The Solar Capital of the World lies at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, on a high desert mesa called Taos, New Mexico. Why was the region so dubbed in 1997? Perhaps because of the high desert altitude that makes sustainable living such a viable option here, especially since the locale is sunny 300 days of the year. Adobe architecture is prevalent here as well, and these earth homes are the epitome of passive solar design.

So how does Taos celebrate solar? With the Taos Solar Music Festival, approaching on the 27 – 28th of June. The artists to perform this year include Steve Earle, Susan Tedeschi, Allison Moorer, Collective Soul, and more. With the dawn of the solar age, the festival is intended to help bring the transition to solar to fruition. It is represented by the New Mexico Solar Energy Association, the Taos Earthship Community, local green builders and other specialists, and KTAO, a solar powered radio station.