PAREI’s Documentation Project Nearly Complete; Offers a How-To Replicate their Practices for Community Involvement with Renewables
With the help of EVP Creative of Waterville Valley, PAREI is coming close to completing its documentation project. The Plymouth Area Renewable Energy Initiative (PAREI) was organized to encourage energy conservation, energy efficiency practices and promote the use of renewable energy in homes, businesses and other buildings in the Plymouth region through education, community outreach,…
With the help of EVP Creative of Waterville Valley, PAREI is coming close to completing its documentation project.
The Plymouth Area Renewable Energy Initiative (PAREI) was organized to encourage energy conservation, energy efficiency practices and promote the use of renewable energy in homes, businesses and other buildings in the Plymouth region through education, community outreach, accessibility and service coordination.
“Over the last two years we have received over 100 inquiries from communities in New Hampshire and throughout the country wanting to learn how to start an effort similar to PAREI,” said PAREI’s Sandra Jones. Thanks to the help PAREI received from a New Hampshire Charitable Fund grant, PAREI has put together a DVD and CDRom package that will include three videos that cover how PAREI was formed; how to run a solar water heating volunteer energy raiser, and a basic tutorial on solar water heating.
The CD Rom will include documents that will assist others to accomplish the same goals as PAREI. These documents will include such things as a sample grant, a fundraising letter, parts lists, solar site survey form, sign up sheets, an outline on how to organize an energy raiser, frequently asked questions about solar water heating and more. PAREI will be sending out an announcement when this resource becomes available.
PAREI’s Community Energy Raisers are modeled after a “barn-raising” following the tradition of neighbor helping neighbor. The goals of the Energy Raisers are:
- to increase the community’s accessibility to solar energy;
- to bring down the cost of installing renewable energy systems;
- to provide hands on education for the homeowner so they end up with a strong understanding of how their system works;
- to develop a support network of knowledgeable families; and
- to provide local tradespeople an avenue to learn about installing renewable energy systems and to build community connections while we all prepare for life in a lower energy world.
Energy Raiser hosts have volunteered at previous installations and will pay the favor forward at future Raisers.
The teams for the day include Rack Installers (wall or roof), Wiring/Controller Install, Basement Plumbing, Chase Plumbing, Pipe Insulating, Tube Assembly Line, Observers/Extra Hands. Tradespeople and handypersons with tools are encouraged to bring suitable tools. Others should brin, when feasible, a tool belt with work gloves, black sharpie, tape measurer, rag and utility knife.
To date, PAREI members have conducted 33 volunteer Energy Raisers including one solar air circulator, 28 solar hot water, three solar photovoltaic and one wind generator.
603-536-5030 or visit www.plymouthenergy.org Membership Forms are available on line. To be removed from this e-mail list just reply with “Remove” in the subject line.
