Energy Raisers

The Boston Globe does it again - the wrote something I actually enjoyed reading and caused much thinking. Amazing. Is it possible they are changing? Is it a sign of the Apocalypse?

Energy Raisers - like an Amish barn raising - where neighbors descend upon each others houses to install solar hot heaters on the cheap. $3,000 instead of the commercially installed $10,000. Same system - free labor. It's a great idea.

The headline is a bit wordy: Many Hands Make Light Work of Saving Energy, but its still exciting. The gist is this: there is a group in the Plymouth, NH area that has figured out a way to help themselves and their neighbors by donating time to help install solar hot water systems. On a given Saturday, they all descend on a chosen house (whose owner also helps install systems on other peoples houses before & after their own installation), and they get it done in one day.

The Citizen of Laconia also ran a similar article earlier this week. Which led me to finding the Plymouth Area Renewable Energy Initiative. The group is a non-profit, and they've been around since 2004, and have done 50 solar installations to date. Membership costs $55 per year (for a family), and in return you a) help them and b) have access to all sorts of energy assessments, research tools, product discounts, networking/mentoring opportunities, discounts to training seminars & workshops, the opportunity to participate in energy raisers, and access to their library. It seems to be set up very well, and the membership cost seems reasonable.

Knowledge is a funny thing. You might pay (or work) once for it, but you use it continuously (barring any head injuries). And then you can pass it on to others.

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On a side note, I was not the only one who was exhausted yesterday. My neighbor across the street came home as we were fixing dinner last night. She backs into her driveway and her headlights shine right in through our kitchen window (a bit annoying). Well, her lights didn't go off. After about a half hour, I went over to her house and knocked on the door (I have talked to these people once - they also sent out an invitation to an open house at their house once, but then weren't home on said date - very annoying - and it wasn't just me - some other neighbors also went over, knocked on the door, and found no one home. No explanation was ever offered. Very odd & a bit rude. I'm not entirely convinced these people are really "with it" - I've also seen them drive by their own house and go into reverse down the street to get back to it. How do you miss your own driveway?). So anyway - once again - no answer. So I shrug and leave - let her run her battery down then. As I was walking down the driveway, I noticed the lights had turned off. She got out of the car, and had apparently fallen asleep in her driveway. Thankfully she put it in park first. I need to plant some more trees between us & them. Big, strong trees with lots of leaves.