Open to the public, this is MABEP’s third year of bringing trade people and energy professionals together to network and attend workshops to further Maine’s efforts in energy efficiency.

While geared to energy efficiency professionals, there will be a lot of information of general interest including workshops on five different tracks – building science, what does it mean to be green?, renewable energy, and issues du jour. ReVision will return with in-depth presentations on renewable energy (previous topics have included renewable energy modeling, solar hot water for energy auditors and solar space heating).

Registration ranges from $125 to $325, depending on how many days you plan on attending and whether or not you are a MABEP member. View MABEP’s website for full details, course schedule, workshop descriptions and to register.

Josh Baston and Erik Mitchell, two of ReVision Energy’s professional installers, completed a 10kW grid-tied array for the Freeport Community Library in 2010

Have you thought about solar hot water or solar electricity for your home, but never knew where to begin?

Then come join us at Solar For the Homeowner, a free hour long presentation covering how solar hot water and solar electric energy systems work.

You’ll learn the answers to questions like:

• How much will a system cost?
• Is my home a good site for solar?
• How reliable are these systems?
• Can I really expect a return on investment since I live in Maine?

In addition to installing solar for homeowners throughout Maine and New Hampshire, ReVision Energy has helped dozens of nonprofits and municipalities install solar, including a 10kw grid-tied array installed in 2010 for the Freeport Community Library.

Come out to this free event and learn why Mainers are increasingly choosing now as the right time to invest in solar energy for their home.

Portland’s famed Becky’s Diner now sports 8 flat plate solar hot water collectors to help wash all those dishes.

The Forecaster reports:

When Becky Rand renovated her iconic diner on Commercial Street four years ago, she wanted to add solar heating panels but couldn’t afford to do it.

She made sure the necessary plumbing was installed, though, so if the funds became available, she would be able to add a solar hot-water system in the future.

So when ReVision Energy called Rand and told her about a grant available through Efficiency Maine and federal stimulus funds, plus a tax incentive, she jumped on the opportunity.

“That made it affordable for me,” Rand said.

Rand worked closely with ReVision over the next year and a half, filling out the many necessary forms and documents to make her solar-heated hot-water system a reality.

Finally, last week, the eight panels and a 160-gallon water tank were installed. Rand said that in the height of the summer, when the diner is the busiest and is using the most hot water, the panels should provide all the heat she needs for hot water.

… “For people like me, with grandchildren, you want to think you’re leaving something nice for your grandchildren,” Rand said. “Maine is special – we don’t appreciate what we have here, how beautiful it is. I want that maintained.”

The system, which is tied in to an existing natural gas heating system, will offset roughly 1,131 therms of natural gas each year and produce 248,000 Btus a day in the summertime. Inside the restaurant is a display panel that tracks system production and tank temperature for real-time analysis of system production.

Next time you’re looking for a nice bowl of chowdah, you can rest easy knowing the water washing your dishes at Becky’s is heated by the sun!

Meg Simone is known for creating timeless wedding films at New England’s most gorgeous destinations. Her home post-production studio is where precious moments come to be – thanks to a fair amount of electricity! Making her operation a little greener this year is a pole-mounted 3.7kw photovoltaic sstem installed be ReVision Energy just in time for the holidays.

Meg shares her enthusiasm for the system in this quick video:

We touched based with Meg to ask her about the process and what she likes about the new system:

When we built our house we put in a evacuated tube solar hot water system with ReVision. We know there are other options out there for solar installers but we love the personal attention, ease of install (thanks Jen for taking care of the paperwork) and customer service that stands behind the product. The vast experience from the team at ReVision is unmatched. You don’t have to take my word for it, you can read their bios!

We had wanted to add solar electricity for a long time, and finally the incentives and rebates afforded us the opportunity. ReVision made my life easy and this process FUN. The guys are so friendly we told them to come in for lunch on the 2nd day of the install! In fact, the team is so friendly and personal it feels like a friend has helped install this not just a business.

We love seeing how much power the system makes each day. It’s a good feeling to know that the sun can power our at-home businesses and reduce our carbon footprint.

See some more photos of the installation on our Facebook page, courtesy of Meg:

About the Hampton Inn & Suites Exeter, NH

Owner: Pennacook Hoteliers
Architect: Archetype Architects
Builder: Wright-Ryan Construction

Please join us in kicking off Green Eggs in the New Year! This January we are thrilled to invite you to view the newly constructed four-story, 111-room Hampton Inn & Suites in Exeter. Commissioned in 2010, this building is just a short walk from its historic downtown and adjacent to Exeter Regional Hospital. The new hotel and suites span 73,000 square feet; hotel amenities include an indoor pool, spa, fitness center, 950 square feet of meeting space.

“We’re thrilled to introduce a new Hampton Inn and Suites to the Exeter community,” said Chris Thompson of Pennacook Hoteliers, LLC. “Our mission in constructing and operating the hotel is to pursue best practices in environmental stewardship, educating hosts and guests alike on the role of social responsibility in the hospitality industry. To this end, we are pursuing LEED-certification and implementing a variety of energy efficient, sustainable practices.”

