NESEA’s Green Buildings Open House
Saturday, October 2, 2010
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Homes and Businesses in New England, New Jersey, New York and Delaware
Get ready to be inspired as you view first hand clean, renewable energy at work on Saturday, October
2! The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) invites you to visit sustainable, green homes
and buildings throughout New England, Delaware, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania! The
event is free in most locations. Last year more than 15,000 people participated in some 600 tours.
NESEA’s Green Buildings Open House operates in conjunction with the American Solar Energy Society’s
National Solar Tour. See how your neighbors are reducing their carbon footprint and cutting their
energy bills through the power of the sun, wind, smart building design, and energy efficient appliances
and technologies. To find the Green Buildings Open House sites nearest you, visit www.nesea.org/
greenbuildings. Make a difference by going green!
October 2nd, 2010 The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association’s annual Green Buildings Open House,
the largest sustainable energy event in the Northeast, will be taking place on October 2, 2010 from 10
AM to 4 PM. On this day, homes, businesses, and schools invite the public inside to investigate the
renewable technologies and green building features being employed on site. Last year, more than
16,000 people toured some 500 sites from Maine to Pennsylvania, and this year’s event is expected to
be even bigger!
Homes and buildings throughout New England, New Jersey, New York and Delaware are part of this
year’s Green Buildings Open House (GBOH). To get a list of locations in our area (or to learn more about
building features or fuel types) go to http://www.nesea.org/openhouse/listings/ and search the NESEA
GBOH database.
GBOH operates in conjunction with the American Solar Energy Society’s (ASES) National Solar Tour
and helps to kick off National Energy Awareness Month. For the past 14 years, the GBOH program
has inspired thousands of individuals to learn about and implement energy efficient and renewable
energy solutions in their homes. The goal of the GBOH event is to enable participants to see, firsthand,
energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements in their communities and motivate them to
adopt similar solutions for their own homes. At host sites, participants are able to talk with home and
business owners, ask questions, and see how their renewable energy technologies actually work. GBOH
also connects building owners and managers with professionals who can provide them with sustainable
energy services or energy efficiency retrofits.
As host sites register, detailed information and photos of the buildings’ innovative energy features are
posted, providing an ongoing educational tool. A study by the American Solar Energy Society found that
participation in this program increased the likelihood that attendees would invest in energy efficiency
and/or clean energy measures by 24% — an increase from 54% to 78%.
“As an organization, NESEA is committed to any and all measures which increase the adoption of clean
energy solutions and improved energy efficiency,” says Jennifer Marrapese JD MA, Executive Director
of NESEA. “Nothing breeds success like success. When people see for themselves how families and
businesses in their own communities are saving energy – and money! – sustainable technologies and
strategies become much more accessible. And that, ultimately, is our goal.”
Marrapese added, “There is also something very powerful about homeowners talking directly to other
homeowners, as opposed to professionals working in the field. Peer to peer recommendations have
galvanized participants over the years – this is where real change happens.”
At GBOH sites, you will:
• See homes or businesses that feature any or all of the following: energy efficiency, renewable
energy, sustainable materials
• Learn ways to reduce a site’s eco-footprint, reduce embedded energy, conserve water, and
ensure that buildings are healthy environments
• Talk to home or building owners on-site, who can help answer your questions about installation,
costs, and benefits