SEEDS Sustainable Energy Education & Development Support

NEW WEBSITE

2011-07-11T14:21:00.002-04:00

Hi Folks,

We have a new website: www.seedsgroup.net

This site is no longer used for SEEDS of NEPA. Please visit our new site!

Viridian and Clean Currents - Green Generated Energy For Your Home or Business!

2010-11-15T17:38:00.003-05:00

Now we can get Green electricity from the grid and not have to pay extra. At a SEEDS forum in September, 2010 at the Honesdale Conservation District Office, two companies, Viridian and Clean Currents, discussed their programs for delivering green electricity into the grid without a surcharge. The plans are simple but have far reaching results for our future, the carbon in the air, and our pocketbooks. On the left is a picture of a turbine producing tidal energy at Clean Currents.

Both purchase green generated energy, mostly wind at this point, to put into the grid. When we use electricity from the grid, we pay our bill through PPL EU and they pay the generators for what we have used. If we sign up for Clean Currents or Viridian we can choose 20%, 50% or 100% of our energy to be billed green; the larger the percentage, the more green energy these companies buy, and the more goes into the grid with no increase in cost.

Without these companies, when we turn on an appliance, most of the energy comes from “brown” fossil fuel generating plants: over half from coal, some from oil and some natural gas, about 10% nuclear and hydro, and well under 5% solar and wind. Those latter three--wind, solar and water power—are the “green,” renewable sources. If we wanted electricity from green sources put into the grid, we would have to pay a surcharge of around $7.50 a month on top of our regular electric bill. Signing up with one of these new companies means we can get the green energy, without added money, and in most cases, spend less.

With both companies, the sign-up is easy and free. No Social Security number or credit card is needed, only the account number on your PPL EU bill. You’ll still get the same PPL EU bill and get the same emergency service from them. Worse case scenario, if something happens that either company is unable to deliver the green electricity, PPL EU will seamlessly deliver to your house what you need at their going rate. Both Viridian and Clean Currents are licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to generate electricity through the grid. This program is currently for PPL EU customers but will most likely extend to Pennelec customers at the beginning of 2011.

The difference between the two companies is that Clean Currents requires a one or two year contract, and Viridian doesn’t. Clean Currents likes to know its annual market to insure a low cost and so goes by contract; if you sign up with them and change your mind during your contract, you will have to pay a penalty. However your contracted cost is locked in for the period you choose. You are free to change suppliers after your contract is over at no cost.
These are Clean Current’s current prices:
50% 1-yr: 9.0
50% 2-yr: 9.2
100% 1-yr: 9.6
100% 2-yr: 9.7
To sign up your home for clean electricity with Clean Currents, visit http://www.cleancurrents.com/purchase-energy.asp and have your PPL account number close by. If you would like clean electricity for your business email ksander@cleancurrents.com.

Viridian is confident that they can buy and sell efficiently on the clean energy market to get the best cost month by month so no contract is needed. If at any time you want to change generators, you just inform PPL EU of your change with no penalty. Their recent and current prices for green energy have been 5% to 10% under PPL EU’s standard price for brown energy.
http://www.viridian.com/

You may wonder why you haven’t heard of these companies before—and yet keep getting mailings from many “brown” generators. First, these are new companies, though they have been operating in Connecticut and several other eastern states for 2 years. Also, instead of advertising through mailings and media, these 2 companies spread the word by giving incentives to non-profit organizations, like SEEDS. Other organizations they work with include the University of Connecticut Athletic Scholarship Program, the Scranton Arch Diocese, EarthAid, Buy Fresh Buy Local LV, and the Green Building Institute. This direct marketing, which is sometimes compared to pyramid schemes, is just another form of advertising. SEEDS has not paid money to either of these companies, but if you mention SEEDS when signing up, SEEDS will receive a contribution from the company you sign with—and thus we’ll not have to bake as many brownies to raise money for our non-profit activities, and saving still more kWhrs and more calories for our waistlines.

I signed up my family for one of these companies this summer—it just took a few minutes and cost nothing. My May bill with the standard PPL generating purchase, showed we were paying 10.133 cents per kWh. On my September bill I was paying .09857143 cents per kWh—plus putting green energy into the grid. By the way, you may notice all those numbers after the decimal point. That’s how the electric generating companies make their profit, by buying and selling at small fractions of cents per kWh, just like on the stock exchange--the market system.

350 kWh SAVED!

2010-08-04T17:11:00.002-04:00

SEEDS 350 kWh SAVED! project is conserving and creating energyin NEPA! Here is the explanation we've been passing around to let people know all about it. For a list of the past newsletters participants have received, click here.

You are invited to participate in the SEEDS “350 kWh Saved!” Project.

SEEDS (Sustainable Energy Education & Development Support) is looking for at least 350 families in Northeast Pa. to reduce their electric bills by at least 350 kilowatt hours (kWh). So far, 50 families have signed up and four families have achieved savings of over 350 kWhrs.

What you get out of it: You save money on your electric bill, and when you save your first 350 kWh, you will receive a discount card for incentives from 13 area businesses, and every time you save 350 kWh, your name will go into a hat for a door prize drawing in Spring of 2011. Biggest prize will be a $5,000. value solar thermal system. There is the added bonus that you will cut air pollution.

SEEDS has set up a process to make it easy for you:

Sign up for the program

* Send a message to seedsgroup@gmail.com.
* Put “350 Signup” in the subject line.
* In the body, put your name, address and email. If you want us to use an email other than the one you are sending it from, please give us that address.
* We will enroll you in the program and send you one e-mail a month with updates and tips on saving electricity. (Your contact info will not be shared with anyone else.)

Check your electric bill

* Compare your current electric bill with the one from the same month in 2009. See if you have cut your electricity use. You can do this on-line or on your paper bill.

Online

o Go to http://www.pplelectric.com/ and log in. If you haven’t signed up for an online account yet, go to myPPL on the top menu. You will need your PPL account number when you sign up the first time.
o Scroll down to the bottom 2/3 of the page and click on Bill History.
o This new page will give you a 13 month history of your kWh usage.
o Subtract the first number from the last to get the number of kWhs you have saved.

