To get started, stop by the table of Electrify Now and meet Brian Stewart, its founder, and ask questions on the why and how of electrification (Brian is also giving a talk at 11:00). At the table next to Brian are members of our initial cohorts of “Electrification Coaches” who have finished their rigorous training through Rewiring America. One of them is Amanda Watson, the City of Lake Oswego’s Sustainability Program Manager. Ask a coach how to prioritize your electrification goals, find contractors, or find incentives. Or ask about becoming one of our growing cadre of coaches.
In the front of the church try a pancake and apple cider cooked on an induction hotplate. While you’re there you can listen to Noelle and Eli from Electrify PDX talk about many advantages of induction cooking. Matt Tidwell from PGE (an LOSN board member as well) will also be there to advise you on programs to help you manage your energy and lower your bills and to discuss your efficiency and electrification goals.
We are here to promote electrification, but, in fact, the first step in looking at your home is a consultation and an audit about tightening your building envelope. At GreenSavers a consultation helps you identify a list of priorities and tax credits. An audit gives you the information you need to make your home more energy efficient through sealing air leaks and adding insulation. An audit can not only make your home more comfortable but decrease the size and cost of a new HVAC system. Two companies at the fair specialize in making your home more energy efficient—GreenSavers and HomeRx.
Three HVAC contractors are available to advise you on heat pumps to heat and cool your home—GreenSavers, Climate Control and The Heat Pump Store. What a marvel the heat pump is–this amazing machine is 3-4 times more energy efficient than fossil gas or electric resistance heating, and there are tax credits and rebates available for heat pumps through the federal government and Energy Trust of Oregon.
GreenSavers and Climate Control offer both ducted and ductless heat pumps. The Heat Pump Store specializes in “mini splits”—wall-mounted heat pumps that do not require ducting systems. Additionally, GreenSavers can install heat pump water heaters that are so efficient that they will pay for themselves in a few years.
Conduit Electric has specialist electricians for many electrical tasks such as upgrading your panel, installing your vehicle charger, installing a manual transfer switch to connect to your portable generator and run several circuits in your home during an outage, and switching your gas to electric in the kitchen.
The Fair is delighted to welcome three sustainable residential building design/construction firms this year—Birdsmouth, Green Hammer and TaylorSmith Sustainable Construction. All three renovate and expand homes as well as build new homes and accessory dwelling units. They use sustainable materials and minimize waste during construction. Their homes often use passive design, a type of energy efficient building construction which dramatically decreases the need for heating and cooling. When combined with solar panels and batteries, the homes can even become “zero energy”—so efficient they consume almost no energy. These “high performance” homes are made with high quality construction materials and are meant to be comfortable, durable, healthy, and inexpensive to operate. The beauty of these homes is remarkable!
A new addition to the fair this year is our landscaping section. STIHL representatives will be available to demonstrate their line-up of battery-operated landscaping equipment including gardening tools, blowers, shredders, vacuums, and multi-task tools. In addition, if you employ a landscaping service and want to find one that does not use gas-powered equipment, you can meet four local landscaping companies who offer alternatives to gas-powered maintenance. Discover the benefits of a quiet, clean and sustainable landscaping service. Here is more information about our Electrify Your Landscaping/Healthy Yard Care campaign.
Learn more about these companies on our event page. Several offer discounts to fair attendees. Here is the link to last week’s newsletter about solar at the fair.
