If you’re dreaming of a comfortable, energy-efficient home, look no further than the Energy Smart Home exhibit at this year’s Clark Public Utilities Home & Garden Idea Fair.
The show will be held April 24-26 at the Clark County Event Center at the Fairgrounds.
DuWayne Dunham, a Clark Public Utilities energy counselor, said the exhibit features a mock-up of an energy-efficient home built by New Tradition Homes, Vancouver. In addition, Clark Public Utilities energy counselors will be on hand to answer questions and conduct daily presentations.
The New Traditions display home incorporates the features found in a Northwest Energy Star® qualified home, as well as some features in an Earth Advantage qualified house.
“New Traditions’ homes built in 2009 will be 30 percent more energy efficient than homes built to the current building codes in Washington,” said Steve Tapio, New Traditions’ quality control manager. “The Energy Smart Home showcases many of the energy-saving technologies we are using.”
The home features low-e, argon-filled Energy Star windows, Energy Star kitchen appliances, 100 percent compact fluorescent lighting, a Rinnai tankless water heater, a high efficiency furnace and heat pump, and a solar water heating system. In addition, the home’s roof carries photovoltaic panels that could generate electricity for the house.
Dunham said visitors also can learn more about the mini-split, ductless heat pump system that will be displayed. “We’re excited about this technology and think it will be the new electric heat in the Northwest. Because it requires no ductwork, it is an alternative for homes or apartments with electric wall heaters or ceiling heat.”
Representatives from Area Heating and New Tradition Homes will also be on hand to answer questions about the energy-saving features of the home.
“We’ll be giving informal presentations on the utility’s cash incentives for energy-saving purchases and improvements along with other energy-saving topics,” said Dunham.
Energy counselors will discuss the incentive programs each day at 2:30 p.m., while at 6 p.m. Friday they will present 33 Ways to Save Energy. A presentation of various heating systems is scheduled on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Programs will be at the guest presentations stage. Attendees at each of these presentations will have a chance to win an energy efficiency gift basket.
The Home & Garden Idea Fair will also feature hundreds of commercial exhibitors displaying products and services for the home, yard and garden. Visitors will also see 12 beautiful landscape exhibits, and one of the region’s largest plant sales.
Show hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. The 2009 fair is sponsored and organized by Clark Public Utilities for the 18th year, with support from The Columbian, and KINK.fm.
While admission to the fair is free, the utility encourages fairgoers to bring canned food to donate to local food banks, or to make a donation to Operation Warm Heart, a local program that helps limited-income Clark County residents pay their electricity bills. The fairgrounds charges $5 per car to park.
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