Monthly Bill: If you do not want to use the internet, use your monthly electric bill.

o Look at the average kWh use to the right of the bar graph on the first page of the bill.
o Subtract the 2010 number for this month from the 2009 number for this month
o Multiply this number by the number of days in the box above it—it will be between 28 and 32.
o This will give you the number of kWhrs saved this month.

Not a PPL customer?

For those of you in northeast Pa who do not have PPL as your electric billing company, tell us how you can show your electric savings. (Your billing company is the one that provides usage information, even if you have elected to buy your energy from an alternative source.)

Prove your savings: Once you have saved 500 kWhrs—this might take 2 or 3 months--bring the bar graph part of your bills to:

o SEEDS booth at Audubon Arts and Crafts Festival, July 17 & 18 10 – 5 each day
o SEEDS booth at Sidewalk Sales in Honesdale, July 22, 23, 24.
o Wayne County Fair (in the Red Barn with all the vegetable displays)

Questions? Call Michele at 224-0052 or e-mail SEEDS at seedsgroup@gmail.com.

2010-04-13T15:53:00.000-04:00

Forum on Residential Wind Power on April 27^th

A forum on residential wind power will be held on Tuesday, April 27^th from 7 to 9 PM at the Park Street Complex in Honesdale, PA. So, will wind power work? How do we get it? What are the costs? What are the pitfalls? These are questions that will be addressed at this first forum of 2010 presented by the group SEEDS (Sustainable Energy Education & Development Support). The Park Street Complex (formerly the Stourbridge School) is located at 648 Park Street just west of Wayne Memorial Hospital.

Speakers will include Greenfields Energy Solutions of Mayfield, PA, Sandy Babuka of Trehab Renewable Energy in Montrose, and two homeowners who have installed windmills: Steve Adams of Tyler Hill and Michael Wood of Beach Lake, PA.

“Our very first forum held back in 2008 was on small scale wind power, and, by the large numbers of people attending, we knew we were dealing with a subject people were really interested in,” says Michele Sands, the chair of SEEDS. “But, the technology has advanced in just the last few years, so we thought it was time to discuss wind power again, especially when energy costs are blowing us away.”

The event is open to all, and free-will offerings will be appreciated. Refreshments will be served.

Press Conference to Announce the 350 Project!

2010-03-16T19:20:00.002-04:00

Do something really green this year!

Please join us at 12 PM ET at the Meyers Pavillion in Honesdale on Wednesday, 3/17. We will officially launch our project that will see 350 kW of renewable installed in Honesdale this year, as well as encouraging local families to save 350 kwH of energy on their electric bills year over year.

See you there to hear about all the details! (Or click the link at the top to read our separate 350 page.)

Upcoming Transition Town Potluck, and an Update on the Vigil

2009-12-12T06:30:00.004-05:00

First, there were 18 people in all who came out last night for the candlelight vigil in Central Park in Honesdale to show support for action on climate change. Here is the picture we took for the 350.org website:

And next week, December 15 from 6 to 9 pm, there will be a potluck hosted at Journey's End farm in Sterling to discuss strategies for moving forward with a Transition Town initiative in the area.

Candlight Vigil for Climate Change

2009-11-27T18:31:00.003-05:00

All are invited to bring a candle to Central Park, Honesdale at 5 PM on Friday, December 11th to join a vigil for hope during the climate change talks being held in Copenhagen. SEEDS is holding the vigil locally, while 350.org is calling for similar events around the world.

Here in northeast Pennsylvania, our Maple and Black Cherry trees are already being challenged by the effects of a carbon-overloaded atmosphere, and are expected to disappear completely within our children’s lifetime when the climate here will be similar to that of present-day Alabama and Georgia, according to a recent report specific to Pennsylvania published by the Union of Concerned Scientists. While we are already getting a taste of devastating floods in our region, countries like the Maldives and Bangladesh will soon be devastated and are fighting for their very survival.

“Our atmosphere has almost 400 parts per million of carbon, mainly from fossil fuel burning for electricity and cars,” says SEEDS chair, Michele Sands. “We need to get down to under 350 to continue life as we know and love it in northeast PA. SEEDS is promoting renewable energy sources and sustainable food choices locally, but we need our government leaders to respond to the urgency of our situation, here and in Copenhagen.”

CNN called the previous worldwide 350 event in October the biggest day of political action in the planet's history. Several local groups including SEEDS took part, SEEDS announcing an ambitious plan to encourage installation of 350 Kw of renewable energy in our local area within a year and save just as much through conservation.

“We hope these vigils will surpass the October action,” says Kathy Dodge, organizer of the local vigil. “And this will be as easy as a walk in the park. So, please come with your candle or lantern to help send a message to Copenhagen.”

In Transition, Showing in Honesdale on November 17

2009-10-30T08:19:00.002-04:00

In case you missed it the first time at the Manchester library, SEEDS will be showing the documentary "In Transition" again on November 17 at the Park Street Complex in Honesdale (the old Stourbridge school, across from the hospital). The event will begin at 7 and end at 9. The documentary is about an hour long, and we will save time at the end for brainstorming ideas about transitioning our local economy toward sustainability. The documentary was made by the Transition Towns movement.

As usual, there will be snacks (including popcorn) and a free will offering. If you have questions or need more information, call 570-224-0052 or e-mail seedsgroup@gmail.com. More information about the film is available at

And Now for a Very Special Announcement...

2009-10-10T07:22:00.001-04:00

SEEDS will officially launch a program to challenge our community to save electricity and heating fuel, on Saturday, October 24th at 1 PM at the Manchester Public library in Manchester Township, Wayne County. October 24 is world-wide “350 Day,” to help bring awareness of rising carbon levels in the earth’s atmosphere. A level above 350 parts per million of carbon risks irreversible run-away climate change. We are now at 390 ppm so we must reduce to get back to the magic “350.”

