New Bedford Solar Now seeks a New Bedford-based Program Manager!

New Bedford Solar Now is a residential program to engage and mobilize eligible New Bedford homeowners to install solar on their homes. This will reduce City residents’ electricity bills, increase local jobs, and improve local environmental health.

NB Solar Now is part of umbrella program New Bedford Energy Now, and this position is supported by a Fund of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts. NB Energy Now Partners include: the City of New Bedford, BlueWave Capital LLC, Beaumont Solar, Real Goods Solar, SEEAL’s SouthCoast Energy Challenge, Marion Institute’s P.O.W.E.R. Project, Old Bedford Village Development Corps, and Next Step Living.

The primary focus of the Program Manager will be to drive and track demand for home solar assessments and solar installations in the City of New Bedford, MA. The Program Manager will be responsible for achieving specific benchmarks as outlined by the partnership. The Program Manager will work closely with and alongside City staff, sustainability groups, schools, businesses, and congregations, to help educate and engage town residents on solar power—and to help them sign up for a free home solar assessment. The Program Manager will be responsible for post- assessment visits with residents, to maximize follow-through on installation recommendations and financing opportunities. Solar trainings will be provided—from the basics of how solar works and which homeowners fit the right criteria, to the more technical aspects of financing and installation process and steps. Grant-funded position; reliant on program productivity and availability of funds. Contractors welcome. This is a full-time position. Some evening and weekend hours will be required.

View the full job description,  here!

Well, it seems that “actual winter” is finally upon us, with all that it typically brings: snow, cold, and, of course, ice. One of the iconic winter images is of picturesque icicles dangling from roofs across New England. But have you ever paused to consider what those icicles actually signify, and what they might be doing to your home?!

This Tuesday at 6:30 pm, join the Energy Challenge and Next Step Living for a short, informative workshop on Ice Dam Prevention. Learn just what those dangling beauties are doing to your home, and how to stop them from forming! Plus, learn more about home weatherization opportunities, what to expect when expecting a home energy assessment, and how to best navigate the Mass Save program to your advantage.

We hope to see you all there! Download the PDF flier.

WHAT: Ice Dam Prevention Workshop

WHERE: Southworth Public Library, 732 Dartmouth St., Dartmouth, MA, downstairs meeting room.

WHEN: Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 6:30 pm.

WHY: Learn some do it yourself techniques for preventing ice damming, and much much more!

Less than a week after the official press conference for NB Energy Now, the new 3-in-1 umbrella energy program in the City of New Bedford, the phones are ringing off the hook. The program is essentially: Energy Challenge meets targeted goals for home energy efficiency and weatherization, as well as residential and small commercial solar installation! NB Energy Now truly has something for everyone, from students to seniors to community groups and small businesses.

Mayor Lang served as the Master of Ceremonies at the NB Energy Now Press Conference last Wednesday at New Bedford City Hall.  Pictured right, from left to right: New Bedford Mayor Scott Lang; DOER Commissioner and Fairhaven resident, Mark Sylvia; Penni Connor,Vice-President of Customer Care at NSTAR; and Norman Rebeiro of the New Bedford POWER Project. Our own SEEAL Director, Jennifer Marshall Grantham, and John DeVillars of BlueWave Capital also spoke at the event.

The message is clear: New Bedford as a city, a community of people, and an emerging sustainability leader in the SouthCoast, is taking action to improve the efficiency and comfort of local homes and businesses, and everyone is getting involved. What makes this program so special is the incredible partnerships, cooperation, and goodwill that has been fostered in a truly unique public-private team. The program is a joint effort by the City of New Bedford, local solar businesses Beaumont and Real Goods Solar, as well as key community partners including Green Jobs Green Economy Initiative/POWER, Old Bedford Village, and SEEAL and the SouthCoast Energy Challenge.

The result is a one stop shop for energy solutions. Through a combination of careful planning and incredible teamwork, NB Energy Now offers residents the full range of options for energy efficiency, conservation, and solar opportunities, as well as support to help folks navigate the process.

SO, if you live in New Bedford and you have not yet: gotten a home energy assessment, considered going solar, or ‘taken the Challenge,’ there’s no time like the present! Contact us, and register today!

Call: 1-855-626-6948, or visit online at: www.NewBedfordEnergyNow.com

Find more press for NB Energy Now launch here.

And here!

View this week’s Savings Action on SouthCoastTODAY.com. This action and next week’s are focused on energy saving actions for an efficient holiday.

This week: buy or dig up a live, potted tree! Save a tree’s life, and improve air quality at the same time! Most importantly, when taking down your decorations this year, don’t forget to plant it! Add it to your yard, or donate your tree–either way, you can pat yourself on the back for saving energy and a lot of CO2!

