Area residents, homebuyers and residential homebuilders interested in shrinking their carbon footprints and cutting their energy bills have an opportunity to significantly advance their knowledge of green building this November.
The second annual Green Homes Summit will feature seminars, vendors and home tours aimed at one purpose: making green technology a viable option for residential construction and renovation.
"We've realized we really need to reach the consumer," says Libby Hunter, residential committee chair for the US Green Building Council's Cincinnati chapter. "Probably one of the biggest planks of our mission right now is to educate."
To that end, she says this year's summit is mainly focused on the common questions of homeowners looking to green their existing homes, or consumers thinking about building a new home that incorporates environmentally friendly features. A series of three workshops will give attendees a chance to learn about a wide range of topics, from "Greening Your Old House" by Margo Warminski to "Solar Photovoltaics" by Dave Boezi. A tradeshow, open to both ticket holders and the general public, will feature more than 50 green building product vendors, and keynote speaker Randy Florke, a nationally known real estate and design expert, will give a presentation based on his recently published book, "Recycle, Restore, Repurpose: Create A Beautiful Home."
"It's for professionals and residents, with the bulk of the educational events aimed at residents," says Hunter.
One of this the most unique events at this year's summit is a four-location tour of homes incorporating green technology. Ticket-holding attendees will get the opportunity to visit a LEED Silver-certified home in Hyde Park, homes in Northside's Northwind and Rockford Woods developments, and a condominium in Over-the-Rhine's Belmain building. Contractors and vendors will be on hand to answer attendees' questions about the green technology incorporated into each of these buildings.
"We realized there's such a need to get the word out to the residential public," says Hunter. She and the summit's co-organizers are hopeful the event will take a major step toward educating Cincinnati's homeowners about how they can incorporate a little - or a lot - of green technology into their homes and lives.
The Green Homes Summit is presented by AIA Cincinnati's Congress of Residential Architecture, U.S. Green Building Council's Residential Green Building Committee, AIA Cincinnati's Committee on the Environment and Home Builders Association of Greater Cincinnati, and scheduled for 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. November 13 at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College.
Writer: Matt Cunningham
Photography by Scott Beseler.
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