SEEDS is calling for a surge in reduction of kilowatt usage and carbon output through conservation, efficiency, or by installing renewable sources of energy such as wind and solar power. Anyone who does so should report their actions to SEEDS to have them tallied on the website and on big thermometers placed around the county over the next year in an effort to reach a goal of 350 “greening credits.” Prizes will be awarded for big and unusual saving suggestions; group competitions are encouraged.

“We’re hoping people, will look at their household electric and heating bills, with their families and maybe even make a contest out of it,” says Michele Sands, SEEDS chair. “You can turn off the coffee pot, hang your clothes on folding dryers, only have one TV or Radio on at a time, cover drafty windows with plastic. Then when your next bill comes, reward yourselves for how much you are saving for yourselves and the planet. And, let SEEDS know and we’ll reward you, too.”

“Now is also a very good time to install solar photovoltaic panels as the price for panels has dropped, and there are a number of financial incentives to do this,” she says. “There are also tax rebates for exchanging your old refrigerator or freezer for a highly efficient one. And if you start saving energy now, you’ll be ready to really protect your pocketbook when the electric caps come off in January.”
Specific financial benefits of solar installations will be presented at a SEEDS forum on October 20th at the Park Street Complex in Honesdale from 7 to 9 PM. All are welcome.

Other ideas include changing light bulbs, upgrading the insulation in home or business or installing solar thermal panels for heating water--an economical way to save money by using the sun.
“The launching of this initiative is just a start,” says Katharine Dodge, assistant chair of SEEDS, who is in charge of the 350 project. “We hope this will lead to more comprehensive actions that will help our community maintain its resiliency with compassion and dignity, capable of withstanding changes that will inevitably come with peak oil and climate change.”

The October 24th event at Manchester Library will also feature a film called “In Transition: From Oil Dependence to Local Resilience.” It presents a practical vision for creating community sustainability in a period of energy, economic, and environmental changes. All are welcome. There will be refreshments and a free-will offering. The library is located approximately two miles south of the center of Equinunk, or about 20 north of Honesdale.

“350 Day” actions will help convince world leaders of the importance of cutting carbon levels as they meet at the climate change conference in Copenhagen in November. Anyone wishing more information may visit 350.org, or may contact SEEDS at (570) 224-0052 or by e-mail at SEEDSGroup@gmail.com.

Fourth Solar PV Installation Course Scheduled!

2009-10-07T09:13:00.002-04:00

The course will start on 11/5/09 and run through 11/9/09.

This five-day course is limited to 15 attendees, and will run from 9 am to 4 pm culminating in a hands-on installation the final two days. The cost will be $400, including text. To register, interested persons may call 570-224-0052.
This is the fourth solar PV course being offered by SEEDS due to popular demand. Previous courses in January, March and June were quickly filled with a waiting list.
The course will include siting, sizing, installation techniques, codes, NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Professionals) certification requirements, use of the Solar Pathfinder and its accompanying software, grid-tie and off-grid systems, and will culminate in a hands-on installation.
The instructor will again be Roy Butler, owner of Four Winds Renewable Energy in Arkport, NY. He holds a PV (photovoltaic) certification by NABCEP, and is a NYSERDA (New York Energy Research & Development Authority) eligible installer of wind and PV grid tie electric systems in NY State. He has more than 12 years of design and installation experience, covering grid-tie, and off-grid wind electric, solar electric and solar water pumping systems. He has installed over 200 renewable energy systems for home, farm and industry.
Butler is on the NABCEP Technical Review Committees for PV and wind installer certification, and a technical editor for Home Power Magazine. When he is not out designing and installing renewable energy systems for Four Winds, Butler is teaching at Ulster County Community College, Alfred State College of Technology, and at many workshops throughout the nation.
“We are sponsoring all this training to ensure local jobs for local people in the renewable energy industry,” says SEEDS chair Michele Sands. “The increase in electricity costs scheduled for January make renewable energy training a win-win choice for our community. We really need local people to install and maintain these systems for residences, community buildings and business.”
SEEDS is a local non-profit corporation committed to developing a renewable energy infrastructure and promoting more sustainable living in our area. It was given the Green Powerhouse of Northeast Pennsylvania award for Non-profits by the Northeast PA Business Journal, this summer. To further its aims, SEEDS is working with Penn State extension offices in Pike and Wayne, the Wayne Conservation District, the Pocono Northeast Resource Conservation and Development Council of the US Department of Agriculture, the Pike Wayne Conservation Partnership and the Northeast Pennsylvania Audubon Society.
To reserve a spot in the upcoming course send your contact information to SEEDSGroup@gmail, or call Michele at (570) 224-0052.

Making Solar Affordable

2009-10-05T10:45:00.002-04:00

October 20, from 7 to 9 pm at the Park Street Complex in Honesdale

The financial realities of adding solar power to our homes and businesses will be the topic of a forum sponsored by SEEDS at the Park Street Complex in Honesdale on Tuesday, October 20^th from 7 to 9 PM. Martin Young of Gravity Sun Power located in Honesdale, will explain system components and costs, state rebates, federal tax incentives, income sources, energy credits, and projected returns on investments.

There will also be information from local banks and zoning officers about zoning regulations, loans, mortgages, and property values as they relate to solar installations.

Mr. Young took advantage of a SEEDS-sponsored course on solar installation, and went on for further training to become a state-certified solar installer. He is currently installing several photovoltaic systems in the area.

SEEDS (Sustainable Energy Education & Development Support) recently won the Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal�s Green Powerhouse Award for a non-profit for its work educating the public about sustainable energy, conservation, and efficiency, and creating a local infrastructure to support renewable energy. This forum, which is open to all, continues that effort. There will be refreshments and a free-will offering.

Are your heating dollaring escaping through the cracks?

2009-09-09T21:34:00.004-04:00

Join us for a forum to discuss
INSULATION

Tuesday, September 22, 7 to 9 pm at the Park Street Complex in Honesdale, PA
The Park Street Conservation Complex is at 648 PARK STREET, (off Rt 6, formerly the
Stourbridge School), HONESDALE, PA 18431.

