Northern Colorado Renewable Energy Society (NCRES) is sponsoring free workshops on Renewable Energy. See the schedule below.
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Saturday Schedule:
11- 11:50 am Clean Energy Collective: Community-owned Solar Array
Clean Energy Collective will present an educational seminar on the community-owned solar model, which will provide clean energy to anyone with an electric bill.
Bart Rupert, Sr. VP of Business Development, is responsible for growing CEC’s renewable energy portfolio through strategic partnerships, business development initiatives, and alliances with utility companies. His goal is to embrace changes in the energy sector by partnering with utility companies to bring renewable energy to the masses in an easy, affordable, and accessible way.
12-12:50 pm, Fort Collins Energy Programs Update
Fort Collins Utilities will update attendees on the current and recently enacted energy programs for residential and business customers including the residential solar rebate program, the new feed-in-tariff program for businesses, and the community solar garden initiative.
Norm Weaver, Energy Services Engineer with Fort Collins Utilities, is a registered professional engineer and energy efficiency technology specialist with over 25 years involvement in the building science field. He is overseeing the cities’ photovoltiacs net-metering and residential solar electric incentives programs and has provided support to city building efficiency programs including the commercial building integrated design assistance incentive and home energy efficiency programs.
1-1:50 pm A geologist’s view of how we can live sustainably in times of climate change
We have done well in our response to overpopulation, to pollution, to our promulgation of invasive species…yet climate changes loom that may impact us in ways that we can only dimly imagine.
Bob is a geologist with wide experience in global resource distribution patterns, especially water resources, and he is concerned that we use our assets too casually and perhaps in an unsustainable manner.
2-2:50 pm, Rising From the Ashes: Incorporating EE and RE in the High Park Rebuilding Effort
Some homeowners that lost their homes in the High Park fire are taking the opportunity to rebuild better and smarter. Hear about 4 projects that are “rising from the ashes” and how you can tour these exceptional projects.
Roger is a clean energy advocate. He works in the solar industry, is a certified energy auditor and is a past board member of both the Northern Colorado Renewable Energy Society (NCRES) and the Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES)
3- 3:50 pm, Addressing Energy Poverty at Home and Abroad
The Program Directors of local nonprofit, Trees, Water & People, will discuss their experiences finding solutions to energy poverty in developing nations abroad and at home (Native American reservations).
As Trees, Water & People’s National Director, Lacey Gaechter primarily oversees the Tribal Renewable Energy Program, through which she coordinates the distribution of renewable energy systems to tribal families, organizes renewable energy training, and facilitates sustainable business development. Sebastian Africano, Trees, Water & People’s International Director, first joined TWP in 2005 as a marketing intern for our clean cookstove program in Honduras. He returned to TWP in 2009 and currently manages our clean cookstove, cleantech and reforestation programs in Central America, and Haiti.
4- 4:50 pm Enhancing Home Comfort Through Energy Efficiency
While saving money often comes to mind when making home energy efficiency upgrades, do you realize just how much they will improve the comfort and livability of your home? John will discuss several aspects of home energy efficiency and how the directly impact how comfortable your home is.
John Fassler has been an Energy Rater and auditor with EnergyLogic since 2009. He has over 23 years of experience in the commercial and home construction industry giving him a unique insight into efficient construction techniques and retrofitting. He also serves on the Board of the Northern Colorado Renewable Energy Society (NCRES).
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Sunday Schedule:
11-11:50, Intro to Off Grid Energy Systems
Living off the grid presents many challenges and many rewards. This workshop covers the basics of how to generate and store electricity to power an off-grid home or cabin, and how to design and install a system that makes off-grid living fun and easy.
Dan Fink has lived off the grid, high in the Northern Colorado Mountains, since 1991, 11 miles from the nearest power pole or phone line. He has a BA in Technical Journalism from Colorado State University, and spent 10 years in the field as a renewable energy system consultant, designer and installer.
12- 12:50 pm Off Grid Home Design
Dream of living off the grid? Explore how state of the art solar electric equipment married with Passive House high performance energy modeling perfects affordable off-grid home design.
Andrew Michler has lived off-grid for 20 years, is former chair of NCRES and co founder of PUSHpassive. He is writing the book titled [ours] on worldwide movements in sustainable architecture.
1-1:50 pm, Renewable Natural Gas
Make your own renewable natural gas from farm and kitchen wastes, or from wood. Learn how to make and use a small biogas digester, and a simple wood-gas camp stove.
Paul Scheckel is an experienced energy efficiency and renewable energy consultant. He is the author of The Homeowner’s Energy Handbook and The Home Energy Diet, and has appeared twice on the acclaimed TV show Ask This Old House. Paul’s writing and presentations come from experience gained over 20+ years as an energy auditor, renewable energy system installer, electric car converter, and hands-on, off-grid homesteader.
3:30-4:30 pm How to Efficiently Update Your “Old” House
Turns out over 50% of homes in the USA were built before 1975 and waste TONS of energy. One of the best times to perform updates are prior to, or just after the sale of a house. Renewablue helps facilitate those upgrades and helps you pay for them at the same time you buy, sell or refinance your home.
James W Mitchell is a partner at The Group Real Estate and the Founder of Renewablue. These two creative cats worked together to create a program that will change the way that homes are bought and sold in the Universe. Yes, the Universe….but we’ll get things going in Fort Collins. Seems like a pretty good plan.