NESEA Northeast Sustainable Energy Association Blog http://www.nesea.org/blog Promoting Sustainable Energy Solutions Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:21:51 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Exciting New Collaboration Opportunity with Siemens http://www.nesea.org/blog/2012/01/exciting-new-collaboration-opportunity-with-siemens/ http://www.nesea.org/blog/2012/01/exciting-new-collaboration-opportunity-with-siemens/#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:16:18 +0000 Jennifer Marrapese http://www.nesea.org/blog/?p=1208 I wanted to let you know about a partnership opportunity that has recently come our way.

Siemens has just approached us to explore whether we are interested in working with them to present Solar Exchange, a one-day conference intended primarily to educate practitioners about the latest happenings in the solar industry. Participants will include photovoltaic researchers, utility representatives, manufacturers, developers, OEMs, integrators and others. Siemens will take responsibility for identifying and paying for the venue, and underwriting the cost of attendance for all attendees so that it can be offered as a free event. They have asked NESEA to help with the planning and promotion of Solar Exchange – i.e., providing our content for the event. They are planning to host the event in May at Rutgers University.

Siemens has recently hosted other Solar Exchange events in Arizona (approximately 80 attendees), Los Angeles, and most recently in Raleigh, NC, where they partnered with another ASES affiliate, the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association, which attracted 300 attendees. All were very well received, and I have learned from my counterparts in NC that Siemens was great to work with.

From my perspective, this opportunity is a no-brainer. Last year, the NESEA Board approved a strategic direction that contemplates offering more programming in the southern part of the NESEA territory — NY, NJ, PA and DE. We are hoping, over time, to develop some sort of “BE South” offering. This event could be a great first step. It could allow us to develop a stronger toe-hold in NJ, and to obtain up to 300 qualified leads for new members in the area with whom we might be able to engage, year round. The only cost to NESEA will be the staff time associated with helping to find content for the event and helping to promote it. And we intend to work closely with BuildingEnergy Renewables track chair Bill Stillinger to do so – borrowing heavily from the content and the presenters we are using in the Renewables track at BE12. Siemens has indicated they are open to using different learning formats – more interactive modes of learning than just a traditional panel of 3 with PowerPoints. They are interested in making the event a quality learning and networking event, not just a sales pitch for their own products.

I’ll be glad to keep you all updated on this collaboration as it progresses. Thanks!

Jennifer

]]> http://www.nesea.org/blog/2012/01/exciting-new-collaboration-opportunity-with-siemens/feed/ 0 2/16/12 – Pregame for BE12 http://www.nesea.org/blog/2012/01/feb16event/ http://www.nesea.org/blog/2012/01/feb16event/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:45:37 +0000 Rayna H. http://www.nesea.org/blog/?p=1083 Can’t wait for BuildingEnergy12? Neither could we.

Thankfully, one of our BE12 Gold Sponsors and NESEA Members, Renewable Sales, has volunteered to host a BE-caliber session at their showroom in Holliston, MA, February 16, 2012, starting at 5:30pm. RSVP here.

An evening of networking and expert information …
and it’s free! (And there will be food!)

The evening will feature a discussion “Understanding Risks and Rewards: A Conversation on Community Solar,” facilitated by The Cadmus Group, featuring a case study from the Town of Natick and from the City of Medford.  MA Department of Energy Resources will speak to its solar programs (e.g., SolarizeMass with MassCEC, SunShot Program grant), as well as support that it can and has provided to Massachusetts municipalities.

Click here to read more about the speakers... »

Erin Sweet, The Cadmus Group
Erin SweetErin Sweet leads The Cadmus Group’s efforts to support local communities with their renewable energy projects. Since 2010, Ms. Sweet has provided owner’s agent technical assistance services to eight Massachusetts cities and towns on behalf of the state Department of Energy Resources. She has assembled lessons learned from Cadmus’ owner’s agent work into a blog for communities interested in renewable energy. Ms. Sweet has evaluated the costs and benefits of water utility renewable energy projects for the U.S. EPA, and created a roadmap to drive renewables development in South Carolina’s Central Midlands region. Ms. Sweet holds an M.A. in urban and environmental policy and planning from Tufts University, and degrees in microbiology and English from the University of Florida.

