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In addition to his jobs as father, grandfather, professor, and former chair of the Randolph Conservation Commission, Solar Champion Bruce Kirmmse has a unique additional title. We feel confident in saying that Bruce is the only ReVision customer who is – drum roll, please – a Danish Knight. (Bruce also created this blog title for us; we love a good sunshine pun.)
In 2013 – the same year Bruce and his wife Margaret Hellman had their first solar array installed by ReVision at their home in the White Mountains, Bruce was knighted by order of the Queen of Denmark for his extensive work in translation and scholarship. Bruce, who worked as a Professor of History for over 30 years both in the U.S. and in Denmark, was awarded the knighthood for his work as general editor and translator of a twelve-volume edition of the journals and notebooks of the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard.
Sir Bruce Goes Solar
When not actively translating Kierkegaard’s work into English, Bruce is committed to the preservation of the planet, starting with his town of Randolph, NH, where he served on the town conservation commission for ten years.
“Conservation has always been Issue #1 for me,” says Bruce. “I’m concerned, environmentally, with the life of the planet.” In 2013 Bruce and Margaret had ReVision install an 11-panel solar array on their roof as well as a heat pump water heater to get away from oil-heated domestic hot water.
Like any technology, a solar system sometimes encounters issues – that’s why ReVision has a 24/7 dedicated service team. In 2014 their system needed a new inverter, so when the ReVision service team came out to replace the inverter (covered by our warranty), Bruce and Margaret took the opportunity to inquire about more solar and added an expansion to their roof array to produce more clean solar energy.
Last year they decided to have ReVision install their first heat pump, and now they’re expanding once again. This fall they are adding a ground mount solar array to offset the rest of their electric needs, as well as a second heat pump.
“This will enable us to be just about free of fossil fuel oils,” says Bruce.
Peace of Mind While Abroad
Bruce and his wife split their time between their solar-powered home in Randolph and an apartment in the heart of downtown Copenhagen. Although their son and his family occasionally spend time in Randolph during the winter (it’s a perfect base for New Hampshire skiing), the house is mostly empty in the coldest months. Before their 2023 air source heat pump installation, Bruce admits they “burned a lot of oil” keeping the house set at 50 degrees to avoid frozen pipes. This winter, they set the heat pump at 61 degrees and left for Copenhagen. It heated the entire 2-story, 7-room house throughout the winter; their oil consumption dropped to a mere quarter-tank.
“It really seemed to carry the whole house,” Bruce says. “Nothing froze and our oil consumption was very, very low.” And although their perch in the White Mountains means they enjoy cooler summers than many in our region, Bruce says the heat pump has also been working well in cool mode.
“As for the present heat wave, my new heat pump/air conditioner handled everything well–in fact, almost too well. I had to go to Dartmouth-Hitchcock yesterday, so when I left in the morning, I set the thermostat in the low 70’s. And when I returned at the end of the day, the house felt so cool (partly because I had gotten used to the outdoor temperature), that I turned the thing off. It’s doing everything I could ask for.”
Order of the Dannebrog
So how does an environmentalist from New Hampshire end up knighted by the Queen of Denmark, anyway? Bruce, who has a doctorate in history, first learned Danish when doing his dissertation on Kierkegaard. When the University of Copenhagen decided to undertake a huge translation project – translating all of Kierkegaard’s many journals and notebooks into multiple languages – Bruce took the lead on the English language part, resulting in the final twelve-volume translated work. On Kierkegaard’s 200th birthday in 2013, Bruce was knighted as part of a large celebration at the Royal Library in Copenhagen. Not to be outdone by the Queen, the Town of Randolph hosted their own celebration when Bruce returned home that year, featuring a 7-foot-long homemade cardboard and aluminum foil sword.
“My grandchildren love it,” says Bruce. In addition to the cardboard sword, his grandchildren will also appreciate their grandfather’s commitment to history, philosophy, and the natural environment. Thanks for being our first Knighted Solar Champ, Bruce!