In response to growing interest in solar and small-scale wind power in the Berkshires, the Center for Ecological Technology (CETsm) will offer a workshop to highlight small-scale renewable energy technology and exciting new funding opportunities.
Anyone who is curious about what’s involved in using renewable energy at home or work is encouraged to attend the informational workshop, which will be presented in North Adams and again in Great Barrington. The first workshop will take place on Tuesday, September 13 from 7 pm to 9 pm at the North Adams Public Library.
On Tuesday, September 20, the second workshop will be held at Simon’s Rock College in Great Barrington in the Fisher Science Center, Clark Auditorium from 7 pm to 9 pm. Chris Vreeland, a registered professional engineer, will be the featured speaker. Both workshops are free and open to the public. Pre-registration is encouraged.
Increases in energy costs and concern about the damage fossils fuels cause to the environment lead many people to seek local, clean sources of energy. Conservation is a critical part of any energy strategy. Installing small renewable energy systems is becoming increasingly popular. Over the past few years, dozens of solar electric systems have been installed on homes, schools and public buildings in the Berkshires.
CET’s small-scale renewable energy workshop is a good way to find out if a renewable energy system is a good fit. Those who attend will learn the basics of using energy from the sun to create electricity or heat water. They will also learn how solar panels work, the components of a solar electric system, how to determine whether they have a good site and how many solar panels would meet their electrical needs. Also covered will be average prices for solar electric and solar hot water systems, and how to find local contractors who install systems. Both workshop sites feature newly installed solar electric systems, so the workshop will include a tour of the system.
Financial incentives are available. Mr. Vreeland will give an overview of those incentives and will summarize a new program through the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative that can help homeowners and small businesses pay for renewable energy systems.
The workshop will briefly explain small-scale wind and hydropower. Individuals interested in learning more about commercial scale wind power may want to attend a tour of the Searsburg Wind Power Facility. For more information about those tours, visit http://www.cetonline.org/Events/events.htm#Wind.
Please pre-register if you are interested in coming to either of the workshops. To find out more or to pre-register, contact Amy Johns, at 413-445-4556 ext. 14 or email her at: amyj@cetonline.org.
CET is a non-profit energy and resource conservation organization that has served western Massachusetts since 1976. CET receives funding from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. These workshops are made possible through grant funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
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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.
Senior Patrick Holland Saturday finished in fourth place to lead the Mount Greylock boys cross country team to a Western Massachusetts Class B Championship at Stanley Park. click for more
In a news release posted on its website tuesday morning, the Northwestern DA said, "prosecutors determined that no criminal conduct occurred," citing Massachusetts General Law Chapter 269, section 17. click for more
Everett Bayliss scored a pair of goals and Lukas Burrow had two assists in Sunday's Mount Greylock win in the Western Massachusetts Class C Championship Game. click for more
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