Meg Lusardi, MA Department of Energy Resources,
Green Communities Division
Meg is the Director for the Green Communities Division, the organization within the MA Department of Energy Resources that serves as the hub for all municipalities on all matters related to energy.  Meg was tasked in August 2008 to launch the development and implementation of the Green Communities Designation and Grant Program, the landmark program for the Division, that has led to 86 municipalities in MA being designated Green Communities. Meg joined DOER in July 2005 and previously worked with the Renewable Energy team on all matters related to renewables development in MA. She previously served as the Chief of Operations for Project Hope, a non-profit in Dorchester, and as a Project Manager at the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Bob Bois, Environmental Compliance Officer, Town of NatickBob Bois
Bob has worked in the environmental field on the public side for over 35 years. Presently, Bob is the Environmental Compliance Officer (ECO) for the Town of Natick – a position he’s held for the past 10 years. As the ECO for Natick, Bob is responsible for coordinating Town-wide compliance with all applicable federal and state environmental laws applicable to Town operations and plays a key role in implementing environmental stewardship and pollution prevention projects Town-wide. As Natick’s ECO, Bob has helped the Town achieve ISO 14001 certification for the environmental management system at its water treatment plant in 2007, secured designation from the state DOER as Green Community in May 2010, and helped negotiate two Power Purchase Agreements to install a 1.08 MW solar array system on the roof of six town buildings by the spring of 2012. Prior to working for Natick, Bob worked 25 years with the state DEP in various positions including the Acting Director for the Office of Enforcement. Bob has a BS in biology form Merrimack College and a MS in Engineering from Tufts University.

A representative from the City of Medford (to be confirmed)

With introductions from:

Kevin Price, CEO, Renewable Sales
Kevin Price is CEO of Renewable Sales of Holliston Massachusetts. Mr. Price bring 30 years of construction sector experience to his position, predominantly in the role of wholesale distributor of mechanical  equipment. In 2008, he opened a small warehouse to service the fledgling solar market in the MetroWest region of Massachusetts.  Since then, he has grown the company to keep pace with the fast expanding market. Renewable Sales now has 3 divisions; the original distribution company that recently expanded operations to a 20,000SF facility in Holliston, as well as two manufacturing divisions.  In Dallas, Texas the company manufactures its American Choice PV modules. The third division, Constellation Solar Mounts, manufactures solar racking for commercial and utility scale projects.

Mr. Price is a native of Massachusetts and enjoys New England’s diverse cultural and seasonal offerings. Mr. Price supports a number of charitable organizations on a local and regional basis.

…and our own Jennifer Marrapese, Executive Director, Northeast Sustainable Energy Association

Here is the essential information:

What: NESEA invites you to “Understanding Risks and Rewards: A Conversation on Community Solar” presented by The Cadmus Group, and hosted by Renewable Sales
Where: Renewable Sales, 35 Jeffrey Avenue, Holliston, MA 01746
When: Thursday, February 16th, 2012; 5:30 – 8:30pm
RSVP: http://goo.gl/iKWtB – maximum 60 attendees – so do not delay! (and please let us know if you need to cancel)

We hope to see you there!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me: rheldt@nesea.org or 413-774-6051 ext. 20

]]> http://www.nesea.org/blog/2012/01/feb16event/feed/ 1 Kim Quirk – Near Net Zero Homeowner, BuildingEnergy 12 Presenter http://www.nesea.org/blog/2012/01/kim-quick-near-net-zero-homeowner-buildingenergy-12-presenter/ http://www.nesea.org/blog/2012/01/kim-quick-near-net-zero-homeowner-buildingenergy-12-presenter/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:42:21 +0000 Travis Niles http://www.nesea.org/blog/?p=1147 This is was originally posted at EnergyEmporium by Kim Quirk

Creating a Zero Net Energy Building in a Historic Shell

“That’s the title of the talk I am going to do at the NESEA (Northeast Sustainable Energy Association) conference in Boston in March 2012. The conference, BuildingEnergy 12, will be held at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston on March 6-8. There are 10 different tracks of workshops on “renewables and high performance buildings”. Check it out. You can get a ton of information at this conference.
NESEA BuildingEnergy12
I was very excited to have my presentation selected. All the work we’ve been doing on the renovation of my building has been well documented and I will have a years worth of real data and results by then. I applied to present at this conference last year but my project schedule slipped and my move-in date was too late to get any real feedback as to the performance of the house, so they asked me to re-apply this year.

