Solar, geothermal and more to be showcased in 'Green Tour' this Saturday

Don Zasada points out some of the features of the pole mounted PV array at Caretaker Farm in Williamstown. (Photo by the Transcript)

"We hope people who are interested in building or renovating their homes and looking into renewable energy get a first-hand look at the variety of approaches they could take," Nancy Nylen, associate director of the Center for Ecological Technology in Pittsfield, said this week.

Fifteen homes and businesses in Berkshire County will be on the self-guided tour, including seven in Northern Berkshire. The event is part of the American Solar Energy Society's National Solar Tour, which began in 1995.

"We had a lot to choose from, and it was a tough decision. It seems each year there are more and more green homes in Berkshire County," said Cynthia Grippaldi, CET education coordinator.

The organization will host a panel discussion at the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield on Friday, Oct. 3, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in preparation for the tour.

"We have a panel of designers, contractors and homeowners who will discuss all aspects of building green in Berkshire County," said Susan Slattery, CET director of marketing and development.

Caretaker Farm, a community cooperative farm in Williamstown owned by Bridget Spann and Don Zasada, will be part of the tour, along with four local homes, Privacy Campground in Hancock and the Topia Inn in Adams.

On April 30, five photovoltaic panels installed in the Caretaker Farm's cow pasture went online.

"It's amazing what is possible," Zasada said last week. "It's big, but compared to the amount of sunlight hitting us, it's kind of minuscule."

He said the 10-kilowatt system meets 90 percent of the energy needs for the house and farm, and he hopes it will eventually increase to 100 percent.

With the addition of the photovoltaic system, the farm has switched most of their appliances to energy-efficient models.

"Every time you are flipping on a switch, you think about it more," Zasada said.

Berkshire Photovoltaic Services installed the panels and related equipment at a cost of about $90,000.

The farm only ended up paying $26,000 because it received a state Department of Agricultural Resources grant for $30,000 and a $34,000 rebate from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. Based on energy costs and the tax credits the business is getting, the system should be paid back in two to three years, Zasada said.

Spann said, "Probably lining up the financing of it was the biggest challenge ... from that point, it was very easy."

One of the five Williamstown homes on the tour is owned by William and Margot Moomaw of Henderson Road. The features of the 2,700-square foot house, built in 2007, include a solar and geothermal heat pump, non-toxic products, a photovoltaic system tied to the electricity grid and Energy Star appliances. The house is also Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified.

Charley Stevenson and Kate Brill own a house on North Hoosac Road that has a 1.1 kilowatt photovoltaic system, solar hot water and a "waste heat loop" so heating on the first floor can be supplemented. The New England farmhouse was built in 1880 and renovated in 1999 and 2000 to include the alternative energy technologies at a cost of $165,000.

Another New England farmhouse, built in 1990 on Henderson Road was renovated and added to in 1998. Included in the $150,000 renovation of the home owned by Craig and Barbara Robertson was the addition of a solar hot water heater and the use of recycled materials including reclaimed wood.

At Privacy Campground, a solar hot water system has been in place since 1965. The facility also features a micro-hydro power plant, a wind generator and solar outdoor lights, and it has net zero energy use.

Matt Silliman and Sharon Wyrrick of Stratton Road added a photovoltaic system to their garage and studio, built in 2005.

The Topia Inn on Pleasant Street in Adams, a two-story, wood-frame colonial renovated in 2006, features individual solar panels used to shingle the roof of the building, sustainable and recycled materials, non-toxic products, biodiesel to heat the building and a solar hot water system.

"What we're hoping is these become mainstream," Nylen said about the renewable and green building technologies.

She said there are many financial incentives available for people interested in adding energy-efficient or renewable energy features to their homes. Financial incentives are offered at state, federal and local levels and include funding from the Masschusetts Technology Collaborative and MassSAVE.

Caretaker Farm has been in the alternative-energy loop for over three decades. The farmhouse has a solar hot water system that was installed during the 1970s.

Spann said one of the reasons she and Zasada wanted to have the farm included in the green buildings tour was they used to visit one home on the tour each year, and they would leave the tour feeling inspired.

"It would be wonderful to give other people a chance to see what has been done at the farm," she said.

The tour also offers a chance for people to talk with homeowners about their projects and about what it has been like to live with them.

"It's a more candid way to ask questions in a relaxed setting," she said.

Grippaldi said the tour meets part of CET's mission, which is to help people live out their daily lives and be less disruptive to the environment.

Nylen said, "We hope people will pick up little things they can do the next day as well as what they could do on a larger scale."

For more information on the 2008 Green Buildings Open House Tour and the times in which houses and businesses will be open, visit www.cetonline.org or www.nesea. org, or call CET at 413-445-4556.