GREENFIELD, MA – September 27, 2013
Research shows that consumers are 24% more likely to implement clean energy systems and efficiency upgrades after seeing them themselves. Those results are at the heart of the 14th Annual Green Building Open House Tour (GBOH) hosted by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) in partnership with EnergySage.com on Saturday, October 5th. By embracing the time-honored adage of “seeing is believing,” the GBOH Tour is working to bring sustainable energies such as solar, wind and geothermal into the mainstream.
Hundreds of properties throughout the Northeast from Maine to Delaware will open their doors to neighbors interested in seeing how clean energy is being implemented successfully in their communities. Home and businesses owners who serve as hosts on the tour will share their experiences, results and lessons learned with tour participants. The GBOH tour is the largest sustainable energy event in the northeastern U.S., showcasing homes, businesses and public buildings with clean energy systems and energy efficient designs, systems and products. Last year, thousands of people toured more than 300 properties in the Northeast to see firsthand the sustainability improvements happening in their communities.
A corresponding virtual tour hosted on EnergySage.com, consists of detailed case studies with information about the products and service providers used, photos, and lessons learned as well as both environmental and financial results. The case studies remain on the EnergySage website so tour participants can use them to familiarize themselves with the properties pre-tour, to gain additional data once the tour has ended, or to virtually see properties they were unable to visit on the day of the tour. Participants also can take advantage of the information, tools and resources available through the EnergySage website, including the EnergySage Solar Marketplace. The Marketplace transforms the complex Solar PV shopping process into a simple online comparison-shopping experience by enabling consumers to compare quotes from multiple pre-screened installers in an apples-to-apples format across all financing options. It provides unprecedented levels of choice, transparency, and information at no cost to consumers.
Previous tours demonstrate the value of the peer to peer interactions between hosts and participants. Participants can see first-hand how hosts are leading normal, lives living with clean technologies and saving significant amounts of money. In the words of tour Host Alan Spector:
“Being able to actually come and see and experience these [renewable and energy efficiency] technologies helps people to learn about them...when guests come in, they see that my wife and I are actual people, living normal lives with normal jobs.”
The tour also helps to shine light on many of the myths associated with clean energy—everything from cost-benefit outcomes to aesthetics and suitability. The ability to talk to local home and business owners about real-life examples is a powerful tool in convincing others to consider and adopt these technologies.
Contact: Travis Niles
Northeast Sustainable Energy Association
413-774-6051, ext. 21
About EnergySage, Inc.
EnergySage provides the first comprehensive online marketplace for consumers and businesses interested in converting to solar energy. By enabling people to comparison shop for “apples-to-apples” competitive quotes from pre-screened installers and financiers, the EnergySage Marketplace typically delivers cost-savings of up to 20 percent when compared to going directly to installers. EnergySage also simplifies today’s complex solar industry by providing tools and unbiased information that enable people to fully understand their product and financing options as well as their return-on-investment scenarios. Many leading organizations have forged partnerships with EnergySage to promote the adoption of solar energy, including Connecticut Green Bank, Staples, Walgreens and the World Wildlife Fund. For more information, please visit: www.energysage.com.
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