Speakers will include:
- Stephen Stuart of Sustainable Energy Solutions
- Peter Vargo of NuTech Energy Solutions

We’ll cover:
- Insulating with blown-in foam and cellulose
- How to deal with airflow and moisture control
- Detailed cost comparisons
- Retrofitting older houses and new construction

After the insulation discussion, we’ll tell you about the new federal weatherization program in
the works, along with some state and federal rebates and loans that are available.

Coffee, refreshments, free will offering

This forum is one of many events sponsored by SEEDS. Here are a couple of more calendar-worthy dates:
- October Forum: October 20, A Financial Analysis of Renewable Energy (Park Street Complex, 7 to 9 pm).
- October 17: Our Home and Hearth committee will be on hand at Audubon's Family Fun Day to show you how to make some personal care products right at home. Family Fun Day takes place on Saturday, October 17, at the PPL Environmental Learning Center at 2 pm.

Recap and SEEDS Picnic Potluck Party

2009-07-07T05:48:00.005-04:00

Hi SEEDS folk!
-First a recap of an “interesting” year as in “may-you-live-in-interesting-times”,
-Then an invitation to our first annual SEEDS Picnic,
-Finally what’s happening in NEPA sustainable living.

Hope you can wade through it all, (after all, we’re getting pretty used to sloshing) but be sure to come to the potluck/picnic.

What a Year!
For a year now, SEEDS has been harrowing, planting, weeding—add just about any gardening/agricultural metaphor you can think of and SEEDS has done it, or tried to, these last 12 months.

Our monthly Forums have opened the fields on Small Wind, Water Conservation and Energy, Forest Fuels, Energy Auditing, Geothermal, Solar Photo Voltaic and Solar Thermal, PP&L Smart Metering, Hamlin’s Green School, Do-it-Yourself Energy Conservation and Food Sovereignty; with small workshops on sustainable gardening besides. Over 300 people attended these forums, many becoming “regulars,” and our mailing list is almost as large. People really do want to know about Sustainable Energy and Living.

And when there was no one to “farm” sustainable energy, we began training programs for basic installation and maintenance of solar photo voltaic, solar thermal and small wind. Not only did we train 10 local contractors, many of whom are now installing and seeking state and national certification, but the internet and word of mouth drew contractors from Ohio, Long Island, Philadelphia, Buffalo and New York as well. We also pollinated other groups, telling Wayne social workers about the necessity and effects of sustainable living; and Middle Schoolers about Green Jobs at the county-wide Career Day; and shared our story at many local green fairs.

SEEDS cross-fertilized with the Wayne Conservation Office, the Penn State Extension office, Workforce Wayne, the The Pocono Northeast Resource Conservation and Development Council, the Audubon Society, WaynePeace, PPL and two international groups, the Pachamama Alliance and Transition Towns, coming this fall.

And all this in a tornado: the economy has crashed, oil prices have roller-coasted, gas drilling into and pumping out of our land continues to be an issue; we’ve now a President who at least promotes Green, and a climate change bill passed by the House.

Okay, Okay, I’m getting carried away with this metaphor stuff, but one more. A seed is an embryo with food to get it going until the plant can grow on its own. We, the basic board of eight, have been working on these ideas with the “food” of all of you who have come to the forums, shared your ideas, baked cookies, set out chairs, responded to emails, and supported our seed in so many ways.

SEEDS Picnic Potluck Party
So now, let’s share our “food” with a potluck—see, no more metaphor, real meat and potatoes on Tuesday, July 28 from 6 to 9 (see attachment). We’ll have ways you can add your ideas, your continued sustenance to SEEDS, but be sure to bring a dish or drink to share. We’ll have a grill available if you want to grill your own whatever. (We’d also like your $10 bucks a family membership, whether or not you can come. An application is downloadable on the side.) We’ll make a blatant pitch for what we know we need—a fundraiser chair, a recycling chair, among others. And then we’ll shut up and party and Janet Burgan and a few other musicians will help us share our joy. Think of it as our Tuesday SEEDS meeting self-celebration. And worry not, we have a great big covered arena just in case by chance perhaps, it rains.

We (Michele, Kathy, Michael, Jean, Cyril, Jo, Chuck & Mary Ellen) do hope you will come,

WHEN: July 28, 2009, 6 to 9 PM
WHERE: 1046 Cochecton Tpk (Rt 371)
Tyler Hill, PA
(Across from the Tyler Hill Camp)

What’s Happening
In case you missed the Wayne Independent article, Wayne & Pike Counties have money for weatherization—windows, insulation, furnace, etc. There are income limits, ie a family of three at no more than $37,332 annual income or anyone receiving supplemental social security income (SSI) or who is enrolled in the low income home energy assistance program (LIHEAP) automatically qualifies, regardless of income. But this money can be used by renters and homeowners alike. Some may be concerned about their tax dollars being misused, but remember this is money being pumped into our local economy and benefiting our planet; if the money is not used it will be sent somewhere else. For those interested, 253-4882, via e-mail at wcra@ezaccess.net, or on the web at waynepikeenergysavers.nonprofitoffice.com. The whole article is at
http://www.wayneindependent.com/homepage/x135729237/Residents-needed-for-weatherization-money

Don’t miss this year’s Audubon Art & Craft Festival on July 18 & 19, 10 to 5 each day at Wallenpaupack HS. Really fine art and high quality crafts, and reptiles and rainforest animals for everyone. For more info
http://www.audubonfestival.com/

And, speaking of animals, there are creatures in your very garden—some of them could even be good for you. Jo Clearwater will give a tour of the fauna (insects) of her farm this Saturday, July 11 from 9 to 11. $25 suggested donation to SEEDS. Clearwater Acres is in Damascus, off 371, near the river. Call 224-7687 for directions. Hope to see you there.

Small Steps, Big Impact

2009-06-17T08:27:00.002-04:00

SEEDS Board Member, Mary Ellen Carroll, passed on this great information excerpted from a Woman's Day article by Melinda Dodd. Sources: Environmental Defense Fund, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Recycling Coalition. Thanks, Mary Ellen!

