If the former Real Goods store in downtown Eugene was ahead of its time, the logic over on Fifth Avenue these days is that the new Green Store is right on time.

“We decided it was time to do this kind of thing again,” says Tom Bowerman, one of four partners who opened the Green Store with a nod to the old Real Goods shop that operated in Eugene for six years before closing in 2000.

“If we can get people thinking in that direction, that’s what we’re trying to do,” Bowerman says.
Like Real Goods before it, the Green Store carries a variety of solar energy equipment, wind generators and other environmentally friendly products, including air and water filters, personal and household cleaning products, and natural-fabric clothes.

But Bowerman and partners Tom Scott, David Wollner and Doug Railton are going beyond that model to strive for what Wollner — the store’s manager — describes as a “small, environmental department store concept.”

The key word at the Green Store is “alternatives.” Every item in the inventory is chosen for its potential to change the way customers live, or to lessen the environmental impact of a consumer-driven society.

Lighting? Try LED lamps, lanterns or fixtures, whose light emitting diode (LED) technology is at least five times more energy efficient than incandescent lighting and many times more durable.

Clothing? The Green Store offers products featuring hemp, bamboo and organic cotton fabrics.
Then there are the handbags and briefcases made of reused plastics from billboards, purses from “second-use” fabrics, waste baskets from truck tires that have been ground up and re-formed, and even door mats made from colorful chunks of flip-flops.

And don’t forget the backpacks and bike packs with “amorphic” solar panels sewn into their fabric to produce enough electricity for iPods or cell phones. The popular Kill A Watt meters that plug into household receptacles to show the energy usage of various lights or appliances. Building materials including bamboo flooring, which is renewable, and “American Clay,” which doesn’t emit carbon dioxide the way conventional wall and ceiling plaster does. Reflective “Sun Ovens” that can bake at temperatures comparable to traditional ovens, using nothing more than sunlight. And educational toys — such as the “Solar Science Kit” and the “Solar Energy Project” — for the next generation of environmentally conscious consumers.

“There’s not a single store in Eugene that specializes in renewable energy products and green product lines,” Bowerman says. “You just really have to be knowledgeable if you want to make good choices. What we’re trying to do is make some of those choices ahead of time.”

Bowerman is a co-owner of the historic Farmer’s Union complex at West Fifth Avenue and Olive Street, where the Green Store has moved into...One of two buildings in the Farmer’s Union complex was fitted with an array of 144 photovoltaic panels in 2002 — which at the time was the largest such effort in Oregon at a commercial facility.

Tom Scott, a solar energy expert since 1972, is the resident consultant in what’s being called the “energy corner” of the Green Store...“We have everything from the PV-powered (photovoltaic) crystal in the window to full-bore,” says Scott, pointing out a variety of hydro power products, wind turbines and solar equipment. The store’s energy corner also features a large desk, where customers can bring building plans for advice on how to incorporate energy-efficient products into their new homes or additions. And alternative energy workshops are in the planning stage.

“We’re trying to help people retrofit their homes to reduce their carbon footprints,” says Scott, adding that a variety of state and federal rebate programs have helped to make the energy-producing products affordable.

Wollner, the store’s manager and partner, says the inventory will continue to be a work in progress as the owners react to the interests and requests of customers. “We are looking at expanding our product offerings as we go along,” Wollern says. “And we’re not being restrictive...We’re bringing in more products all the time, and we’re excited about what we’re doing...And we’re happy to share whatever knowledge we have.”