Ideas for living off the grid
On January 8th Awareness Film Night will be having a Renewable Energy Evening. The evening will feature a film followed by a discussion and question and answer period with Andrew Moore and Mike Geldreich focusing on the current practicalities and options when it comes to installing renewable energy systems.
Part of the beauty of renewables is their availability. We all get some sun, wind or geothermal heat and we can harvest that energy - no power company or massive centralized plant needed. The evening’s film, Empowered: Power From the People, tells the story of Ithaca and Tompkins County in New York, one of the cloudiest, least windy places in the U.S., yet residents there are proving that they can meet their energy needs through totally renewable resources such as wind, solar, geothermal and biodiesel.
Film producer Suzanne McMannis, who has been living off the grid for over a decade, said, “I wanted to make a movie that demonstrates how practical, affordable and fun it can be to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.”
Bill McKibben, of “Deep Economy” fame, writes, “(Empowered) is a remarkable ground-up account of a revolution that’s really starting to alter things on this earth - and with any luck this movie will help many more people shake up their communities.”
After the film moviegoers will have an opportunity to find out more about the “nuts and bolts” of setting up renewable energy systems in our area with experts in the field.
Andrew Moore was the solar program manager for the T’souke First Nations on their award-winning solar installation.
Mike Geldreich is an electrical contractor and “very green guy” who has been specializing in installing renewable energy systems for 10 years
“Solar, wind, microhydro; we’ve done it all.” He is currently working with O.U.R. Ecovillage in Shawnigan as well as on the new CRD building in Sooke’s solar installation.
There will be a presentation from a company that produces a vertical axis wind turbine that spins like a merry-go-round.
Come and ask your questions: Are wind turbines noisy? Does my roof need to face the south for solar panels to work? What would it involve to go completely off grid? Is the cost going down for renewable energy systems? Should I wait? How would renewables fit into my current electrical set up? how practical, affordable and fun is it really?
The evening will start at 7 p.m. at the Edward Milne Community School theatre. Admission is by donation.
(www.awarenessfilmnight.ca)