IF YOU: Recycle your Sunday paper every week
YOU WILL: Keep four trees alive per year and increase earth's oxygen

IF YOU: Cut one 20-mile car trip each week by completing errands at once rather than making separate trips
YOU WILL: Prevent more than 1,200 pounds of greenhouse has from being emitted and adding to global warming

IF YOU: Recycle a six-pack of aluminum cans every week
YOU WILL: Save enough energy to power a television for 936 hours

IF YOU: Cut 5 minutes from your daily shower
YOU WILL: Save up to 9,000 gallons of water

Food Sovereignty

2009-05-08T07:44:00.004-04:00

A forum at the Park Street Complex on May 12, 7 to 9 PM...

“Food sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems. It puts those who produce, distribute and consume food at the heart of food systems and policies rather than the demands of markets and corporations.”
- From the Declaration of Nyéléni, Feburary 2007

Josephine Clearwater will take you through a brief food history from pre-industrialization to the present - covering changes to our food and food system. She’ll discuss important foodrelated
choices facing us here in NEPA.

A representative from the Weston A. Price Foundation will be on hand to share information about the benefits of nutrient-dense food.

We’ll wrap up with a talk from a member of Slow Foods USA, a movement that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment.

The forum will be held at the usual time and place: Park Street Complex in Honesdale from 7 to 9 pm on May 12.

Home and Hearth Workshops

2009-04-17T15:14:00.003-04:00

Here is what we've planned for the Spring 2009 growing season!

April 25: Visioning the Garden
Discussing siting, planning, and approaches to setting up the garden.

June 13: Weed Identification
Learn about a variety of weeds common in our area - beneficial and otherwise!

July 11: Insect Tour
A day to identify, discuss, and celebrate the wide range of insects around us.

October 17: Herbal Apothecary
Identifying beneficial herbs, and preparing them as tinctures and decoctions.

All of this year's Home and Hearth workshops will be held at Clearwater Acres in Damascus, PA. Driving east on 371, turn left onto Galilee Road. Bear left immediately at the fork, to continue on Galilee Road. Drive 2 miles, and turn right onto Swago Road. Make your next right onto Diehl Road. The farm is the first house you’ll see on your right, surrounded by fencing. A $25 donation is suggested for each workshop. Each workshop will last two hours, beginning at 9am.

Do It Yourself Energy Conservation; Solar PV Training, Solar Thermal Training

2009-03-25T08:35:00.003-04:00

Well, Spring is here and SEEDS is busy doing what SEEDS does. Here are a few of the exciting things we've got lined up:

Free Educational Forum on Do It Yourself Energy Conservation
April 21, 7-9PM
at the Park Street Conservation Complex in Honesdale

If you came in February to our forum, you'll remember that the folks at PPL got carried away with giving us so much good information about their energy efficiency programs, that Cyril Mansperger, local green-minded resident, never got to give his in-depth presentation on the simple things you can at home to become more environmentally friendly and energy efficient.

In addition to Cyril's talk, we will have an expert on hand to discuss possibilities for grants and funding for larger-scaled renewable energy projects you may want to do at your home, farm, or business.

As usual, there will be a free will offering, along with baked goods and refreshments.

Solar Thermal: Installation and Maintenance Training
May 6-9, $300

SEEDS will be offering a course on installing and maintaining a Solar Thermal system, in cooperation with the Wayne County Conservation office. The first two days will consist of classroom instruction; the final two days will be spent on-site installing a solar thermal system in a local home. Those interested should have some experience in plumbing, electricity, or HVAC.

The course will be taught by Chuck Marken, a New Mexico license plumber, electrician, and HVAC contractor. He has been installing and servicing solar thermal systems since 1979. Hundreds of hands on jobs include batch solar water heaters, thermosyphon systems, closed loop antifreeze systems, drainback systems, solar heating systems integrated into radiant floors, solar air collectors and solar pool heating systems. He is the Thermal Editor for Home Power Magazine. Chuck has taught solar heating and hot water workshops for Solar Energy International and throughout the US.

Registration is required and courses fill up quickly, so call or e-mail us as early as you can.

Solar PV Installation and Maintenance
June 3-5, $175

Roy Butler returns for our third Solar PV Installation and Maintenance Training. This course sells out quickly whenever we offer it, so please contact us early if you are interested in taking the course. Roy Butler is a NABCEP certified installer of Solar PV. His company is called Four Winds Renewable Energy.

The course will provide the participants with the basic knowledge of how to properly site, size, specify, install and maintain a residential PV system. The course is designed around the NABCEP Objectives and Task Analysis for the Solar Photovoltaic System Installer, the foundation document for the NABCEP PV Installer Certification program.

Western Wayne's New "Green School"

2009-02-25T06:55:00.002-05:00

March 10th from 7 to 9 PM
You are invited to hear about a new super-energy-efficient “green” school being planned for the Western Wayne School District. The program will be on Tuesday, March 10th from 7 to 9 PM at the Park Street Complex in Honesdale (the old Stourbridge School).
Western Wayne School District Superintendent Andrew Falonk will be there along with the architects of the new school, to explain its special features. The school will conform to the LEEDS silver certification as established by the US Green Building Council. The plans include stringent standards for indoor air quality, water efficiency, energy consumption, and materials and resources choices. This will be one of the few schools in the country to achieve this standard, serving as a model for other school districts.
This program is part of a continuing series of forums sponsored by SEEDS (Sustainable Energy Education & Development Support). It is open to all.
“We encourage representatives of other school districts to attend this program,” says Michele Sands, Chair of SEEDS. “This effort by Western Wayne is sending a message to the students and the community that the District takes environmental stewardship very seriously. What a great teaching tool!”
The school will use an on-site Living Machine^® (Worrell Water Technologies) system to treat its waste. This “wetland in a greenhouse” mimics the natural filtering and purifying power of a wetland. Other features include a rooftop garden that saves energy, and passive solar design to take advantage of natural lighting, cutting energy use. A geothermal system will heat and cool the building.
Anyone wishing more information about this forum or about other SEEDS activities, may contact us at (570) 224-0052 or by e-mail at SEEDSGroup@gmail.com

Solar PV Installation Course: Back by Popular Demand!

