Upcoming "Local Energy" Presentation

Saturday, September 11, 9:30 am

Community Energy Pioneers

This program highlights local people who have played trailblazing roles in the inevitable evolution from unsustainable to sustainable sources of energy. These are people who didn't wait around for governments or non-profits or (finally) utilities to provide incentives. They simply went out and did it.

Our first presenter is Kirby Wilkins, a Reidsville musician and repairer of guitars who, many years ago, performed the analysis that even today seems to elude large portions of the general public – that ultimately we have to “go solar.” His presentation is titled “Ten Years Off the Grid,” and if you infer from this that Mr. Wilkins has produced all of his own electric power for a decade, your inference is absolutely correct. What he will show you – in a truly convincing way – is that energy sustainability, at the residential level, is practical and available to those with limited financial resources. And that's just the start: rainwater capture, composting, organic gardening, tankless water heating, wind power production, photovoltaic power production – the list goes on and on. And of course his business is “off the grid” as well.

The second presentation will feature T.S. Designs, a T-Shirt manufacturer located in Burlington. Once again there is almost no way to describe what these people have done over the past decade or so. Water re-cycling, composting (for soil improvement, for space heating, for liquids heating), photovoltaics, wind power, biodiesel, organic gardening, sustainable manufacturing – you get the picture. Not surprisingly, T.S. Designs is the winner of “sustainable business” awards and is recognized throughout the region as one of the most forward-thinking operations on the planet.

True to the title of the program, the focus will be on energy. But you won't have any trouble getting these folks to talk about the other neat things they do. This promises to be nothing less than a blast!

What: Community Energy Pioneers

When: Saturday, September 11, 2010; 9:30 am

Where: Kathleen Clay Edwards Family Branch Library, 1420 Price Park Rd., Greensboro, NC

"Local Energy" Series of Presentations

Guilford Solar Communities Program
Spring, 2010

Guilford Solar is pleased to announce its "local energy" series of presentations, to be offered throughout 2010. Besides being perhaps the most effective strategy for attaining energy security, the implementation of local energy also advances the objectives of localization movements generally: agricultural and industrial job creation, the local circulation of currency, a heightened sense of community, and local self-reliance.

The series will consist of four presentations, and will focus on the two major sources of energy directly available to the Piedmont Triad region, namely, biomass and solar. The following is a brief introduction.

January 9: "An Introduction to Local Energy." Presenter: Peter Kauber. The presentation will begin with a definition and characterization of "local energy" conceptually. This will be followed by numerous examples of local energy, many drawn from the area surrounding Greensboro, but not limited to our area. This will include examples of biodiesel production, the use of landfill gas as a fuel, various uses of solar (space heating, water heating, electricity production), combined heat and power (CHP), and more general cases of energy recycling.

May 4 (re-scheduled from Feb. 13): "Biofuels as a Business: Prospects for Biofuels Production in the Piedmont." Dr. Ghasem Shahbazi, Director of Bioengineering at NC A&T University, will provide an introduction to the varieties of biofuels, followed by an assessment, based on research done at NC A&T and elsewhere, of the prospects for biofuels production in the Piedmont. His presentation will include an update regarding the activities of the Biofuels Center of North Carolina. A survey of existing biofuel refineries in North Carolina will also be presented. The featured biofuels business will be Red Birch Energy, which operates an industrial-scale biodiesel refinery in Bassett, Va. Among other things, Red Birch - twice invited to Washington to present its business model - will outline its future franchise option, which should be of interest to those looking into biofuels business opportunities.

March 13: "Varieties of Solar Energy and Use." Solar is one form of renewable energy that we have in abundance in North Carolina. Phil Strouth, of FLS Energy, will examine the use of solar energy to provide domestic hot water and electric power. Following Phil's presentation, Otto Afanador will discuss the application of solar energy to space heating and cooling. Both presenters will cover the various technologies available for capturing solar energy.

May 8: "The Net-Zero Energy Residence." Presenter: Michiel VanderSommen. From a housing perspective, the net-zero energy residence represents the ultimate in energy localization: local energy sources, local energy production (and conservation), local energy consumption. By definition, a net-zero energy residence produces at least as much energy as it consumes. The concept can be extended to provide energy support for personal transportation, by expanding the energy production capabilities of the residence (or residential community) to provide battery-charging for personal vehicles. Michiel will examine various techniques for meeting the net-zero energy objective, including passive solar design, the use of orientation, construction, and landscaping techniques for maximizing energy efficiency, and the application of energy production technologies that are appropriate for residences and residential communities.

Local Energy Series Logistics

What: Introduction to Local Energy
When: Saturday, January 9, 2010; 10 AM - 12 Noon
Where: Kathleen Clay Edwards Library auditorium, 1420 Price Park Rd., Greensboro, NC

What: Prospects for Biofuels Production in the Piedmont
When: Saturday, May 4, 2010; 9:30 AM - 12 Noon
Where: Kathleen Clay Edwards Library auditorium, 1420 Price Park Rd., Greensboro, NC

What: Varieties of Solar Energy and Use
When: Saturday, March 13, 2010; 9:30 AM - 12 Noon
Where: Kathleen Clay Edwards Library auditorium, 1420 Price Park Rd., Greensboro, NC

What: The Net-Zero Energy Residence
When: Saturday, May 8, 2010; 10 AM - 12 Noon
Where: Kathleen Clay Edwards Library auditorium, 1420 Price Park Rd., Greensboro, NC

What: Community Energy Pioneers

When: Saturday, September 11, 2010; 9:30 AM - 12 Noon

Where: Kathleen Clay Edwards Library auditorium, 1420 Price Park Rd., Greensboro, NC