Events and Energy News

Folks are counting pennies these days and the St. Lawrence County Public Libraries can now offer library patrons another way to save money, the Kill-A-Meter. Through CES collaboration with New York Power Authority, the St. Lawrence Housing Council, and NeighborWorks America, watt meters have been placed in all public libraries for checking out using a library card. Area librarians attended training sessioins to learn more about the campaign that aims to raise awareness about how much electricity each of our homes uses. The Kill-A-Watt plugs into appliances to help identify power used and phantom loads or the electricity a device draws when not in use. People can calculate costs and weigh their options such as reducing consumption or purchasing an energy-efficient replacement. The meters are not only very practical, but fun to use, and can make good math and detective mystery for kids to solve. The program has been very popular, with many libraries having trouble keeping up with the demand.

Community Energy Services completed the first Multi-Family Building Performance Program (MPP) project in the state. The program, sponsored by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) provides substantial cash grants, low interest loans, and other incentives for energy improvements to apartment buildings with as few as five units or as many as a hundred or more. The 13-apartment building owned by TSB Development at 135 Broadway in Saranac Lake, New York achieved 27% savings.They began the program in 2007 with CES Project Manager Jim Britell guilding them through improvements, including energy-efficient windows, a boiler system, and electrical work. NYSERDA provided a grant of $30,940, and the owners saw an annual savings of $7,350.

Upstate New York’s largest community energy education event! Donation: $8 for both days, $5 for one day. To find out more, go to our Energy Fair page and website.

The14th annual Energy Fair had over 70 workshops, 60 exhibitors, four Guided Green Home Tours, plus eight in-depth hands-on workshops. Over a thousand fair goers from all over the North Country, New York State, and southern Canada attended to learn about everything from solar, wind, biofuels, energy conservation, green jobs, and geothermal to green building, peak oil, climate change, local agriculture, grass pelleting, permaculture, and much more. The Energy Fair is an inspiration to begin making the change to more sustainable living.

As well as our most popular workshops, there were new workshops, such as buying and eating locally, using your bike as a major means of transport, intro to energy auditing, strawbale building, food preservation, climate change in the North Country, calculating your ecological footprint, community supported energy, and youth environmental activism. Our keynote this year was a well-known environmental theater group called Quiet Riot presenting One Earth, One Family, One Future-Building a Sustainable Energy Economy.

If you believe that affordable, accessible energy education for all is important, we invite you to join our Energy Fair Community. Volunteer for a few hours at or before the Fair or serve on the committee that meets during the year to plan the Fair. Want to be an exhibitor or workshop leader? Please contact Patricia Greene at fair@ncenergy.org or call 315-379-9466. SAVE THE DATE FOR NEXT YEAR’S FAIR: APRIL 23-24, 2010!

More than 200 students in grades 4 through 12 competed for cash prizes this year in our popular Energy Science Fair. Their work showed environmental and energy solutions that help our earth in renewable energy, energy conservation and efficiency, green building, and education. For information on next year’s Youth Energy and Environmental Expo, email greenteams@ncenergy.org Quiet Riot, an interactive environmental theater troop presenting One Earth, One Family, One Future. A bicycle generator was available for use and an Intro to Green Jobs for high school students.

A community initiative, POTSDAM AND CANTON TRANSITION (PACT), is focusing on local challenges and opportunities posed by climate change and peak oil and the transition to a renewable, resilient, and lower energy future. The group, which held its first meeting in July 2008, includes representatives from town government, fire, police, and social services, as well as the universities and the two communities. They are concerned with raising energy awareness, and developing a long-range, pro-active Energy Transition Plan for the two towns. The group runs a weekly energy program called Peak Moments on the local CKN cable channel Monday and Tuesday nights at 7, has provided energy resources for the Potsdam Library, is planning a film series for the fall, as well as reskilling workshops on lost arts such as canning, cheese-making, herbs, root cellaring, and more. They are part of a worldwide and U.S. Transition Initiative that involves thousands of communities. Join them at their meetings in the Potsdam Community Room upstairs next to the Police Station. For info email Bill Vitek at vitek@clarkson.edu

On Saturday, October 3, 2009 all across the North Country from north of Plattsburgh to south of Watertown, hundreds of visitors will tour dozens of homes, museums, and universities to see practical and sustainable solutions for our energy crisis. Whether it’s solar, wind, hydro power, geothermal heating, pellet and masonry stoves, passive solar design, on or off grid, super insulation, or green building techniques, such as strawbale or cordwood masonry, you will find examples and experts on the tour. Homeowners in 2008 reported that people were genuinely interested in making a change and asking good questions on how to begin. If you missed last year’s tour, check out the homes by clicking below, and don’t forget to check back in September for the 2009 Green Buildings Open House roster of homes from which you can plan your own tour between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. We include maps and directions. If you’d like to be on our energy events email list, or to have your home on our tour, please contact patricia@ncenergy.org or call 315-379-9466.

View homes on the 2008 Tour

At COMMUNITY ENERGY SERVICES (CES) we are working to make energy renewable, reliable, efficient, affordable and environmentally friendly.

CES helps Northern New Yorkers save energy, save money and save the environment through a variety of technical, informational and educational programs. These include upstate New York’s largest energy events the NORTH COUNTRY SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FAIR and the YOUTH ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL EXPO SCIENCE FAIR.

Our main goals are to make every building in our area as energy efficient as possible and to promote renewable and locally produced energy. Whether it’s your home, business, church or apartment building, we offer low-cost energy audits, information about contractors and about energy efficiency grants and loans from the state. We also do site analyses for solar photovoltaics and offer workshops and classes throughout the year on everything from bioenergy and peak oil to energy saving tips.

As host of the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) NORTH COUNTRY ENERGY $MART COMMUNITIES Program, CES informs and supports community efforts to increase energy efficiency, address resource challenges and promote renewable energy in St. Lawrence, Jefferson, Lewis, Herkimer, Franklin, Clinton and Essex Counties. CES acts as a clearinghouse to link up North Country individuals, entrepreneurs, legislators, economic developers, institutions and community organizations concerned about energy and the environment with each other and with the information they need to move toward a more sustainable future.

CES is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization started in 2000, whose mission is to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy systems in the North Country, giving priority to residents with low and moderate income. Since 2004, CES has conducted over 200 energy audits yielding an estimated annual savings of nearly half million dollars.

Thanks for visiting our new website, which is still under construction. We are interested in why you are using the site and how easy it was for you to use. You can help by giving us this info and any suggestions you may have, please email patricia@ncenergy.org

We are located at 101 Main St., Canton, NY 13617. Contact us at 315-379-9466 or email: ces@ncenergy.org