2009-02-18T06:25:00.002-05:00

Second Course Offered in Installing and Maintaining Solar Electric Systems
Facilitating Local power and Local jobs, from the Sun

A solar photovoltaic (PV) training course is being offered to contractors by the group SEEDS (Sustainable Energy Education & Development Support). It will run from Wednesday, March 25 to Friday, March 27 at the Park Street Complex in Honesdale, PA (former Stourbridge School). This three-day course is limited to15 attendees, and will run from 9 am to 4 pm with an hour for lunch. The cost will be $175. To register, interested persons may call 570-224-0052.
This is the second solar PV course being offered by SEEDS due to popular demand. The first course in January was quickly filled with a waiting list.
The course will include siting, sizing, installation techniques, codes, NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Professionals) certification requirements, use of the Solar Pathfinder and its accompanying software, grid-tie and off-grid systems, and much more.
The instructor will again be Roy Butler, owner of Four Winds Renewable Energy in Arkport, NY. He holds a PV (photovoltaic) certification by NABCEP, and is a NYSERDA (New York Energy Research & Development Authority) eligible installer of wind and PV grid tie electric systems in NY State. He has more than 12 years of design and installation experience, covering grid-tie, and off-grid wind electric, solar electric and solar water pumping systems. He has installed over 200 renewable energy systems for home, farm and industry.
Butler is on the NABCEP Technical Review Committees for PV and wind installer certification, and a technical editor for Home Power Magazine. When he is not out designing and installing renewable energy systems for Four Winds, Butler is teaching at Ulster County Community College, Alfred State College of Technology, and at many workshops throughout the nation.
SEEDS is also implementing a mentoring program for solar PV graduates to obtain hands-on training under a certified installer. The group is also planning a solar hot water or thermal course for May.
“We are sponsoring all this training to ensure local jobs for local people in the renewable energy industry,” says SEEDS chair Michele Sands. “Unstable energy costs and unstable availability make renewable energy training a win-win choice for our community. We really need local people to install and maintain these systems.”
SEEDS is a local non-profit corporation committed to developing a renewable energy infrastructure and promoting more sustainable living in our area. The group is in the process of filing for federal non-profit 501c3 status. To further its aims, SEEDS is working with Penn State extension offices in Pike and Wayne, the Wayne Conservation District, the Pocono Northeast Resource Conservation and Development Council of the US Department of Agriculture, the Pike Wayne Conservation Partnership and the Northeast Pennsylvania Audubon Society.
Since July of 2008, SEEDS has sponsored a series of public forums on Wind, Water Power & Conservation, Forest Fuels, Energy Auditing for Home and Farm, Solar, Geothermal, Do-It-Yourself Energy Efficiency, and PPL’s Smart Metering program.
For more information about SEEDS courses and forums e-mail us at SEEDSGroup@gmail, or call Michele at (570) 224-0052.

Tuesday, February 10th from 7 to 9 PM

2009-01-26T15:57:00.001-05:00

“Do It Yourself” Energy Conservation

A forum discussing affordable and simple fixes to improve your home’s energy efficiency will be held on Tuesday, February 10^th from 7 to 9 PM at the Park Street Complex (former Stourbridge school) in Honesdale. The forum is sponsored by the group SEEDS (Sustainable Energy Education and Development Support) and is open to all. There will be a free-will offering and refreshments.

Cyril Mansperger, a green-minded local home-owner with experience in electrical, plumbing, and insulation will give a break-down of items, their applications, costs, and places to acquire them. These will be specific fixes almost anyone can do to help boost efficiency in the home. Ways to analyze energy losses will also be discussed.

Joseph Mezlo, Manager of Customer Programs and Communications at PPL, will also talk about home energy conservation and will explain “smart metering,” an energy analyzer that is now available to every PPL customer.

“This forum will be useful to the homeowner who is not yet ready or able to purchase a more costly renewable energy system,” says Michele Sands, Chairperson of SEEDS. “In these tight economic times, anything we can do to lower our utility bills will be welcome.”

This is the first forum of 2009 in a continuing series of sustainable energy events sponsored by SEEDS whose mission is to promote sustainable energy and sustainable living in our local communities.

The March 10^th forum will present the exciting plans for a “green” school in Hamlin. The April 21^st forum will feature what’s on the cutting edge of the renewable energy horizon.

For more information, the group may be contacted at 570-224-0052 or SEEDSGroup@gmail.com.

Geothermal Energy

2008-11-25T07:40:00.000-05:00

Educational Forum about Geothermal Heating and Cooling
There will be an educational forum on geothermal heating and cooling on Tuesday, December 16th from 7 to 9 PM at the Park Street Complex (former Stourbridge school) in Honesdale. The forum is sponsored by the group SEEDS (Sustainable Energy Education and Development Support) and is open to all. There will be a free-will offering and refreshments.
Geothermal systems use the constant temperature of the subsurface of the earth coupled with a heat exchanger and compressor to provide heating and cooling. A growing number of homes in our area are now using this technology.

Two geothermal installers will explain how geothermal works. Ed Spall of T.E. Spall & Son of Carbondale, an award-winning, full-service heating and air conditioning company with twenty-three years of experience, will give an overview of the technology, including closed loop vertical and horizontal systems. Toni Lynch of Better World Building in Bangor, PA, will explain an open loop system. Toni has been in the alternative energy business for more than 15 years. He advocates an integrated green approach for living sustainably, focusing on super-insulated building envelopes with geothermal heating and cooling systems powered by solar or wind technology to lead to a zero energy home.

Local homeowners will also share their experiences with geothermal. Jim and Pat Sanders have lived with a vertical closed loop system for several years. Bob Rutledge is in the process of installing a horizontal system for his new home in Galilee.

