Do you have a house that needs some energy efficiency upgrades, but don’t know where to start? Wildsight wants to help you get started with a hands-on learning workshop in their energy renovation demonstration homes in Kimberley and Cranbrook.
“There are many simple upgrades people can make in their own homes that will save them a lot of energy and money” said Lars Sander-Green, of Wildsight’s Climate Solutions, “but it can be tough to figure out where to start and how to go about it.” That’s where Wildsight’s workshops come in: participants will learn how to identify problems like air leaks and learn hands-on how to fix them.
Workshops run on April 6th and 7th in Cranbrook and April 13th and 14th in Kimberley and participants are welcome to join for as a little as a couple hours or as long as the whole weekend. Local contractor Evan Little will show participants the tricks of the trade. No tools or experience are required!
“We’ll cover simple steps like air sealing, weatherstripping, lighting upgrades, and insulation” said Sander-Green, “but we’ll also talk about appliances, heating, windows, woodstoves, water heating, and anything else in your home that uses energy.”
While gaining hands-on knowledge, participants will also be helping out local homeowners Cathy Korven in Kimberley and Brian and Betty Clarkson in Cranbrook. “We’ve selected two typical post-war houses that could benefit from the same simple upgrades that many in the area can” said Sander-Green, “so that people can learn by doing.”
If you want to join the workshops, get in touch with Wildsight: lars@wildsight.ca or 250 427 2535 x227. Work party volunteers are eligible for a 20% discount on high efficiency windows from Innotech and will learn about rebates available for wood stove exchanges, low flow toilets, and solar hot water heating.
And if you can’t make the upcoming workshops, Wildsight will have open houses in both demonstration homes on Earth Day weekend (April 20th and 21st) to show off the energy upgrades.