ITHACA, NY—The Tompkins Renewable Energy Education Alliance (TREEA) is inviting all members of the community to Ithaca College on Saturday, Nov. 17, for the organization’s “Community Forum on Energy.” Designed to provide individuals, businesses, and institutions with the knowledge and contacts needed to effectively become more energy independent through conservation and renewable energy systems, the forum will take place in Emerson Suites, Phillips Hall, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Registration is required. The cost is $10 before Nov. 7 and $15 after Nov. 7 and at the door. Coffee and snacks will be provided at no extra charge throughout the day. To obtain a registration form, visit www.treea.org.

 

“As fuel prices continue to climb, it’s important that people in our community get the knowledge and support they need to make wise energy choices, from conservation to using renewable energy,” said Beth Ellen Clark Joseph, chair of TREEA and assistant professor of physics at Ithaca College. “With this forum, we hope to help people move from sustainable thinking into sustainable practice to create a healthier, greener region and world in a way that is affordable.”

 

The forum will feature open discussions led by panels of experts in the installation, performance, and financing of renewable energy technologies for the home, farm, business, and institute. The panels will specifically address solar, wind, bio-fuel, geothermal, hydro and combined heat and power technologies, with insight stemming from case studies, recent experiences, success stories, and community responses. The panel discussions will also address logistical factors, including tax breaks, state incentives, policy and zoning issues, cost-benefit analyses, and strategies for financing projects.

 

“The panels are structured and timed so that audience members can flow from topic to topic and learn about the ways each energy source impacts their specific area of interest—either their business, home, or institute,” Clark said. “Brief panelist presentations will be followed by open discussion, which will allow audience members to ask the experts questions about renewable energy that are relevant to their personal circumstances. Community members are encouraged to attend any or all of the panels to learn all the basics in one day, or attend a session focused on their needs.”

 

The forum’s sponsors include Ithaca College, Johnson Controls, Sustainable Tompkins, Snug Planet, Municipal Electric and Gas Alliance (MEGA), New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), ESI Home Inspections, Sustainable Energy Developments, Community Energy, Earthkind Energy, Coler Natural Insulation, New York State Department of Public Service, the New York Solar Energy Industries Association, and TREEA.

 

For more information, contact Beth Ellen Clark Joseph at (607) 274 3968 or bclark@ithaca.edu, or Tania Schusler, Cornell Cooperative Extension, at (607) 272 2292 or tms23@cornell.edu.