The fourth-annual Clallam County Solar Tour will run from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3.

The starting point is Sequim High School, 601 N. Sequim Ave., which features a pole-mounted solar system.

This year’s tour has two components: a self-drive tour of 20 solar installations from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 75-minute Getting Started with Solar workshops that start at 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. in the Sequim High School cafeteria.

PUD Conservation Department staff and their solar-powered House on Wheels will be on-hand at Sequim High providing tour-goers with comprehensive packets of information about the tour, including a primer, "Going Solar on the Olympic Peninsula," descriptions of available PUD and federal energy efficiency incentives, low-interest loan programs, individual tour sites and maps to locate them.

The self-drive portion of the tour features a wide variety of on-grid and off-grid solar installations and energy-efficiency measures. They include solar tracking arrays, back-up power batteries, solar water heating, passive solar design, alternative building materials and innovative designs, rainwater catchment systems, energy efficient appliances, weatherization measures and a ground-source heat pump.

The "Getting Started with Solar" sessions will provide an overview of the benefits of solar power, an introduction to solar installation projects, renewable energy and weatherization incentives that are available, the importance of installing energy-efficiency measures, federal energy efficiency tax credits, Clallam County PUD’s low-interest loan program and a Q & A session.

To ensure enough seats and materials for everyone attending the workshops, prospective participants should RSVP by noon, Friday, Oct. 2, by calling 360-565-3579 or 800-542-7859 x579, or by e-mailing

solartour@clallampud.net.

The event is run in conjunction with the 14th annual National Solar Tour sponsored by the American Solar Energy Society.