On June 28th, 1973 the City of Colorado Sprtngs declared a moratorium on new natural gas connections due to the unavailability of additional natural gas from the pipeline that serves the area. After the moratorium was declared, a joint venture was formed between the Phoenix Corporation (a non-profit organization) and the city's Department of Public Utilities to conduct research and development work on solar energy' applications. The Phoenix Project rapidly took shape. A solar-powered single-family residence was designed and built in time to participate in the 1974 Parade of Homes in Colorado Springs. A 2-yr. research and development program was also started at that time, and this program now participates tn NSF RANN and ERDA solar energy programs.