January program: energy efficiency

An Introduction to Energy Efficiency in the Home

Building “green” can have many meanings. Since energy efficiency is one of the most important, this presentation will provide the general public with an overall understanding of what it means to make a house located in the southeast more energy efficient. Many aspects will be discussed and explained, such as insulation, natural cooling, lighting, etc., but the emphasis will be on that element of residential energy consumption that is typically the greatest, namely, heating and cooling. While the presenter will avoid detailed discussions of technology, he will include basic explanations of how heating and cooling systems work—for example, there will be an account of how geothermal heat pumps work.

Michiel VanderSommen, who has a background in engineering, architecture, and the principles of green building, will conduct the presentation.

This program is co-sponsored by Guilford Solar and the Greensboro Public Library, and will be offered on Saturday, January 12, at 10am. Location: Kathleen Clay Edwards Family Branch Library auditorium, 1420 Price Park Road, Greensboro. For more information, contact Michiel VanderSommen, at mvdsommen@earthlink.net or at 336-558-4405.

Learn about peak oil

Many experienced petroleum geologists expect oil production to peak in the very near future. Since the world economy runs on oil, and since demand for oil increases at roughly 2% per year, the impending failure of production to meet demand is likely to have serious economic—and social and political—consequences, worldwide. Guilford Solar will offer a program on peak oil, entitled “Peak Oil—Theory and Evidence,” on Saturday, December 1, from 10am until noon. This program will be held in the Barn Kitchen Meeting Room of the Guilford County Agricultural Center, 3309 Burlington Road, Greensboro.

Peter Kauber, who worked for Marathon Oil Company in the late 1970s and early 1980s, will conduct this presentation. A lecture format, with PowerPoint support, will be employed. Excerpts from the film The End of Suburbia will also be featured.

For more information contact Peter Kauber, at pkauber@triad.rr.com

Saved by the sun?

Can solar power help save Earth from the ravages of climate change? In the face of rising oil prices and political turmoil in the Middle East, there is a new sense of urgency for finding ways to make solar power efficient and affordable. The NOVA video “Solar Energy—Saved by the Sun” presents a provocative mix of scientists and ordinary citizens who are all pushing the envelope of solar energy’s untapped potential. Join us on Saturday, Nov. 3, for a screening of this exciting NOVA program.

Please note that this program, co-sponsored by the Piedmont Environmental Center (PEC), will be held in the Center’s auditorium. PEC’s address is 1220 Penny Road, High Point. The program will begin at 10am.

Contact Peter Kauber, at pkauber@triad.rr.com, for more information.