If you've thought about integrating renewable energy sources and sustainable practices into your daily life, but don't know where to start, you're in luck. You can ask Cape Cod residents who have already made the switch.
On Saturday, Self-Reliance, a Cape Cod-based nonprofit that focuses on energy issues and provides consumer education, is coordinating tours of solar homes on Cape Town to "raise awareness of how we can decarbonize our fossil fuel houses".
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The tours are part of a nationwide event called the American Solar Energy Society's National Solar Tour, the nation's largest solar, renewable energy and sustainable living event that attracts more than 150,000 people across the country. including Puerto Rico.
Ask your roommates about renewable energy
Attendees can learn first-hand from Cape Town homeowners and installers about the costs of transitioning to renewable energy and implementing sustainable practices in the home and how they work for environmental and economic benefits.
Thirteen Cape Town hosts are participating in Falmouth, Woods Hole, Hatchville, Mashpee, Cotmouth, Wacoit and Wellfleet.
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“Self-guided tours are available Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Some homes have different hours and others offer tours at specific times,” says Megan Amsler, CEO of Self-Trust.
A list of locations and times is available at https://tinyurl.com/CapeCodSolarTour2022.
The goal is to share experiences on sustainable energy technologies that reduce fossil fuel consumption, reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, save money and improve health.
"This is an opportunity to really stop in people's homes and talk to homeowners about solar power, heat pumps, electric cars, urinals and more, and learn first hand the benefits implementation of these technologies," Amsler said.
What questions do homeowners ask about renewable energy?
Many people say they have solar power, but there are still people who are worried and confused about the best way to choose a contractor.
"Are we going local or national? How do we know what we're getting with our proposal is right for us? Are we renting or owning? How big of a system do we need?" He said. “So we can switch to the heating and cooling aspect by installing heat pumps. Will heat pumps work in my home? Do I need to extend my solar installation to cover the heat pump electricity costs?
These are the questions self-employed people often hear from people, and we're here to answer them, says Amsler.
"The solar/greenhouse route gives people an informal environment to talk and ask those burning questions," he said.
Each house on the route can have one or more sustainable technologies, including solar hot water, photovoltaic and geothermal technologies, heat pump water heaters, air to air or air to water heat pumps for the floor heating, electric cars, super insulation. . . . Homes, net zero homes, examples of household scale food production, waste water composting and denitrification systems or composting toilets
The Self-Sufficient Housing Assistance Corporation was founded in 1980 by the New Chemistry Institute and the Wampanoag Tribe to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies in the region.
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This article originally appeared in the Cape Cod Times. Visit Cape Cod Homes Using Renewable Energy on October 1.
