Living green

PV array at Caretaker Farm

Energy efficiency and solar technologies will be among the highlights of the 2008 Green Buildings Open House on Saturday, sponsored by the Pittsfield-based Center for Ecological Technology.

More than a dozen homes and businesses in the Berkshires will illustrate clean, renewable energy at work and the ways people are conserving energy, saving money and protecting the environment.

Among the sites are a dome house, a net-zero energy-use home, several houses with new solar-evacuated tube hot-water systems, examples of solar photovoltaic arrays, and a non-toxic inn where everything is green and organic.

The houses will be available for viewing at specific times throughout the day. CET has produced a tour booklet with photos, and open hours for each site. It is available by calling CET at (413) 445-4556, ext. 25 or as a PDF download at www.cetonline.org.

Don Reinauer with passive and active solar fittings at his Sheffield home

Some of the varied solar technologies that tour-goers will see include a pole-mounted photo-voltaic system at Caretaker Farm in Williamstown that uses the sun's energy to provide nearly all the electricity the community-supported agriculture farm needs.

Privacy Campground, also in Williamstown, features a self-built hydropower plant and small wind turbine.

Among newly constructed homes, that of Colby Lewis and Dena Bancroft in Lenox features evacuated (round solar hot water) tubes and flat-plate solar hot-water systems, as well as a dedicated passive solar room.

Bill and Margot Moomaw's net zero energy home in Williamstown has the only ground-source heat pump system on the tour, as well as a 7.2 kW solar photo-voltaic array designed to power and heat their home.

Nana Simopoulos with insulation at Topia Inn

At Topia Inn in Adams, visitors can see the only roof-integrated solar photo-voltaic system in the region, walls crafted of natural earth plaster, and energy-efficient appliances, as well as a cloud of foam insulation that clings to the rafters in the attic.

A few of the sites are older houses that have been retrofitted with green features, like solar panels for hot water, electricity, heating or natural light, as well as renovations using reclaimed wood and copper.

The Don Reinauer home in Sheffield has passive and active solar heating, solar hot-water collectors and a newly installed 5.6 kW photo-voltaic array.

In addition to installing evacuated-tube solar hot-water collectors in their circa-1900 home in Williamstown, Craig and Barbara Robertson reclaimed wide pine boards from a demolition project and created a new floor in their kitchen.

Charley Stevenson at his retrofitted 1880 home

"Many people believe that our country's energy problems, global warming, and fuel costs are beyond our control," said Nancy Nylen, associate director of CET. "But the Green Buildings Open House shows specific steps we all can take to make a difference. The chance to talk with those who've already done so is inspiring and demonstrates how everyone can have a positive effect on global issues.

Don Reinauer poses in a passive solar room in his Sheffield home, which also has active solar heating and solar hot-water collectors and a newly installed 5.6 kW photovoltaic array.

More information To find out more about the Green Building Open House and energy efficient buildings, and to obtain a copy of the CET booklet, contact CET at (413) 445-4556, visit www.cetonline.org or stop by the CET office at 112 Elm St. in Pittsfield, Monday through Friday, 9 a. m. to 5 p. m.

Tour-goers can also visit the NESEA Web site at www.nesea .org, and follow the links to the Berkshire-area buildings under Massachusetts.