Ok… so the good news is that I was selected for presentation. The bad news is that the house isn’t performing as well as it should at this point. There are things we are actively analyzing and debugging. So when I got the news that I was on the schedule, I called the session chair to discuss some of the issues and see if they wanted to retract their offer. “Not at all”, I was told. “We expect an audience that understands how difficult it is to achieve zero net energy and we learn more from the problems than the successes”. She assured me that presenting the results with details about issues would be a good session.

So, as I pull together data, information, pictures for this talk I will also put it out there on this blog. It would be great to get some feedback before the conference so I can be ready for the hard questions.

There were 4 goals for this renovation:

  • Zero Net Energy Building
  • LEED-H certification
  • No Combustion, no fossil fuels
  • Attention to Historic Preservation

You can get more details on these goals by clicking on 78 Main St – Renovation.

I’ll start addressing the 3rd goal in this post since it has been very easy to measure: This house has no fossil fuels. I don’t have an oil tank or oil bill, no propane tank or gas bills, no fireplace, wood stove or wood bills.

But — This house is on the grid and I DO have an electric bill. My electric company is National Grid. Their electricity is made up of about 36% natural gas, 15% coal, 26% nuclear, 10% oil, and 13% other fuels (mostly renewable). So that is not good. My intention is to offset all the electricity we use with local solar PV panels. Right now I am measuring the electrical use so I can design the right size array. The good news is that weather data and insolation (how much sun we get here in NH) from the National Renewable Energy Labs (NREL) is pretty accurate so I will be able determine the size of the array based on my use. I didn’t want to put the array in place, though, until I have a good estimate of electrical usage. More on that in an upcoming blog.”

Read the original post WITH GREAT COMMENTS here

]]> http://www.nesea.org/blog/2012/01/kim-quick-near-net-zero-homeowner-buildingenergy-12-presenter/feed/ 0 A Tale of Two Cities: Sustainable Urban Development in Hamburg Comes to Boston http://www.nesea.org/blog/2012/01/a-tale-of-two-cities/ http://www.nesea.org/blog/2012/01/a-tale-of-two-cities/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:47:09 +0000 Travis Niles http://www.nesea.org/blog/?p=1065 If you’ve been following the movement towards renewable energy, you probably know that Europe is way ahead of us. And you might feel that we’ve got a long way to go if we’re ever going to catch up.

NESEA is hoping to change that with a new international collaboration.

We’re proud to announce an exciting new development with the German Consulate. This year, our BuildingEnergy Conference will feature a session on Sustainable Urbanism with representatives from the City of Hamburg, Germany as part of the Transatlantic Climate Bridge.  The German delegation will include Senator Jutta Blankau who will present at the conference Closing Forum on March 8th, and Mr. Uli Hellweg, who will speak at the Thursday session titled “How Hamburg Will Generate 100% of Heat and Electricity from Local Renewable Resources.”

The Transatlantic Climate Bridge is “a joint commitment to invest in newer, cleaner sources of energy can create new jobs and world-class industries, clean up the environment and protect the climate, improve standards of living and enhance global security.” The German Consulate considers their involvement with NESEA to be “one of our major projects“, and given the similarities between Boston and Hamburg and the popularity of BuildingEnergy, it’s easy to see why. Both cities share a similar climate, and as port cities, Boston is ideally suited to channel materials and ideas from Hamburg into the Northeast. BuildingEnergy is the next step, the distribution hub from which the ideas brought over from Germany can be acquired and disseminated throughout the Northeast. And the sustainability industry is ready for them.
Says Mr. Galen Nelson, Director of Intergovernmental Partnerships at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (and BuildingEnergy Session Chair) “The City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts share a strong interest in strengthening our clean energy industry and helping the private sector adapt to a low carbon economy.  The German experience in Hafen City, coupled with Boston’s vibrant clean energy eco-system and the state’s cutting edge renewable energy policies and programs create a perfect opportunity to explore district heating systems in the Commonwealth.”

BuildingEnergy is the place to be for new ideas, new friends, and new business prospects. we’re very excited by this new partnership with the German Consulate, and look forward to expanding our international connections.

So, will we see you at BuildingEnergy? I do hope your answer is “Ja!”

