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The energy crisis of the

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1970s ushered in many innovations
to energy production and use.

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One of these innovations
occurred in Seattle.

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The use of the renewable resource
of radiant heat from the sun

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and the force of wind
was theorized to be plentiful.

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But there was little in
the way of hard facts.

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Particularly in a land
with little sunshine.

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In 1975, Seattle's Energy Department
sought, quote, “factual, usable data

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on new directions to guide us toward
viable energy alternatives”

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in the form of a large scale
study called Project Weathervane.

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According to City Light 
engineer Al Yamagiwa,

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“there is enough energy from the sun
assisted by a wind generator, to provide

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70% of the heating
requirements for a home.” 

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City Light customers were interested
in trying out their own solar panels,

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but City Light had no information

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to offer them regarding the feasibility
of actually heating their homes.

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Yamagiwa stated, “A lot of people
are trying it on their own

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and they need to know
this kind of information.”

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Planning began in 1975
under Gordon Vickery,

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Superintendent of City Lights and $50,000
was allotted to fund the experiment.

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The project was designed
to gather real-time

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energy needs through the use of a test residence.

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A family conducting their
normal daily activities

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could provide baseline solar heating
data for the Pacific Cascade region.

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The home selected was a condemned property
that the lighting department

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had originally purchased
to build a substation,

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but construction of the substation
was delayed until 1980.

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The structure was retrofitted

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and in 1975 a family of five
moved into the Project Weathervane home. 

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Located at 5161 South Creston Street
in Rainier Beach,

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the home had 1000 square

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feet of living area on the main floor
and 500 square feet in the basement.

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It included three bedrooms,
one bath, a recreation room and storage.

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The solar collectors were 22 three foot
by six foot panels, tilted at a 60 degree

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angle on the roof. To supplement
the solar radiation to be collected,

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a six kilowatt windmill generator
on a nearby hill could transfer

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energy to an electric immersion
heater in the storage tank.

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A heat pump was also installed.
When there was ample sunshine,

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the rooftop panels trapped radiant heat.
Then through a mixture of water and antifreeze,

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the heat was carried from the panels
to heat exchange coils

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in the basement. Utilizing the heat
holding property of water,

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a 1500 gallon water tank housed the coils

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and stored the energy 
collected from the rooftop panels.

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Air in the heat ducts throughout the home
was warmed by these coils.

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Project Weathervane was a family home,

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and provisions were made for the privacy
of the selected five person family.

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The experimental equipment was confined

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to a room in the basement
with a special entry

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for City Light technicians.
Along with other criteria for selection,

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the participating family had to be willing
to take readings, be interviewed

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and photographed, and show the home
to visitors with little or no notice.

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In exchange for the opportunity

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to live in the home, the family would pay
rent of just $50 per month.

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The data collected by Project
Weathervane over a ten month

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period was put into the form
of a comprehensive baseline data document

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and used by federal agencies
and academic institutions.

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The actual solar heating system
performance of Project Weathervane showed

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that approximately 40% of the total house
heating requirements were provided

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by solar energy.

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Subsequent to the experiment,

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the home used for project weather
vane was decommissioned and the property

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was used by City Light
for its originally intended purpose:

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the construction of the Creston
Nelson Substation.

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To learn more about Project Weathervane,
Seattle City Light or to view

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additional archival records, please
visit seattle.gov/cityarchives.

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