The Williamstown elementary school, Adams Visitors Center, Berkshire Museum, Darrow School, Privacy Campground and seven Berkshire homes will be among the solar and “green†buildings open to the public on Saturday, Oct. 2.
Visitors will get a view of energy systems and a tour of the buildings to learn what it means to live or work in a building that has been designed with the environment in mind, according to event organizers.
Environmentally sound homes and buildings across the country will open their doors as part of the American Solar Energy Society’s National Tour of Solar Homes on Saturday. In New England, the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) is organizing events, and the Berkshire area tour is being coordinated by the Center for Ecological Technology (CET). Some of the open houses have limited hours. Visitors can find more details at www.nesea.org/buildings/openhouse or by calling CET, 445-4556, ext. 14, for details and directions.
The open-house sites are as follows:
The Congdon residence, 465 Swamp Road, Richmond, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The 200-year-old early American Cape showcases solar electric panels and a solar domestic hot -water system mounted on the roof, as well as a 2-kilowatt ground-mounted system consisting of two 1KW pole mounted photovoltaic arrays. Each array can be connected to the grid or can feed into a battery bank. To maximize the benefits of their solar power, the Congdons have installed energy-efficient lights and appliances and instantaneous hot water;
The Clark residence, 641 Kirschner Road, Dalton, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Built in 1985, the contemporary home features passive solar gain, solar hot water, radiant heat, thermal mass to store and release heat, and high levels of insulation;
The Knowles residence, 11 Pine Knoll Road, Lenox, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The home features a newly installed 2kW photovoltaic system. The contemporary home includes passive solar-design features to help heat the home and bring in natural light.
Berkshire Museum, 39 South St., Pittsfield, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Information will be given on the photovoltaic array that powers the spotlights on the kiosk in front of the museum. The system has a peak output of 360 watts, and electricity is stored in six 12-volt batteries for nighttime use.
Darrow School, Route 20, New Lebanon, N.Y., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Samson Environmental Center was designed to fit aesthetically within its location at the historic Mount Lebanon Shaker Village while performing as a responsibly constructed and energy efficient modern building. Those attending can view the “living machine†wastewater-treatment greenhouse, which processes up to 8,500 gallons of wastewater daily. Additional features include motion-sensing lights, low-flush toilets and temperature activated ventilation.
The Cohen-Sacks residence, 732 North Main St., Lanesboro, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The historically accurate "Greek Revival" home has a timber frame constructed of local oak, hemlock and cherry and handcrafted with traditional mortise and tendon joinery. That frame is enclosed with an innovative exterior wall system that provides excellent insulation. Areas with high ceilings are efficiently heated and cooled using non-convection systems. This home is nearing completion, and was built to comply with Energy Star standards.
Privacy Campground, 2458 Hancock Road, Hancock, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A self-standing, self-regulating hydropower plant is gravity fed and uses no pumps. It produces enough power to run a campground, home and workshop. Visitors will also see a solar hot-water system, small wind turbine and solar wood shed. Owner Andre Rambaud reports that his monthly electric bill is only $6.60, which is the charge for reading the meter.
Williamstown Elementary School, 115 Church St., Williamstown, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hourly tours will highlight the school’s many green-building features. In October 2003 a 24-kilowatt photovoltaic (solar electric) system was installed that will produce approximately 30,000 kilowatt hours of electricity each year.
Habitat for Humanity home, Hall Street, Williamstown, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Energy Star home is nearing completion. The home was the result of a partnership between the Northern Berkshire Habitat for Humanity and Williamstown Rural Lands foundation. Designer Anne McCallum worked with students of C.H. McCann Technical School to design an energy-efficient home to reduce the owner’s living expenses. Berkshire Photovoltaic Services donated labor to install a 2kW photovoltaic system.
The Pethica-Case residence, 401 Pine Cobble Road, Williamstown, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The home, completed in 2004, features a newly installed 1kW photovoltaic system.
Adams Visitors Center, 3 Hoosac St., Adams, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The $2.5 million facility features a computer-controlled geothermal heating and cooling system. Pipes reach 300 feet underground to pump groundwater, which is at a constant year-round temperature, for temperature control.
Information about the green buildings tour and to obtain directions to the homes: www.nesea.org/buildings/openhouse.
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North Adams Officials to Revote School Committee Members
Staff reports
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — City and school officials will meet a second time to vote in two new members of the School Committee.
The joint convention of the City Council and School Committee will be held on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the City Hall conference room and via Zoom.
Damon Grimes and Paul Moriarty were jointly elected on Monday to fill two seats vacated by resignation. They were two of four candidates standing for election.
Mayor Jennifer Macksey, chair of the School Committee, said she had received in inquiry about the votes, which were done by secret ballot.
"I have been advised that voting by ballot was not permissible in this circumstance," she said, after consulting the School Committee's attorney Adam Dupere and city solicitor KP Law.
To ensure the validity of the votes and conduct of the election, the joint convention will reconvene and formally confirm the selection of Grimes and Moriarty.
"I apologize for the inconvenience of having to reconvene," the mayor said in a statement. "My intention in using a ballot was to address concerns raised following our previous convention, when some members expressed discomfort with publicly voting for or against individual candidates.
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