KINGSTON – The Rhode Island Energy Solutions Expo will be held this Sunday at the University of Rhode Island.
The day-long event will showcase dozens of local companies that offer products and services to increase energy efficiency and expand the use of renewable and alternative energy sources in homes, businesses and communities. The event, which is sponsored by the URI Energy Center, also will include educational workshops and demonstrations, a Kids Energy Carnival, music and food.
The expo will be held on Sunday, Nov. 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ryan Center on the Kingston campus. Admission is $5 for tickets purchased and $8 at the door. Children under 12 and students with an ID get free admission.
In addition, 1,000 “Keep Rhode Island Warm” home energy efficiency kits, which organizers say have a $16 value, will be handed out for free. The kits were developed through a partnership between the R.I. Office of Energy Resources, URI and The Home Depot. The kits include two compact fluorescent light bulbs and supplies to insulate drafty doors, windows and electrical outlets.
The keynote speaker at the event will be Gary Hirshberg, chairman and CEO of Stonyfield Farms, the world’s leading organic yogurt producer, who has won numerous awards for his corporate and environmental leadership. His presentation, “Green Business: The Next Frontier,” will take place at 11:30 a.m. He also will lead a workshop for small businesses at 1:45 p.m., followed by an extended Q&A session.
The expo’s scheduled workshops include: “Solar, Wind, Hydro: Are They Right For Me;” “Saving Money and Protecting the Planet: Energy Efficiency and Conservation in the Home or Business;” “Biodiesel for Home Heating and Transportation;” “Transforming the Built Environment Using Sustainable Practices and Revolutionary Technologies,” and “Lower Bills, More Beverages: Energy Saving Tips for College Students.”
The expo’s exhibitors will include Alternative Renewable Energy Solutions, Anchor Insulation, Glacial Energy, New England Solar Concepts, Newport Biodiesel, Clean Energy Design, National Grid’s Energy Star Appliance and Lighting Program, the Rhode Island Green Building Council, Venture Home Works, Ecological Spray Foam Insulation, the Ocean State Clean Cities Program, the URI Center for Offshore Renewable Energy, SolarWrights, and many more.
Along with the URI Energy Center, the event’s sponsors include the R.I. Office of Energy Resources, the URI College of the Environment and Life Sciences, National Grid, C.W. Cummings Plumbing Co., NORESCO, Ocean SAMP, and the URI President’s Council on Sustainability.
For more information, visit www.rienergyexpo.org or contact Marion Gold at the URI Energy Center at 874-5705.
