More than five years ago NESEA introduced its annual “Zero Net Energy Building Award”, which offers a $10,000 prize for the best example of a building in the Northeast that produces more energy than it consumes. Since then nearly 30 applicants from seven states have been eligible for this prestigious award. With this grant, NESEA plans to tackle three barriers to the widespread adoption of zero net energy buildings: lack of access to examples of successful projects, lack of widespread technical knowledge with respect to how to complete these projects, and perceptions that zero net energy construction is not cost effective. NESEA is taking action by creating a database of zero net energy homes in the Northeast, with a goal of at least 30 case studies by the end of the grant in June 2014. NESEA will also produce a white paper to share the best practices learned from the examples that populate the database and provide training, via a 10-week online course. Participants in the course will learn how to model and undertake a residential zero net energy project. Students who complete Rosenbaum’s course and subsequently undertake a net zero project will be eligible for tuition reimbursement, as well as an additional stipend if they submit their project into the NESEA database. These efforts have great potential to deliver a substantial decline in GHG-emissions from buildings in the Northeast.

Source: Press Release: Breaking- We’re Going To Catalyze The Market for Zero Net Energy Homes

The GBOH is the largest sustainable energy event in the northeastern U.S., showcasing homes, businesses and public buildings. The tour is founded on the basic philosophy that “seeing is believing.” Last year, more than 11,000 people participated in the tour and the outcome was impressive. After seeing these features in action, they left inspired, more informed, and more likely to adopt these measures themselves.

Here’s how you and your members can benefit from the event:

1)      Your members considering solar, wind, or geothermal systems or energy efficiency measures can visit a local host site or view online profiles on the virtual tour. They can locate the properties near them here on EnergySage.com, simply by entering their zip code.

2)      Your members who already have solar, wind, or geothermal or energy efficient properties are in a unique position to help encourage others to make the same choice. These members can participate in either of two ways. They can sign up to be a host on the tour or they can share their experience online by submitting a profile of their project for the virtual tour. Instructions for both options can be found here on EnergySage.com.

3)      Any project profiles submitted by your members will remain online, accessible by zip code. This means that you will be able to link to this collection of profiles even after the tour to use as examples of how clean energy and energy efficiency measures are working.  This can be a valuable resource to make a compelling case for adopting these measures.

NESEA To Host Green Building Open House Oct. 13^th

The age-old adage, “seeing is believing” is certainly true when it comes to convincing people to install solar, wind, geothermal systems and make energy efficiency improvements.  When people see these technologies for themselves, it goes a long way toward making them comfortable enough to implement them at their own properties.

Case in point, the 2012 Green Building Open House Tour (GBOH) hosted by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) in partnership with EnergySage.  The GBOH is the largest sustainable energy event in the northeastern U.S., showcasing homes, businesses and public buildings with clean energy systems, and energy efficient designs, systems and products. Last year, more than 11,000 people toured more than 500 properties in the Northeast to see firsthand the sustainability improvements happening in their communities.

The 2012 Tour will take place on Saturday, October 13^th featuring properties in ten northeastern states from Maine to Delaware. People interested in learning more about these energy improvements in a real-life setting, can visit the host properties in their area, or just review the profiles online in the corresponding virtual tour hosted here on EnergySage.com.

Home and business owners who’ve already installed a clean energy system or made efficiency upgrades to their properties can share their experiences and results with others by serving as a host property on the tour and/or by creating a project profile for the virtual tour. Instructions for both options can be found here on EnergySage.com.  The profiles serve a vital purpose, dispelling misconceptions about everything from aesthetics to cost and benefits and helping to convince people about the suitability of these technologies in a variety of settings.

The GBOH tour is focused on bringing sustainable energy into the mainstream.  Tour participants get to see these systems in action and learn from their peers who have successfully implemented renewable solutions. They leave the tour feeling inspired, better informed, and more likely to start using these technologies themselves.

photo credit: GE Energy

NESEA has partnered with EnergySageTM to host the virtual portion of their Green Buildings Open House program (GBOH). In 2011, approximately 10,000 people toured 504 GBOH host sites (homes, businesses and public buildings)throughout the Northeast.

Jennifer Marrapese, the Executive Director of NESEA, stated “Our mission to drive broader adoption of energy efficiency and sustainability is directly aligned with that of EnergySage. As consumers learn from their peers who have successfully implemented renewable solutions, and become more familiar with these technologies, they are more likely to start using them themselves.”

NESEA’s GBOH is part of the National Solar Tour, click here to see their tour!