]]> http://www.nesea.org/blog/2012/01/a-tale-of-two-cities/feed/ 0 Dietz & Co. Architects Project Achieves LEED Gold Certification http://www.nesea.org/blog/2012/01/dietz-co-architects-project-achieves-leed-gold-certification/ http://www.nesea.org/blog/2012/01/dietz-co-architects-project-achieves-leed-gold-certification/#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:14:24 +0000 Travis Niles http://www.nesea.org/blog/?p=1062 Great news from the NESEA membership! Congratulations to Dietz & Company Architects on receiving the LEED Gold Certification for their work on a project with the YWCA! This is especially exiting news because Marc Sternick, VP of Dietz & Co, is on our Board of Directors and the firm is a local, NESEA business member.

The full press release is included here:

Springfield, Mass. – Dietz & Company Architects, Inc. has received LEED for Homes Gold certification from USGBC (the U.S. Green Building Council) for the recently completed units at the YWCA’s Campus of Hope. These new units provide housing that serves to transition women from domestic violence shelters to longer-term living facilities. The 32,000 square foot project is made up of 20 apartments and eight congregate housing units within its walls. This project was part of the larger Campus of Hope initiative
that was started more than 10 years ago for which Dietz & Company Architects was the master planner. Dietz & Company Architects also
designed the first phase of this campus: a 60,000 square foot building that includes administrative offices, meeting and classrooms as well as an on-site shelter.

In the finest tradition of the YWCA, this project features cutting edge technology in Green construction, women-owned partnerships and the
overwhelming support of the community it seeks to serve. The project, originally designed to achieve LEED for Homes Silver certification level, exceeded that level by achieving Gold certification.

Several factors that supported the LEED for Homes Gold Certification include: super-insulated walls and airtight construction, efficient mechanical systems that include roof-mounted photovoltaic panels for electricity, sustainable site design and the use of green construction materials. A healthy indoor environment, pollution reduction and lower utility/maintenance costs are also key elements of this certification. This highly efficient building is expected to reduce water and energy consumption by 20 to 30 percent over typical code compliant construction.

NL Construction was the general contractor for this project and the project was supported by the LEED for Homes Provider, CET. The LEED
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™ is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for
developing high-performance, sustainable buildings.

 

]]> http://www.nesea.org/blog/2012/01/dietz-co-architects-project-achieves-leed-gold-certification/feed/ 0 Follow-Up to the Net Zero Event at Mitsubishi http://www.nesea.org/blog/2011/12/jan10event/ http://www.nesea.org/blog/2011/12/jan10event/#comments Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:10:21 +0000 Rayna H. http://www.nesea.org/blog/?p=1050
In November, you learned about the process
to reach net zero, now it’s time to learn more about the mechanical systems that help make net zero possible!

Join us January 10th, 2012 at the Mitsubishi Training Center
in Southborough, MA.

RSVP here!

Due to overwhelming demand for a more technical session to follow-up our recent NZB meeting at the Mitsubishi facility, Susan Pickett and Rick Nortz from Mitsubishi Electric are offering a presentation to discuss the types of inverter driven heat pump products that can benefit your high performance buildings.

The presentation will include residential, light commercial, and larger commercial solutions for carbon neutral heating and cooling in all climates and they will discuss product attributes, design considerations, energy savings, LEED, and controls.

There will be dinner following the presentation. And guess what… It’s still free!

Here is the essential info:

What: Mitsubishi Technical Follow-Up (to the Net Zero Energy event in the fall)
 When: January 10th, 2012  – 3PM – 5PM, dinner to follow
Where: Mitsubishi Training Center, 150 Cordaville Rd. (RT. 85), Southborough, MA 01772
How? RSVP HERE or contact 413.774.6051 ext. 20, or rheldt@nesea.org

 

]]> http://www.nesea.org/blog/2011/12/jan10event/feed/ 0 Maclay Architects redesign Putney General Store http://www.nesea.org/blog/2011/12/putneygeneralstore/ http://www.nesea.org/blog/2011/12/putneygeneralstore/#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 18:24:18 +0000 Rayna H. http://www.nesea.org/blog/?p=1035 This is a more personal post, but I promise it’s relevant to NESEA!

In 2008, the 200 year old Putney General Store caught fire and was severely damaged. The Putney Historical Society and town rallied to purchase the property and start to rebuild. In 2009, an arsonist set fire and obliterated the store completely. The Putney Historical Society and town again set about to rebuild. Maclay Architects, Bill Maclay’s (you may remember him from our recent Net Zero Event at Mitsubishi) architectural firm is one of the companies working on the general store’s resurrection.

