Is it easy being green?
Open house event lets you see, learn
Everyone is talking about going green these days. Sure, you've probably heard about solar panels, wind turbines, energy-efficient fixtures, and perhaps even obscure-sounding features like "daylight harvesting." But have you ever wondered how these systems work, or how much they cost?
You'll be able to find answers to those questions on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., during the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association's annual open house tour. The event will showcase more than 100 energy-efficient buildings across the state, many of which are south of Boston. If you stop by Steve MacAusland's house in Dedham, he'll show you the solar panels he installed on his circa-1890 farmhouse. Check out Jay Silva's home in Scituate, and he'll explain how his windmill generates power. Other open houses will be in Braintree, Cohasset, Duxbury, Hull, Milton, Plymouth, Quincy, and Weymouth.
"It provides an opportunity for the general public to really see, in person, what this idea of green building is about," said Susannah Herron, program manager for the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, an organization based in Greenfield.
The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association is a local chapter of the American Solar Energy Society, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Colorado. They started holding open house tours 12 years ago, and the event has been growing bigger every year.
This year, more than 550 buildings will be shown in New England, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, according to Herron.
Saturday's free open house event isn't limited to homes. The New England Wildlife Center in South Weymouth is featured as an example of building in an environmentally friendly way. The building, which opened in 2006, includes energy-efficient lighting, a sunny atrium, and photovoltaic panels that produce 5 percent of the building's energy.
Whitman-Hanson Regional High School is among a handful of green schools that will be opening their doors to the public. The school, which was completed in 2005, has a solar array mounted on the roof, low-flow toilets and sinks with automatic controls, and "daylight harvesting" features such as skylights and lighting fixtures with sensors that turn off automatically in daylight. Rainwater from the roof is collected in a special underground tank and recycled to flush toilets and urinals in the school.
In Dedham, MacAusland is opening up his home to show his solar hot water system, photovoltaic panels, and energy-efficient appliances. When it comes to energy conservation, he's an experienced tour guide. He cofounded Massachusetts Interfaith Power and Light, a nonprofit that teaches churches and other religious institutions how to practice energy conservation. The organization has over 150 member congregations across the state, and has helped local churches such as St. Paul's in Dedham and Trinity Church in Canton improve energy efficiency.
"Basically we show them how to conserve energy and save money," he said.
And cost savings aside, it is simply the right thing to do, he said.
"You have to understand that taking care of the planet is what we're all called to do," he said. "We should be taking care of this place. God made it."
A list of participating homes can be found on the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association's website: nesea.org/buildings/openhouse.
Emily Sweeney can be reached at esweeney@globe.com. 