Solar energy for your home or business is the focus of a free workshop presented by the Center for Ecological Technology (CETsm) to highlight solar energy and exciting new funding opportunities. Anyone who is curious about what’s involved in using the power of the sun is encouraged to attend the informational workshop, which will be presented in North Adams on Thursday, March 2nd at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, at the Sullivan Lounge in the Amsler Center.
Registration will begin at 6:30 p.m. The workshop will start promptly at 7 p.m. and will end by 9:00 p.m. Chris Vreeland, a registered professional engineer, will be the featured speaker. The workshop is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is encouraged.
Skyrocketing energy costs and concern about the effects of fossils fuels on our health and environment are leading many people to conserve and seek local, clean sources of energy. Over the past two years, dozens of solar electric systems have been installed on homes, schools and public buildings in the Berkshires, and there is growing interest are in solar hot water systems.
CET’s workshop is a way to find out if a solar 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 to gain additional benefits through energy efficient improvements. Also covered will be average prices for solar electric and solar hot water systems, and how to find local contractors who install systems. The workshop will showcase systems that have recently been installed in the Berkshires.
A highlight of the workshop will be information about financial incentives available from Massachusetts and the federal government. Mr. Vreeland will give an overview of those incentives and will summarize a new program offered by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative to help homeowners and small businesses pay for renewable energy systems.
Please pre-register if you are interested in attending. To find out more or to pre-register, contact Cynthia Grippaldi, at 413-445-4556 ext. 25 or email Nancy at: nancyn@cetonline.org. For those who can’t attend the North Adams event, the solar energy workshop will be repeated on April 4th at Simon’s Rock College in Great Barrington.
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. CET is an equal opportunity service provider. This workshop is 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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Stockbridge Grange Community Dinner
STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — The Stockbridge Grange is holding a community dinner on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, featuring spaghetti and meatballs, salad, and bread with dessert choices of chocolate cream or lemon meringue pie.
Dinner is $17.00 per person, take out only with 12-1:30 pm pick up at the Stockbridge Grange Hall at 51 Church Street, Stockbridge. Orders may be made by calling 413-243-1298 or 413-443-4352.
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