Read more... »

The Putney General Store was so important to me in my childhood. I was in Dummerston, VT nearly every summer growing up and continue to visit every winter with my family. These visits to Dummerston always involved a trip to the Putney General Store for sandwiches, Matchbox cars, and penny candy.

I was devastated when I found out about the 2008 fire, but relieved to know that there were efforts to rebuild. When I checked in to see its progress a year later  in 2009, I was devastated again to learn that it had been incinerated in an intentional fire.

Flash forward to just a month or so ago when I was learning more about Bill Maclay’s firm in preparation for the Net Zero event at Mitsubishi. I was browsing their website to see their current projects. I knew they had done a project for the Putney School (on the cover of the Fall 2011 Northeast Sun), but I was pleasantly surprised to see that they were part of the team working to rebuild the General Store. They have designed it to be a high performance, energy efficient multi-use building (retail and business). (You can read about the project at the Maclay Architects website)

I stopped in Putney last weekend on a whim and saw the (nearly) finished product. It looks almost exactly like the store we lost. While I know the interior won’t have the old, worn labyrinthine aisles and that 200 year old musty barn smell, I take comfort in knowing that it has been improved upon and respected by all those who worked to rebuild it. When I saw the architects’ rendering, I was struck by how well they kept its historical integrity, and in person, how well the rendering translated to the real building. While it looks shiny and new, it doesn’t look out of place or out of sync.

Its grand reopening is this weekend, Saturday Dec. 10th. (Information about the reopening is available here).

I just wanted to take a moment to congratulate Maclay Architects on reviving such an important structure and institution in Putney, while undoubtedly incorporating updates and design elements that will make it more resilient in an uncertain energy future.

NESEA members, your work has a significant impact on so many levels. I think that this is an aspect of the ‘whole system’ that we talk about. The built environment occupies more than just physical space. Beyond (or underlying) the building system, the environmental/ecological systems, there are the socio-cultural systems. This project touches on all of them – as I imagine the work all of you do does in one way or another.

Thank you for doing what you do.

]]> http://www.nesea.org/blog/2011/12/putneygeneralstore/feed/ 0 Longtime NESEA Member Launching New Business http://www.nesea.org/blog/2011/12/newneseamembebusiness/ http://www.nesea.org/blog/2011/12/newneseamembebusiness/#comments Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:42:57 +0000 Rayna H. http://www.nesea.org/blog/?p=1001 Robert (Bob) Chew, founder of Alteris Renewables, is launching his own renewable energy consulting company! Here is his press release below:

Alteris Renewables founder Bob Chew starts new company
BRISTOL, RI, November 1, 2011 – Bob Chew, renewable energy entrepreneur has launched a consulting firm that provides creative strategies and solutions to clients exploring options in the ever emerging renewable energy field. R.W. Chew, LLC, DBA as R.W. Chew Consultants, based in Bristol, RI, focuses on offering expert guidance using best practice gained from 30 years in the renewable energy field, to individuals, businesses, municipalities, schools and government agencies seeking viable and cost effective energy choices.  “It is becoming increasingly difficult for the average consumer to navigate the growing number of renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency options available today,” states Chew. The design, implementation, and integration of sustainable energy solutions necessitates the need for a long range plan or ‘road map’ that incorporates variables specific to a particular project. There is no one size fits all in the renewable and energy efficiency field. By generating designs, specifications and project oversight, the company functions much the same as an architect in the building industry.

R.W. Chew Consulting is already working with Bryant U. on a grant to help public high schools in Rhode Island determine what energy retrofits and renewable energy technologies can help them get as close to net zero as possible. View the press release shared on the Bryant U. blog.

I also had the opportunity to interview Bob about his new company and his lifelong experience working with renewables.

Click here to hear more about Bob and his new company »

In your press release, you mention, “there is no one size fits all in renewable and energy efficiency field.” Where do you start in determining what might work in a given location for a particular client?

For wind turbines, it is wind speed, interconnection challenges and site conditions that include shadow flicker, noise, safety and view shed issues.  For photovoltaics on roofs, it is finding unshaded areas on flat or south facing roofs and confirming if the roof is in good condition and if the roof can handle the additional weight.  For hot water systems, we need to size the system to the amount of hot water used and if there are any seasonal issues such as a school where they don’t use hot water during the summer.  For wood chip boilers on commercial buildings, we need to make sure that there is room for the new boiler and that there aren’t any issues with tying this system into the existing heating system.  For methane digesters and geothermal systems, we have the same issues.  A common challenge is to determine which technology is cost effective due to many factors including the cost of the installation, O&M costs, incentives and grants.