This is the sixth in a series of sustainable energy events sponsored by SEEDS, a group of local people interested in promoting and investing in renewable energy for the community. The next event will be a one day workshop on Saturday, January 10th open to the general public about installing wind and solar systems. This will be followed by two three-day workshops later in January for trades people to start training to become installers of small-scale solar and wind systems. To make reservations for these, call Michele Sands at (570)224-0052.

A February 10th forum will feature “do-it-yourself” energy conservation and PPL smart metering. The March 10th forum will present the exciting plans for a “green” school in Hamlin. April 21st will feature what’s on the cutting edge of the renewable energy horizon.
For more information, the group may be contacted at 570-224-0052 or SEEDSGroup@gmail.com.

Solar and Wind Installation Course, Sponsored by SEEDS

2008-11-04T07:06:00.002-05:00

SEEDS, Sustainable Energy Education & Development Support, in northern Wayne, is offering an extensive course in installing and maintaining solar electric and wind turbine systems in January 2009

A full day session in introduction to renewable energy, and two three day courses on wind and solar PV installation will be offered at low cost at the Conservation Center and Northampton Community College computer lab in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. The introduction on January 10 is open to the general public and will run from 9 am to 4 pm with an hour for lunch. The charge is $15. The 3-day course on wind, January 14 to 16, and a 3-day course on solar photovoltaic specifics, January 21 to 23, are aimed at electricians, contractors, builders and trades people and limited to 15 attendees. Each 3 day course runs from 9 am to 4 pm with an hour for lunch and costs $150.

Roy Butler, owner of Four Winds Renewable Energy in Arkport, NY, who holds a PV certification by NABCEP, the North American Board of Certified Energy Professionals, will teach the course. He has more than 12 years of design and installation experience, which covers grid-tie, and off -grid wind electric, solar electric and solar water pumping systems. He has installed over 200 renewable energy systems for home, farm and industry.

Butler has been a presenter for the American Wind Energy Association and Windustry. He is a NABCEP Certified PV installer and NYSERDA eligible installer of wind and PV grid tie electric systems in NY State. Roy is also on the NABCEP Technical Review Committees for PV and wind installer certification, a board member of the Small
Wind Certification Council and a technical editor for Home Power Magazine. Locally he has installed a Bergey wind turbine in Scott and a solar pumping system in Milanville and comes highly recommended by both farmers. When he is not out designing and installing renewable energy systems for Four Winds, he is teaching at Ulster County Community College, Alfred State, and many workshops in the north east.

The course will include siting, sizing, installation techniques, codes, NABCEP certification requirements, use of the Solar Pathfinder and its accompanying software, grid-tie and off-grid systems, and much more.

SEEDS is an organization in Northeastern Pennsylvania committed to developing a local renewable energy infrastructure and promoting more sustainable living; the group is currently applying for Federal non-profit 501c3 incorporation. To further its aims, SEEDS is working with Penn State Pike and Wayne extension offices, the Wayne Conservation District, the Pocono Northeast Resource Conservation and Development Council of the USDA, the Pike Wayne Conservation Partnership and the local Northeast Pennsylvania Audubon Society.

Since July of this year, SEEDS has sponsored a series of forums held at the Damascus Community Center on Wind, Water Power & Conservation, Forest Fuels, and Energy
Auditing for Home and Farm. Solar and Geothermal are upcoming forum topics. Speakers have included a dairy farmer’s not so great experience with a wind turbine, a County Commissioner, an owner/operator of a hydro-electric power station in Jeffersonville, and others working on the local cutting edge of sustainable energy.

SEEDS chair Michele Sands says, “We are sponsoring this training to ensure local jobs for local people in the renewable energy industry. An unstable economy along with unstable energy costs and availability make renewable energy a no-brainer for our community. To have reliable wind and solar here, we need local people to install and maintain the systems.”

For more specific information about each workshop, please download the workshop descriptions and objectives by clicking the following links:
PV Installation Workshop
Small Wind Installation Workshop

To register, call 570-224-0052 or send contact information to SEEDSGroup@gmail.

The Time Has Come...

2008-11-04T06:56:00.003-05:00

An Educational Forum about Solar Technologies...

There will be an educational forum on solar technologies on Tuesday, November 18th from 7 to 9 PM at the Park Street Complex (former Stourbridge school) in Honesdale. Solar electric and hot water systems will be discussed by solar installers Toni Lynch, owner of Better World Building in Bangor, PA, and Tim Hollinger, energy consultant with SunLion Energy Systems, Inc. located in Lancaster County, PA. Also, local farmers Ira Curtis and Dick Riseling will share their personal experiences with solar systems in use on their farms. The Curtis family in Sterling has had solar hot water radiant energy for fifteen years. Mr. Riseling from Applepond Farm in NY, installed both thermal and photovoltaic systems about seven years ago.

“Solar energy is the source of all power on earth,” says Michele Sands, the Chair of SEEDS, which is sponsoring the event. “It makes sense here in Wayne County to go directly to that source,” she says. “Wouldn’t it be great to bypass the big energy companies and get our own energy directly from the sun?”

Toni Lynch will discuss solar thermal systems for hot water and radiant heating. He has been in the alternative energy business for more than 15 years. He advocates an integrated green approach for living sustainably, focusing on super-insulated building envelopes with geothermal heating and cooling systems powered by solar or wind technology to lead to a zero energy home. Lynch helped develop the United Cerebral Palsy Apartment project in Tewksberry NJ. Its integrated green technology has a minus monthly electric bill and is capable of generating over $15,000 yearly income for the owners.

Tim Hollinger, sales manager and energy consultant for SunLion Energy systems, will talk about Solar photovoltaic systems for electric power. Certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP), Tim has an extensive knowledge of photovoltaic (solar electric) and solar hot water systems.

This is the fifth in a series of sustainable energy events sponsored by SEEDS, a group of local people interested in promoting and investing in renewable energy for the community. The next event on Tuesday, December 16th will feature geothermal systems.

All are welcome. There will be a free-will offering and refreshments.

For more information, the group may be contacted at 570-224-0052 or SEEDSGroup@gmail.com.

