Rye Turning Green » Weatherizing Your Home

Stay Warm – Save Money: November 8 Home Energy Efficiency Program

susananderson — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:43:25 +0000

The Rye Energy Committee and the Rye Public Library are hosting a program: STAY WARM – SAVE MONEY

Tuesday, November 8, 2011, 6:30-8:00 at the Rye Public Library Meeting Room

Topics will include:

Energy Audits – A PSNH rep will talk about the PSNH Home Performance with Energy Star Program
Case Study – Good Neighbor Farm on Washington Road was just audited by this program – pictures, results, work done or to be done
Updates on renewable energy programs
Q & A – Frequently asked questions about energy efficiency and conservation.
Refreshments will be served!

Honor Your Home – Art Incentive for Rye Homeowners

susananderson — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 18:45:04 +0000

Come to the Gala Opening and Show of “Honor Your Home” on Friday, November 12th from 5 – 8 pm at the Seacoast Science Center.

Enjoy local food, local music and local art. You’ll have a chance to meet the artists and community members who have been part of The Rye Energy Committee’s 2010 art and energy project: Honor Your Home.

Invite friends and family. The more the merrier. This is a time to honor what you and your fellow Rye residents have done to reduce our carbon footprint and to view some beautiful art! Twenty-five homeowners have signed up to take at least three actions to reduce their energy use by improving their home’s energy efficiency. Actions range from replacing bulbs with compact florescent bulbs to insulating attics and lowering thermostats. The culmination of these efforts was having local artists create paintings of various Rye homes and gardens. The Honor Your Home Art Exhibit will take place on November 12 at the Seacoast Science Center, Odiorne Park where the paintings can be viewed and purchased. All the art will be for sale with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the artists, the Seacoast Science Center, and the Rye Energy Committee.

You can take part in reducing your carbon footprint as well! It’s easy. Here is a list of actions you can take in your home:

Install insulated shades
Wash clothes in cold water
Use dishwasher only when full
Turn off lights when you leave the room
Don’t run water when you are brushing your teeth
Get a rain barrel
Insulate water pipes
Clean furnace annually
Install sweeps at exterior doors
Take the NECC
Shop at the Rye Farmer’s Market
There are so many ways we can reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Join in the efforts to reduce our town’s carbon footprint and save money!

Ten+Things to do to Honor Your Home

susananderson — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 22:11:52 +0000

The first ten things to do are listed by the Environment Defense Fund, the rest of the list are actions taken by local people. Take or pledge to take only THREE actions and an area artist will paint a lovely painting of your home or whatever part you may want, e.g. an arbor, a shed, a deck. It’s that simple. The art work will be exhibited at the Seacoast Science Center gala opening November 12.

Contact Mimi White, mimiwhite@earthlink.net, 964-6586 for more information and to sign up.

You can also attend the Green Saturday morning programs at the Seacoast Science Center and learn more about how you can tighten up your home. Details are in the Events Calendar on this site.

TEN+ ACTIONS:

1. Recycle and buy minimally packaged goods as much as possible.

2. Wash clothes in cold water. (Ed. – It works as well as warm, really!)

3. Install low-flow shower heads to use less water. (Ed. Feels the same as full-flow)

4. Run the dishwasher only when it is full and don’t use the heat to dry dishes.

5. Replace standard light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. (Ed. They come in all shapes and sizes now, some dimmable and instant-on)

6. Plug air leaks in windows and doors to increase energy efficiency.

7. Replace old appliances with energy efficient models.

8. Walk, bike, carpool or use public transportation whenever possible.

9. Adjust your thermostat – lower in winter, higher in summer.

10. Share these simple steps with family and friends and increase awareness!

Other steps that have been taken:

Put up a clothesline or wooden rack.

Wrap hot water pipes.

Insulate attic and cellar.

Reglaze, recaulk and tighten old windows.

Use cloth draft-prevention “snakes” at bottom of doors and windows.

Have a home energy audit. Call your energy provider – they may do this for free or a very reasonable rate.

Program thermostats.

Compost waste.

Plant a vegetable garden.

Buy local at the Rye Farmers’ Market

Honor Your Home Project

susananderson — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 19:23:15 +0000

The Rye Energy Committee has partnered with the Seacoast Science Center and

Clean Air Cool Planet to develop their 2010 Honor Your Home project.

To take part in this initiative, you must be a resident of Rye and commit to taking three or more actions to lessen your carbon footprint. Once committed, participants will be “honored” by having an artist paint a picture of their home.

The artwork will be on exhibit at the Center from November 12-December 16. Proceeds from the sale of the artwork support the Rye Energy Committee, the Seacoast Science Center and local artists.

Learn about several actions that you can take to lower your carbon footprint by attending the “Green Saturday Morning Programs” at the Seacoast Science Center, May 1, June 5, July 10, August 7, and September 11. This is free for all Rye residents. All area residents are welcome to learn more about increasing your energy efficiency.

Home Energy Savings Workshop – Jan 23rd

GreenRye — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:05:09 +0000

HOME ENERGY SAVINGS WORKSHOP, JAN. 23

Where: Rye Public Library, Community Room
When: Saturday, January 23rd, 10:00 am – noon
Contact: Rye Energy Committee, Lucy Neiman, lucy@strawspt.com, 964-7711

Rye is pleased to have been selected by Clean Air-Cool Planet as a regional host for a free home weatherization workshop as part of the official launch of Button-Up NH, a highly successful program pioneered in Vermont and now available in New Hampshire. This workshop will be conducted by a qualified home energy expert who will introduce homeowner-participants to the basics of home energy budgets and the value of home weatherization.

These workshops are designed to teach residents about the fundamentals of how homes lose energy, simple do-it-yourself measures for incremental energy savings, the value of a professional home energy audit, significant savings opportunities and the long term benefits of extensive professional energy retrofits, health and safety issues related to tightening up buildings, and available technical and financial resources. The Rye Library will receive a copy of a DVD on “Simple Weatherization Measures to Button Up Your Home” that will be available to all residents.

Rye’s workshop on Saturday January 23rd will be led by Anne Stephenson of Clean Air-Cool Planet. Anne was trained as an architectural historian and worked as a green building consultant before joining Clean Air-Cool Planet. She holds a PhD from the University of Chicago and is a LEED AP, HERS Energy Rater, and BPI Building Analyst. She recently oversaw preparation of CA-CP’s Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy and Historic Preservation: A Guide for Historic District Commissions which details ways to employ energy efficiency measures and renewable energy without detracting from the historic value of properties, from private residences to community buildings and museums.
Button Up NH workshops are free and open to the public. The Rye Energy Committee would like to invite residents from all seacoast towns to attend our workshop.

Funding for the initial launch of Button-Up New Hampshire is made possible through grants from the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Fund of the NH Public Utilities Commission, and Jane’s Trust. Input and programmatic support for Button Up NH is also being provided through the Residential Energy Performance Association (REPA) and the Local Energy Committee Working Group.