Solar Tour to Showcase Energy-Efficient Homes

BELFAST – Solar-powered and energy-efficient homes and buildings in Maine and across the country will be shown on public tours on Saturday, Oct. 6.

The showcase is part of the American Solar Energy Society’s 12th annual National Solar Tour, the largest demonstration of installed renewable energy technologies and energy-efficient building practices in the country. The tour offers local residents an opportunity to find out how their neighbors are trimming their energy bills, increasing their energy independence and taking steps to address global warming.

Included are a conservation fish farm-vegetable farm, a bed-and- breakfast and conference center, businesses and homes of many sizes. Large wind turbines, small wind turbines, photovoltaic panels, solar hot water systems and radiant floor heat, passive solar gain, and reused building materials are all cited as elements that can be used in an environmentally friendly building.

Approximately 70 buildings in Maine will be open during the tour, 31 of them in midcoast and central Maine, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is no advanced reservation and admission is free.

For information about local Maine tours, visit midcoast.com/~jgs/ and mainesolar.org. For national coverage, see NationalSolarTour.org.

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