Design & Architecture

The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) is inviting everyone to the 2006 Green Buildings Open House on October 7. The Open House, held in all six New England States, plus New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware, will welcome the public to visit green homes and businesses, and see a variety of renewable energy systems at work. It's an opportunity to tour, ask questions, and discover the variety of ways people are saving energy, money, and the environment all at once. The list of showcased technologies include how solar hot water is collected and stored, how photovoltaics can be placed on or integrated into the shell of a building to produce electricity, and how wind can be used to generate power. Open House visitors may also see water-saving fixtures and appliances, the use of passive solar techniques, the use of allergy, asthma and chemical-sensitive building materials, and the variety of green materials including paints, insulation, carpeting, and renewably-harvested wood products. Visitors can also learn about how they can support renewable energy by purchasing clean renewable energy through their utility company or a green electricity provider. More than 10,000 people visited the Open House last year; a complete list of sites is available through NESEA's website. ::NESEA via ::CSRwire