2008-09-23T19:45:00.003-04:00

Are you throwing energy money out the window?

An Educational Forum on
ENERGY AUDITS
for Home and Farm

The forum will take place on Tuesday, October 14, at the Damascus Township Community Center, from 7 to 9pm.

The Community Center is at 60 Conklin Hill Road (off 371, near the Cochecton Delaware River Bridge) in Damascus, PA.

This is the third forum in our continuing series of educational events focusing on renewable energy. The program will feature three fascinating speakers discussing the energy potential that lies literally right in our own backyards:

- Nick Hindley, owner of Environspec Ltd. in Honesdale, on the how and why of home energy audits

- Lee Reinhardt, northeast regional director for the National Center for Appropriate Technology, on farm energy audits and a training program for those considering a related career

There will be a question & answer session. Coffee and other refreshments will be served. There will be a free-will offering for this forum. All are welcome. And keep checking back for information about future educational forums. We have Solar coming up on November 18; and Geothermal coming up on December 16.

2008-09-05T19:29:00.004-04:00

Making the Most of Our Woods

An Educational forum on....
FOREST FUELS

The forum will take place on Tuesday, September 16, at the Damascus Township Community Center, from 7 to 9pm.

The Community Center is at 60 Conklin Hill Road (off 371, near the Cochecton Delaware River Bridge) in Damascus, PA.

This is the third forum in our continuing series of educational events focusing on renewable energy. The program will feature three fascinating speakers discussing the energy potential that lies literally right in our own backyards:
-Robin Wildemuth of Woodland Management Services will discuss the various sources of raw material for wood energy, the different applications for recovering that energy, and associated environmental and economic issues.
-Don Twining of Rock Creek Lumber will talk about his experience integrating a wood pellet manufacturing plant into his sawmill operation.
-Ryan Koch, Coordinator of the USDA Pocono Northeast Natural Resources Conservation District, will discuss the Pennsylvania Fuels for Schools & Beyond program.

There will a question & answer session. Coffee and other refreshments will be served. There will be a free-will offering for this forum. All are welcome.

And keep checking back for information about future educational forums. We have Energy Auditing coming up on October 14; Solar coming up on November 18; and Geothermal coming up on December 16.

In additional to our series of renewable energy educational forums, we are also sponsoring an ongoing series of home and hearth workshops. These workshops are designed in the spirit of self-sufficiency and great local sustainability. The new two are:

-September 27: Seeds Saving
Learn how to save seeds from your own garden! Saving your own seeds not only saves you money and enhances your level of sufficiency, but goes a long way to preserving the rich and vigorous agricultural heritage our region is blessed with. The suggested donation is $20.

-October 4: Fermented Foods
Fermented foods are critical to good health. This workshop is an opportunity to learn more about the significant health benefits of fermented foods (enhanced digestability, increased vitamin capacity, and more) and to learn how to prepare your own fermented foods at home. The suggested donation is $20.

Home and Hearth events take place at Clearwater Acres, Jo Clearwater's organic farm in Damascus, PA. Please call 570-253-0429 or e-mail early to reserve your spot as space is limited. Directions to the farm will be provided upon reservation.

2008-08-08T07:45:00.007-04:00

"The frog does not drink up the pond
in which he lives."
-Sioux proverb

RENEWABLE ENERGY FORUM 2: WATER CONSERVATION

The forum will be held on Tuesday, August 19, from 7 to 9 pm at the Damascus Township Community Center

The second forum in our continuing renewable energy series will focus on the topic of water conservation. Water is our most important natural resource and on Tuesday, August 19th, from 7 to 9 pm, a group of people will gather at the Damascus Township Community Center to discuss a variety of ideas about caring for one of nature's most precious gifts to us.

Brian Smith, dairy farmer and Wayne County Commissioner, will speak about an innovative solar-powered watering system for cattle that some local farmers are finding to be a cost-effective and eco-friendly approach to caring for their animals.

Rick Brinkman, of Alternative Energy Supply in Hamlin, will speak about a range of home applications to conserve water including graywater systems and rain collection.

The community center is at 60 CONKILL HILL ROAD, (off 371, near the Cochector Delaware River Bridge) DAMASCUS, PA 18415.

Upcoming Events
Our series of renewable energy forums will continue through the end of the year. Check the calendar to your right for a list of what we've got planned.

We are also planning a series of home and hearth workshops to provide information about reconnecting with nature, identifying healing plants and herbs, growing your own food and medicine, preserving your harvest, and making your own household cleaners from scratch. The first two events are planned for later this month and will take place at Jo Clearwater's farm in Damascus, PA. Please wear long sleeves (ideally white), no perfumes, and shoes comfortable for being in the woods or with animals in the meadows. E-mail us (SEEDSGroup@gmail.com) for directions to Jo's farm and to reserve your spot at the home and hearth workshops:
GETTING TO KNOW NATURE: Saturday, August 23, 7:30 to 10 am (suggestion donation of $15)
HERBAL WORKSHOP: Saturday, August 30, 5:30 to 8 pm (suggested donation of $20)

Energy Costs Are Blowing Us Away

2008-06-26T21:24:00.000-04:00

RENEWABLE ENERGY FORUM 1: WIND

Join us for the first in a series of renewable energy forums sponsored by SEEDS. At this forum we will focus on the topic of wind energy. We will be joined by an educator from Penn State, a local dairy farmer with a 3 year old turbine, and a local zoning officer. There will also be educational material available to take home.

If you've ever considered the possibility of residential wind power for your home or farm or if you are just curious about the potential of wind power as an alternative source of energy for our changing times, come meet with us to hear all about it!

The forum will take place at the Damascus Township Community Center on July 15, from 7 to 9pm.

The community center is at 60 CONKILL HILL ROAD, (off 371, near the Cochector Delaware River Bridge) DAMASCUS, PA 18415.

SEEDS is a group of local individuals investing in renewable energy for the future of ourselves and the community. Other forums will focus on Forest Fuels, Solar Energy, Geothermal, Energy Audits, and Water Conservation.