Learn more…read the FULL ARTICLE HERE!

A huge thank you to Acushnet Selectman David Wojnar for inviting the Energy Challenge to his neighborhood for a morning of canvassing!

Following the Energy Challenge presentation to the Alternative Energy Committee in Acushnet, Selectman Wojnar ‘took the Challenge’ to see what it is all about. Since that time, he has already scheduled & received a no-cost home energy assessment through Next Step Living and Mass Save, as well as made a plan to get follow-up weatherization work done on his home!

Selectman Wojnar invited us to join him for a morning canvass in Acushnet, to share his experience with his neighbors, and alert them to this opportunity to save a little money on home energy costs while preparing their homes for the winter.

So it was that on Wednesday we set out from Ludlow Street in Acushnet–the Selectman, Marisa Antolino from Next Step Living, BCC student and incredible Energy Challenge intern Helder Lobo, and I–to knock on neighborhood doors and introduce the Energy Challenge! We were met with pleasant greetings, dogs of all shapes and sizes, and quite a few positive responses.

Better still, the Energy Challenge reached 500 participants during the canvass. Not bad for a Wednesday morning!! We are looking forward to returning to Acushnet for the next event.

Learn a little more about the great work of the Acushnet Alternative Energy Committee, from the fire chief!

The most incredible Halloween costumes I have ever encountered have been, almost universally, hand-made or assembled through thrift shopping with a keen eye! While ready-made costumes serve a purpose for folks on the fly, people tend to take notice of well-crafted, personalized costumes.

A Young Dwight Schrute!

So, for this year’s fancy dress, consider the following:

• Mine your local thrift store for something that inspires you (although going with a concept can also work…just don’t be disappointed if you have to adjust it a little!)!! Whether it be an unusual hat, some fabulous costume jewelry, a pirate shirt, outlandish shoes, etc. there is sure to be something that catches your eye to make the perfect centerpiece for your Halloween 2011 ensemble! Buying second hand items is like a little cash & carbon bonus; it is value added to an item that may otherwise have been chucked, and assuming these are goods you would otherwise buy new, buying second hand reduces your personal carbon footprint by the amount of CO2 needed to produce and transport each item. It is win win win! Plus, not only will you generally come out with a costume gem, but you might also find something(s) for the other 364 days!

OR…

Pacmen!

• Make it yourself!! Check the back of your closet for that odd item you’ve been holding on to but can’t remember why! Upend your recycling bin and USE IT! Cardboard, tinfoil, paper towel rolls, juice bottles or what have you. Get creative! I have, at various times, encountered an incredible cardboard Optimus Prime, turtle (not ninja), cereal box, and rubik’s cube– all cardboard, all fabulous. You can do it!

Your home-assembled ensemble is guaranteed to turn heads. Authenticity is the spice of costumery! Good luck and happy Halloween!

The  SouthCoast Energy Challenge is currently seeking an experienced organizer to take on outreach for the Challenge!

Primary responsibilities will include: organizing Energy Challenge presence at local events and community gatherings, and acting as primary face of Challenge outreach; managing the Energy Challenge interns; overseeing data management for hard copy registrations;  generally getting the word out about the Challenge! The successful candidate will be enthusiastic, and highly organized, and eager to learn about energy efficiency and awareness.

Download the full job description PDF here, or visit SEEAL for more details!

Applications requested by Wednesday, October 26, at 5:00 pm. Please address all resume/cover letters to: Mercy Cover, Program Manager. Email: mcover@seeal.org  (Or) Mail to: SEEAL attn: Energy Challenge Organizer, 63 Union Street, New Bedford, MA 02740.

If you enjoy magical woodland walks in forests like this –>   –>    –>  and are curious to meet our illustrious new interns, Damola, Diane, Mike, and Tom, you should DEFINITELY stop by the UMass Dartmouth Fall Forest Forum!

Hosted by the Office of Campus and Community Sustainability, Walden Forest Conservation, Massachusetts Forest Stewardship Program, and Yankee Division Society of American Foresters, the forum will include guided walks around the newly opened UMass forest trails, programming to help landowners make informed decisions about land stewardship and maintenance, as well as a lunch and ribbon cutting ceremony featuring UMass Chancellor McCormack and Ed Lambert of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation. Finally, if you haven’t yet ‘taken the Challenge,’ never fear! We will be there in force, tabling with everything you’ll need to get going on your path to energy efficiency!

Where: Thursday, September 29, 2011 at the Woodland Commons at UMass Dartmouth
When:   8:30 am – 3:30 pm

View the full schedule of events here!

Helder explains hydrogen fuel cell technology and members of the SEEAL Conservation Corps Roving Crew demonstrate the technology in action!