On October 16 the Westmoreland County Conservation District and other partners will hold a “Sustainable Energy Field Day – Homeowners’ How-To” and will feature a free open house and special workshop sessions.

From the tried and true to the interesting and innovative, experts will present ways to make our homes, yards, and life more energy-efficient.

Topics to be covered are: how to do a home energy audit, what’s new in home insulation, windows, and weatherization, tapping into loan programs for energy improvements, reducing phantom power users, alternative energy sources such as geothermal, microhydro, and solar, Energy Star appliance ratings, landscaping to save energy and water and pending energy legislation.

Sustainable Energy Field Day – Homeowners’ How-To will also address the other big energy user in most people’s lives – their vehicle.

Organizers plan to have some hybrid cars on display and will feature a thought-provoking workshop on the “H+T Affordability Index” – a measure of the true affordability of a house that factors in not only the purchase price but also the travel costs from the home’s location to the places where the residents regularly commute for work, school, shopping, and social events.

Also planned is information on the pros and cons of the new idea of “hypermiling,” which uses driving techniques to increase the number of miles a vehicle gets per gallon, and a display by “FossilFree Fuel,” a business that helps people convert their vehicles to run on vegetable oil.

The field day will be divided into workshops led by experts from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., and an open house from 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.

Cost for workshop sessions (four of the participant’s choice) is $20, and includes lunch. Space for the workshops is limited and registration with pre-payment is required by October 3. Contact Christie at the Westmoreland Conservation District by calling 724-837-5271 ext. 210 or sending email to: christie@wcdpa.com .

The Open House is FREE and it is not necessary to register.

The Open House will feature exhibits of energy-saving products and services…tours of a green building, working solar array, wind turbine, and geothermal heating/cooling system…an opportunity to sit behind the wheel of a hybrid car…and the recycling of batteries and fluorescent lights. Refreshments and children’s activities also will be available.

All of the day’s events will be held at the Westmoreland Conservation District, GreenForge, and 214 Donohoe Road buildings -- all located adjacent to each other on Donohoe Road, Greensburg (just one mile from Westmoreland Mall/ U.S. Route 30).

The Sustainable Energy Field Day – Homeowners’ How-To is sponsored by the Westmoreland Conservation District, with the support of Allegheny Power, GreenForge, The Home Depot, Penn State Cooperative Extension, Department of Environmental Protection, West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund, Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve at Saint Vincent College, and US Department of Agriculture Rural Development.

For more information, visit the Sustainable Energy Field Day – Homeowners’ How-To webpage.

9/5/2008