time-honored pioneer. Passionate about the implementation of sustainable forms of energy, Brownell has spent the last 50 years designing passive solar buildings, studying their many monetary and health benefits, and sharing that information with others. Brownell earned a degree in Construction Management and Wood Products Engineering from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, in 1964. His interest in solar energy, however, began long before that. “As a kid, I was outside all the time,” Brownell recalls. “In winter, I noticed that on southerly slopes, under the lowhanging limbs of field pines, the ground was always bare of snow. I used to crawl in there, take off my jacket, and feel completely comfortable.” This indelible childhood experience led Brownell to begin imagining ways to harness solar energy to heat houses and other structures. “The term passive solar heating refers to an ancient and intuitive method of heating, dating back to ancient Rome,” Brownell explains. “Many people today hear the term ‘passive solar’ and immediately think of photovoltaics. But passive solar is something totally different. Thermal energy flows through the system by natural means of radiation, conduction, and convection. Unlike photovoltaics, the building design does not require separate collectors. Instead, a passive solar home’s many south-facing windows enable it to perform in cooperation with its immediate environment. A structure like this requires proper integration of the site, climate, building materials, and sun. The successful result—heat—comes from a never-ending, free supply of natural energy.” To date, Bruce Brownell—who owns and operates Adirondack Alternate Energy in Edinburg—has designed 383 homes. “I’ve got houses from north of Chicago to Nova Scotia,” the 81-yearold reports, “but most of them are in this area.” Despite his impressive engineering career, Brownell considers himself to be an educator, first and foremost. Whether explaining passive solar concepts to college students, prospective clients, or home show attendees, he enjoys nothing more than sharing his first-hand knowledge and taking on the inevitable skeptics.
130 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | MAY/JUNE 2020
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