Comments on: What we can do, to help people get ready for winter. http://midcoastgreen.wordpress.com/2008/07/17/what-we-can-do-to-help-people-get-ready-for-winter/ Thoughts and Discussion for the Midcoast Green Collaborative. Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:02:22 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Topher http://midcoastgreen.wordpress.com/2008/07/17/what-we-can-do-to-help-people-get-ready-for-winter/#comment-67 Topher Sun, 17 Aug 2008 16:48:44 +0000 http://midcoastgreen.wordpress.com/?p=63#comment-67 I was speaking to a women in Waldo county who was trying to organize something similar to what we are here. During the course of the conversation, I had an idea. We were discussing the number of houses that needed work (1% would be around 200, 10% would be 2000), the number of weeks until snow flies (10-20), and the extent of any work that needs doing (1-2 weeks per house), which brings us to needing somewhere between 10 and 400 people doing the work. We don't have the time to even train that many people in the time alloted. So, I thought maybe we should train teams in a single job (say, air sealing basements, or making interior storm windows). We could then send out a team to a house have them do the job, and move on. This would require some organization to know which houses need what (this could probably be evaluated by most homeowners), and ensuring that things happen in the correct order, and minimizing travel by the teams. What do you think of this idea? I was speaking to a women in Waldo county who was trying to organize something similar to what we are here. During the course of the conversation, I had an idea. We were discussing the number of houses that needed work (1% would be around 200, 10% would be 2000), the number of weeks until snow flies (10-20), and the extent of any work that needs doing (1-2 weeks per house), which brings us to needing somewhere between 10 and 400 people doing the work. We don’t have the time to even train that many people in the time alloted. So, I thought maybe we should train teams in a single job (say, air sealing basements, or making interior storm windows). We could then send out a team to a house have them do the job, and move on. This would require some organization to know which houses need what (this could probably be evaluated by most homeowners), and ensuring that things happen in the correct order, and minimizing travel by the teams.

What do you think of this idea?

]]> By: Topher http://midcoastgreen.wordpress.com/2008/07/17/what-we-can-do-to-help-people-get-ready-for-winter/#comment-60 Topher Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:30:34 +0000 http://midcoastgreen.wordpress.com/?p=63#comment-60 Some things the Midcoast Green Collaborative is doing. 1) Energy Expo: For the last two years the collaborative has put on a sustainable energy expo in the Y in Damariscotta. Next year, we hope to include some of the implications of energy on food. 2) Energy Seminars: The fourth Tuesday of every month we are putting on an information talk in the Skidompha Library auditorium. These are intended for both general public and tradespeople (in hopes that connections can be made). 3) Energy Audits: The group is supporting Paul Kando and Topher Belknap in their work performing energy audits. It obtained a grant to purchase a blower door, and provided the funds to purchase an infrared camera. Both are being paid back from the proceeds of audits. 4) Informal Talks: Members of the group have been giving talks to interested groups who contact us. There is of course more to be done. Some things the Midcoast Green Collaborative is doing.

1) Energy Expo: For the last two years the collaborative has put on a sustainable energy expo in the Y in Damariscotta. Next year, we hope to include some of the implications of energy on food.

2) Energy Seminars: The fourth Tuesday of every month we are putting on an information talk in the Skidompha Library auditorium. These are intended for both general public and tradespeople (in hopes that connections can be made).

3) Energy Audits: The group is supporting Paul Kando and Topher Belknap in their work performing energy audits. It obtained a grant to purchase a blower door, and provided the funds to purchase an infrared camera. Both are being paid back from the proceeds of audits.

4) Informal Talks: Members of the group have been giving talks to interested groups who contact us.

There is of course more to be done.

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