NESEA advocates whole systems thinking in approaching renewable or energy efficiency issues. What does the whole systems thinking mean to you? Does this inform how you proceed in your work?

I received a degree in Environmental Science from New England College in 1973 and learned about whole systems and ecology.  As a consultant, I understand how the design of a new building has the opportunity to either have a minimum impact on the environment or have a very large impact is determined at the design stage and I look forward to consulting with clients and their architects or builders to make sure that the latest technologies and design strategies are incorporated.

In the 34 years you have been doing this work, what have been your great epiphanies? Have there been some mistakes, breakthroughs, events or conversations that have changed your practice? What were they?

I spend a lot of time looking ahead and have prided myself in foreseeing trends before the competition becomes aware of them. I have seen the solar energy industry grow rapidly under President Jimmy Carter and seen it disappear under President Reagan. Obviously, as I look back, this was a huge mistake and allowed our country to lose its monopoly in the solar industry.  I have also been involved in the rapid growth of the solar and wind industry, and wish that Washington would remove incentives to the fossil fuel and nuclear power industry and require that pollution from these technologies is properly accounted for.  What had bothered me is the focus on photovoltaics while other solar technologies such as passive solar design and solar hot air systems and solar thermal systems have been neglected by many of the larger solar companies in the country.  I’m also bothered by the many LEED certified projects that don’t take advantage of photovoltaics, solar hot water, solar hot air and passive solar design including isolated passive solar sunspaces. In my new business, I hope to revive and popularize some of these technologies such as solar hot air systems and isolated passive solar sunspaces.

Who do you look to continue learning in this field? Where do the new ideas come from? 

I have had the good fortune to know many of the experts in the renewable energy field and seek out their expertise as needed in my new company.  Currently, I have brought in Everett Barber as a consultant on a concentrating solar thermal project I am involved in.  Everett has extensive knowledge in solar thermal and his recent book titled “Converting Your Home to Solar Energy” is in my opinion the best book on solar energy that I have read.  I still read newsletter, books and magazines and attend as many trade shows as I can to keep abreast of the changes in the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries.

What advice do you have for emerging professionals in this field? 

I am asked by many students and people looking to get into the renewable energy industry what they should do.  First, I encourage them to enter into the field since it not only has a great future but it is such an important industry.  It also provides a great deal of satisfaction knowing that you are making a positive impact on the environment and helping our country move towards energy independence.  I strongly believe that you should do what you enjoy.  For many years, I was out in the field and loved the hard work and being outdoors and strongly encourage those who like working outdoors to become a green builder, solar installer or a plumber or electrician who specializes in the renewable energy field.  Some people love selling, designing or the engineering of renewable energy systems.  They need to find a niche where they can do what they love.  I have been lucky to have been able to spend over thirty years doing something that I love.

What is most exciting to you about your new consulting firm? What do you love about what you do and what do you hope to accomplish?

First, I loved running a solar business, but now that I’m sixty, I wanted to have more flexibility to do some of the things that I have always wanted to do.  Beth and I were able to spend five weeks in New Zealand last winter and are planning another exciting trip this winter.  To have the flexibility to do these things was very hard when I was running SolarWrights or Alteris.  I also love being able to get involved in some of the different renewable energy technologies that I was unable to do in the past.

We wish Bob the very best with his new company, and our sincerest thanks for his thoughts.

]]> http://www.nesea.org/blog/2011/12/newneseamembebusiness/feed/ 0 How do we/should we promote members’ businesses? http://www.nesea.org/blog/2011/11/how-do-weshould-we-promote-members-businesses/ http://www.nesea.org/blog/2011/11/how-do-weshould-we-promote-members-businesses/#comments Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:48:11 +0000 Jennifer Marrapese http://www.nesea.org/blog/?p=988 I wanted to share with you all an email exchange that took place earlier this week that I believe goes to the heart of NESEA’s role as a membership organization.

Earlier this week we sent the following invitation out to all of our Green Buildings Open House hosts and prior years’ entrants to the NESEA Zero Net Energy Building Award:

“Greetings Green Buildings Open House hosts!

I wanted to take a moment to pass the information below to you all, as I know that many of you have indicated that you would like other opportunities to share your knowledge. If you would like to participate in this program offered by Energy Sage, feel free to contact them using the information below. Thank you for your time, and have a wonderful day!

