Weekend Home & Garden Expo to Shed Light on Sustainability

http://www.noozhawk.com/noozhawk/article/022610_home_garden_expo_to_shed_light_on_sustainability/

By Candice Tang

SCEEP will be one of many groups on hand at Earl Warren Showgrounds to provide rebuilding and energy-saving tips

To save time, money and the environment with your next project, look to this year’s Santa Barbara Home & Garden Expo.

The expo will focus on rebuilding after a natural disaster, home safety, health and the environment. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about local recycling, alternative energy choices such as solar, and many sustainable home products and services.

“The Home & Garden Expo is a great place for conscientious consumers to take part in and learn more about energy-efficient technologies for their home and garden needs,” said Jim Dewey, South County Energy Efficiency Partnership spokesman. “SCEEP’s messages of energy efficiency leading to cost savings and environmental protection are a great match for this year’s event.”

SCEEP will be giving away free compact fluorescent light bulbs, and volunteers will demonstrate and compare how much energy it takes to power incandescent light bulbs vs. energy-saving CFLs utilizing a special hand-crank device. SCEEP will be located at booth No. 42.

Also this year, for the first time, industry experts will be conducting free seminars on a variety of environmentally friendly topics such as solar installation, green renovations and economic lifelines.

Seminar Schedule

Saturday

10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.: “Go Solar Today with as Little as $1,000 Down” (REC Solar)
11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.: “Your Guide to Hiring the Right Contractor” (M&M Construction & Remodeling)
12:30 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.: “Solar 101” (Planet Solar)
1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.: “Economic Life Lines” (Goodwin & Thyne Properties)
2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.: “Your Guide to Hiring the Right Contractor” (M&M Construction & Remodeling)
3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.: “How to Make Your Home More Comfortable and Energy Efficient” (Allen Associates)

Sunday

10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.: “Solar 101” (Planet Solar)
11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.: “Your Guide to Hiring the Right Contractor” (M&M Construction & Remodeling)
12:30 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.: “Zero Net Energy Remodel of a 1960s Tract Home” (Poirier & Associates Architects)
1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.: “Economic Life Lines” (Goodwin & Thyne Properties)
2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.: “Your Guide to Hiring the Right Contractor” (M&M Construction & Remodeling)

As in previous years, the expo itself is “going green” with a goal of creating zero waste. Environmental consultants will be on site to manage and dispose of garbage and other materials. Waste will be sorted into recycling and compost bins, with less than 20 percent going into the landfill-bound trash containers.

The Home & Garden Expo will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real.

Admission is $6; children age 12 or younger are free. Free admission will be offered to all Tea and Jesusita fire victims. Free parking will be available, and each attendee will receive a free reusable tote bag. A portion of proceeds will benefit the Community Environmental Council.

— Candice Tang is a publicist.

http://www.noozhawk.com/noozhawk/article/022610_home_garden_expo_to_shed_light_on_sustainability/