The Hampton Inn & Suites Exeter applies a range of eco-friendly design and operation elements, including a state-of-the-art storm water system, enhanced insulation, pollution-reducing lighting, zero-irrigation landscape design, reduced water consumption, and a commitment to construction waste management and regional material use. These features, among others, were used to achieve LEED certification.

The presenters:

Chris Thompson is President of Parallax Partners, Inc., a development company committed to sustainable development with a focus on hotel properties. He is also a principal in Thompson’s Point Development Company, Inc., developer of the Forefront at Thompson’s Point, a 30 acre mixed-use transit oriented development in Portland, Maine. He is an owner and developer of the Hampton Inn and Suites, Exeter NH, whose submittal for LEED-Silver Certification is currently pending. He received a B.A. from New York University and a Ph.D. from the University of London. He is the author of Felt: Fluxus, Joseph Beuys, and the Dalai Lama (University of Minnesota Press, 2011). He is a member of the Breakwater School Advisory Council and the North Yarmouth Academy Advisory Board. He and his wife and two children live in Cumberland Foreside, ME.

Cordelia Pitman, LEED AP BD+C, has been Director of Preconstruction Services for Wright-Ryan since 2009.  She joined us from a local architectural firm where she was a project architect for over 15 years.  Cordelia has spent years leading projects from inception through design and construction, and has hands on experience coordinating architecture, structure and MEP – making her a perfect match for our preconstruction department.  Cordelia graduated with a BA in Physics from Middlebury College.  She has also earned her Master of Architecture from Columbia University. Cordelia served on, and chaired, the City of Portland Historic Preservation Board for over a decade, and is currently a member of the Greater Portland Landmarks Board of Directors. Additionally, Cordelia has been trained in Revit 2011, and is well versed in other CAD/BIM software.

About Green Eggs and To Register:

Green Eggs is the Chapter’s monthly breakfast forum featuring a speaker and topic relevant to green buildings. Networking and breakfast, featuring a full breakfast – local and creative, will take place from 7:30 – 8:00 followed by a 45 minute presentation and a 15 minute question, answer & discussion period.  Attendance is limited and pre-registration with payment is recommended. Attendance is $10 for members and $15 for non-members.

Come explore the newest technologies that are getting Maine off oil at an open house with our sister company, ReVision Heat this January 6th. ReVision Heat’s Brewer showroom will be open and showcasing many alternative energy systems including an ÖkoFEN Automated Pellet Boiler, American Standard Heat Pump Water Heater, Fujitsu Air Source Heat Pump and Rika Pellet Stove.

It’s a great opportunity to meet ReVision Heat’s managing partners and learn more about the ever growing alternative technologies for home heating like Natural Gas Boilers, Air Source Heat Pumps and Gasifying Wood Boilers. We encourage you to discuss your building’s unique needs with our experts.

While you are there, enjoy local music, food, door prizes and witty banter with the easy going reVision heat crew. Admission is free and there is no obligation to purchase anything. It would be nice if you could register for the event so we can keep track of how many people are planning on attending, more information and registration available at: http://www.revisionheat.com/off-oil-open-house-revision-heat-brewer/

Well, 40′ish degree temperature and drizzle didn’t stop intrepid staffers Fortunat Mueller, Jen Hatch, Fred Greenhalgh and Will Kessler of ReVision Energy as they rallied with over 100 other participants to plunge into the Atlantic Ocean in support of the Natural Resources Council of Maine.

The Portland Press Herald writes:

More than 100 bathers … made a mad dash into the 44-degree Atlantic Ocean to benefit the Natural Resources Council of Maine’s work to curb global warming.

The annual Polar Bear Plunge, which this year started off with a 5K footrace along Back Cove with about 100 runners, drew more than twice the number of participants that it did in previous years. It was expected to raise more than $16,000, said Stacie Haines, event organizer.

… At the stroke of noon, a roar went up and more than 100 bodies, many dressed in polar bear outfits and other costumes, ran into the water. Just as fast they came running out. Those who stayed behind on the beach laughed, pointed and retreated as the pack of sputtering bathers came dashing back.

From the “Simply Completely Different” camp, ReVision posted this video somewhere in the midst of the holiday haze which is ostensibly related to aforementioned polar dip:

Happy New Year!

Polar plungers race into the Atlantic at East End Beach in Portland on Dec. 31, 2010. (Photo by Jordan Shaw)

ReVision Energy is a sponsor of Natural Resource Council of Maine’s 4th annual Polar Bear Dip & Dash, an event designed to raise awareness of global warming by sending hundreds of brave souls plunging the Atlantic Ocean at East End Beach in Portland on New Year’s Eve.

This year’s even features a 5k walk/run, added for those of you who want to participate but aren’t quite ready to plunge into the icy, cold ocean. If you want to do both the dip and the dash, you are welcome to! And encourage your friends and family to join you!

See the video below for a taste of the good spirits, fun, and importance of this annual endeavor:

Help Get This Man Out of the Polar Bear Suit!

More information and registration available at: http://www.nrcm.org/dipdash.asp