Would you like to help others make the move to renewable energy?

EnergySage.com is an online resource that helps people to navigate the clean energy system research and purchase process. They are interested in showcasing case studies on their website of home and business owners who have already purchased clean energy systems. They would include information about your specific system, why you decided to make the investment, your decision process, your costs / benefits and any advice you might have for potential consumers.

EnergySage’s research suggests that while most consumers are interested in clean energy systems, they don’t actually make the move because they feel they have incomplete or inaccurate information.

By participating, you will be helping others make the move to renewables. If you are interested, Please contact Energysage at: info@energysage.com or at 617.398.0045. They will follow up with a questionnaire and by phone or email.”

We received feedback from several recipients asking why we were promoting the services of a for-profit company, and whether it was appropriate for us to endorse the services of one provider over another. In the interest of transparency, I’d like to share my response — because I feel like this type of member promotion is exactly what we should be doing:

Dear _____,

Thanks for your email. I wanted to respond directly to the concerns you addressed about the request we sent out on behalf of Energy Sage.

Energy Sage is a for profit business that is a NESEA member. As a membership organization, part of our mission is to connect our member – who are primarily practitioners in sustainable energy – to each other, to the ideas and information that they need to improve their practice, and to consumers. And we routinely share member news and/or help them make the types of connections you see here.

I’m sorry if the email below came across as an endorsement of Energy Sage’s products and services. It was not intended to be that. But Energy Sage is looking to develop case studies of consumers who have successfully adopted renewable energy features. They will, of course, use these case studies as part of their marketing. But NESEA may benefit as well, because as they build the online platform for these case studies, we may be able to use the platform for our Green Buildings Open House program. In other words, this is a first step in potentially co-developing a new online platform for GBOH.

I’m sorry you found the original email upsetting. Hopefully this helps shed some light. I acknowledge we could have been clearer and more transparent. Thanks!

Jennifer


As always, I welcome feedback from the NESEA community – what do you think?

]]> http://www.nesea.org/blog/2011/11/how-do-weshould-we-promote-members-businesses/feed/ 0 EnergySage.com – Choosing Renewables Now Wicked Simple http://www.nesea.org/blog/2011/11/announcingenergysage/ http://www.nesea.org/blog/2011/11/announcingenergysage/#comments Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:30:37 +0000 Travis Niles http://www.nesea.org/blog/?p=981 I was excited to learn that our newest business-level member, Boston-area Distributed Energy Research & Solutions, Inc (DERS) has concurrently released EnergySage.com , the latest, greatest tool for researching renewable energy solutions.

EnergySage, in brief, is a web platform designed “to make the case for clean energy” by helping everyone from home owners to facilities managers determine the costs and savings associated with renewable energy solutions.

This is an absolutely vital (and arguably long-overdue) tool. As we’ve covered in previous posts, renewable retrofits, upgrades, etc often involve several contractors or installers and a half-dozen different funding sources, making the whole process seem like an insurmountable task. EnergySage aims to smooth this process, and while it is only a day old, it already delivers.

I took EnergySage for a spin, and let me say, it’s wicked easy. Visitors have the choice of learning about clean energy, why to invest in clean energy upgrades for their properties, and options to get advice from professionals or from the EnergySage.com community. I tried out the wizard, and was greatly impressed by the options and level of detail it offered.  Be sure to have your utility bills on hand (or a rough estimate, if you’re just test driving it) so the site can help you determine what services are best for you based upon your needs and energy usage. You answer questions based upon your interest (saving money, etc), property type, and energy needs. And you’re not just limited to one type of renewable energy. EnergySage covers solar PV, solar thermal, wind, geothermal, biomass and biofuel. When you’ve answered all questions, the site reveals the options that are best for you, initial cost of investment, return on investment, and local financing and installation options. You are required to login for advanced options, but you can use your Facebook or Twitter login, further simplifying the process.

In short, EnergySage.com is a powerful, informative and visually appealing way to simplify your clean energy installation and financing decisions, and it’s truly great to be able to count them as a NESEA member. If you’ve been considering a renewable solution for your property, you need to check them out.

And once you’ve used EnergySage to find what renewables are best for you, go see them in action through NESEA’s Green Buildings Open House tour.

Let us know what you think about EnergySage in the comments below.

 

 

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