Energy Crawl -- October 21
By Ann Damude
The Sustainability Commission’s annual Energy Crawl takes place this Saturday October 21st between noon and 4:00 pm. Rosslanders are invited to visit Energy Crawl homes or drop by Energy Crawl Headquarters (Rossland Public Library) and take in the electric car show. Homeowners and vehicle owners will give you a brief tour, and talk with you about energy efficient or alternative energy features of their home or vehicle.
“Two of the homes featured in this year’s energy crawl have passive or active solar energy features,” explains Alex Loeb of the Sustainability Commission. “Last spring’s solar energy workshop Solar in a Mountain Town was so popular that we decided to follow up with a solar themed Energy Crawl.”
Jeff Herr was one of the presenters at the Solar in a Mountain Town workshop. Jeff will be opening his solar home only to Energy Crawlers who have completed a Carbon Footprint calculation.
“We really want people to understand where and how they use energy,” explains Ann Damude, “Jeff always advises homeowners to tackle energy conservation first and then energy generation. Insulating your home seems boring compared to installing solar panels, but the cheapest and greenest watt is one that you don’t use.
To tour Jeff’s home, visitors are asked to complete an on-line carbon footprint calculator and bring the results with them on the Crawl. Links to the carbon footprint calculator can be found on the Sustainability Commission’s website http://www.visionstoaction.ca/2017-energy-crawl.
Residents can also drop by the Rossland Library or Redtop Barbershop on Saturday to complete the carbon footprint calculator. As a bonus, people who complete the calculator will be given a free LED lightbulb courtesy of FortisBC.
Other stops on the Energy Crawl include Keith Robine & Ann Quarterman’s passive solar straw bale home and the newly renovated Redtop Barbershop. Three electric cars including a Tesla S, Chevrolet Bolt and Nissan Leaf will be on display outside the Library. The vehicle owners will be on hand to share their electric vehicle knowledge and experience.
Energy Crawl maps and additional information can be found on-line at http://www.visionstoaction.ca/2017-energy-crawl. Maps are also available at the Rossland Library.
Need more information? Contact Ann at 250-362-5617 or info@visionstoaction.ca
