People gather in front of solar panels at a past Solar Roots Party. The new documentary “Solar Roots: The Pioneers of PV” will screen on Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Del Oro Theatre as part of a three-day Solar Roots Party at the Nevada County Fairgrounds running today through Sunday.
“Solar Roots: The Pioneers of PV,” a feature-length documentary by filmmakers Jeff Spies and Jason Vetterli, will premiere for free at the Del Oro Theatre in Grass Valley on Saturday, Oct. 31, beginning at 10 a.m. The trailer can be found at solar-roots.com.
Around 1976, Nevada County locals Sam Vanderhoof, Ron Kenedi, and John Hill partnered up to sell much-needed solar supplies to those living off-grid. Vanderhoof is now one of several energy pioneers featured in “Solar Roots: The Pioneers of PV,” a feature-length documentary that will premiere for free at the Del Oro Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 31.
People gather in front of solar panels at a past Solar Roots Party. The new documentary “Solar Roots: The Pioneers of PV” will screen on Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Del Oro Theatre as part of a three-day Solar Roots Party at the Nevada County Fairgrounds running today through Sunday.
“Solar Roots: The Pioneers of PV,” a feature-length documentary by filmmakers Jeff Spies and Jason Vetterli, will premiere for free at the Del Oro Theatre in Grass Valley on Saturday, Oct. 31, beginning at 10 a.m. The trailer can be found at solar-roots.com.
Around 1976, Nevada County locals Sam Vanderhoof, Ron Kenedi, and John Hill partnered up to sell much-needed solar supplies to those living off-grid. Vanderhoof is now one of several energy pioneers featured in “Solar Roots: The Pioneers of PV,” a feature-length documentary that will premiere for free at the Del Oro Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 31.
Long before solar panels became a common sight on California rooftops, a group of independent-minded innovators were already experimenting with ways to harness the sun for electricity.
Some of that work even took place right here in Nevada County, and a new documentary is working to preserve that history before it is lost to time.
“Solar Roots: The Pioneers of PV,” a feature-length documentary by filmmakers Jeff Spies and Jason Vetterli, will premiere for free at the Del Oro Theatre in Grass Valley on Saturday, Oct. 31, beginning at 10 a.m. A second screening is also slated for 10 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, with free tickets available at Mother Truckers in Nevada City and Natural Selection in Grass Valley.
Heading towards a more radiant future
The documentary screenings will be part of a broader “Solar Roots Party,” a three-day gathering from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1 primarily taking place at Ponderosa Hall in the Nevada County Fairgrounds that will bring together solar industry veterans, early energy pioneers, and others connected to the industry’s significant growth in recent years.
Attendees at the party will also be able to take a free shuttle bus from the fairgrounds to the theatre for Saturday’s showing.
According to its premise, “Solar Roots” grew out of a desire to capture the experiences of “the events and the feeling of the start of the solar photovoltaics industry.” Director Jason Vetterli and Executive Producer Jeff Spies began work on the project in 2015, conducting more than 50 interviews with dozens of key solar energy pioneers.
After screening an initial “rough cut” version in 2017 and taking a lengthy pause on the project, the team ultimately returned to finish the film for its public release, which will finally happen on Saturday.
“It’s taken about 10 years to kind of pull it all together,” said Sam Vanderhoof, a longtime Nevada County resident and one of the main characters in the documentary. Vanderhoof himself is a longtime energy pioneer who began his career in solar in the mid-1970s.
The long, extended timeline has given the project a particular sense of urgency, according to Vanderhoof, who said nearly a third of the people featured in the documentary have unfortunately passed away during the years it took to complete.
“That’s why the team is trying to get this story out before everybody’s gone,” he said.
A local perspective
The finished cut of the film runs approximately 80 minutes and brings together interviews and anecdotes from across the country into one place. While it explores the broader history of solar energy across the U.S., Vanderhoof said Nevada County has an especially meaningful part in the story.
“A lot of the industry started here back in the old days, especially the off-grid scene for solar energy,” said Vanderhoof, adding that the local movement began taking shape near the San Juan Ridge around the mid-to-late 1970s as residents experimented with generating their own electricity outside of the traditional utility systems.
The documentary features a selection of people who helped establish that early movement, connecting the work done in Nevada County to broader initiatives done in other areas.
“The people in Nevada County were really on the forefront of making this happen,” Vanderhoof said. “And then from there, it went to other places around the U.S.”
The region’s early adoption of solar technology remains a major source of local pride. Vanderhoof recalled Nevada City, in particular, ranking at the top nationally for the number of solar installations per capita for a period of time, with Grass Valley and Auburn also emerging as early adopters.
Vanderhoof also pointed to the Nevada City Cohousing cooperative as an example of a solar energy trailblazer, where homes were outfitted with panels several decades ago.
It’s these types of familiar everyday stories, Vanderhoof said, that are part of what makes the documentary relevant to viewers who may not work in renewable energy or know much about its history.
The film is expected to explore not only the solar technology itself, but the people, communities, and circumstances that helped the movement grow from an unconventional idea to a widely used sustainable energy source.
Vanderhoof said the finished product offers a chance to acknowledge how the industry has evolved and remember the tireless contributions of people whose work might otherwise be forgotten.
“I think it’s great to understand where things are today, especially with solar on rooftops,” he said.
The Solar Roots Party itself is primarily a reunion for those who helped create and build the industry. Attendees are expected to travel from around the United States, as well as overseas. Event organizers are anticipating hundreds of people joining this weekend’s celebrations, which will include meals, informative presentations, music, and opportunities to share stories and memorabilia, amongst other activities.
The “Solar Roots” film, however, is intended to reach a much wider audience, with its creators describing it as a “noncommercial” project that they hope will eventually be available for free to viewers around the world.
For local stewards like Vanderhoof, bringing the documentary to Grass Valley is a way to recognize and appreciate the role locals have played in a much larger, impactful story.
“That’s really why the documentary is being featured here,” he said. “And that’s why it’s completely free for the public to come to Del Oro and see what we feel is a very interesting and important movie.”
More information about the documentary and a full itinerary for the Solar Roots Party is available at solar-roots.com.
To contact Staff Writer Natalie Hays, email nhays@theunion.com.
Know & Go
WHAT: “Solar Roots: The Pioneers of PV” documentary screening
WHEN: First Screening: Saturday, Oct. 31 | 10 a.m., Second Screening: Sunday. Nov. 1 | 10 a.m.
WHERE: Del Oro Theatre, 165 Mill St., Grass Valley
COST: Free
INFO: solar-roots.com
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