Sustainability Promoted at Home and Energy Expo

Sometimes all it takes is a small change to make a big difference. Yesterday (Sunday, April 10) neighbors gathered at Lawrence High School to help each other make that change.

The main crux of the fourth annual , put on by Sustainable Lawrence in conjunction with the Lawrence Township Green Team, was to get experts – from solar panel installation companies to the guy down the block – to help anyone interested in sustainability take action.

“Connect the dots, that’s our goal,” Sustainable Lawrence Executive Director Tahirih Smith said. She said the aim of the expo was to “empower residents to take on these projects.” That could involve incentives, like tax breaks for using green energy, or it could be as simple as getting them in touch with a neighbor who has already gone through the process.

She said the “Ask Your Neighbor” exhibit, which was new to the expo, was particularly popular throughout the day. It allowed anyone at the expo to sit down and chat with someone else about sustainable projects they have done or want to do.

Matt Connolly and his wife Maria spent some time at the exhibit talking to other Lawrence Township residents.

“We’re both into the environment,” Matt said. He said that they were simply “trying to make things a little better.”

Phil Durain, another township resident, agreed. “Everyone here is either here because they’re interested in finding out…or they’re here because they have something to share with others. It’s a pure give and take.”

Durain and the Connolly couple spent time on everything from hybrid and electric vehicles to solar panels and biodiesel fuel made from vegetable oil.

Other attendees veered toward one of the many lectures that were constantly going on. Some were about simple materials that can be used to build a healthier, more efficient home.  Others focused on sealing up windows to reduce the amount of energy lost through them.

At the “Solar Today” panel, SolarWorks NJ consultant Art Stone walked residents through what getting solar panels would mean and answered questions. The lecture quickly went from a one-sided talk to an open discussion among all the interested parties there.

“The word is ‘investing,’” Stone said. “The system will pay for itself. It will be self-sustaining.”

That’s because of things like tax breaks and Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SREC). New Jersey, Stone said, actually has the highest SREC value in the country, making this an ideal place to install solar panels. Solar energy generated by solar panels accrue SREC credits which, in turn, are purchased by energy companies that are required by law to use a certain amount of “green” energy.

“New Jersey is the right place at the right time,” Stone said. “Solar is the energy of the future and it’s clean.” He said in 2003 there were 13 solar companies in the state. Today, there are more than 350, with SolarWorks NJ being among the original 13.

But the expo wasn’t just about solar. There were an array of companies and presenters on hand, from energy companies to architecture companies to masonry, design and community organizations.

Smith said the home expo was one out of a series of six such events Sustainable Lawrence plans to put on this year.

The next one will be the Mother Nature Festival, hosted by the Lawrence Nature Center on May 7. The event, which will be held rain or shine, will move the discussion on sustainability out of the home and into the woods.  There will be a wildlife show, guided nature hikes, a rain barrel workshop, gardening tips, activities for children, and more, all for free.

There will also be a dedication in memory of Sustainable Lawrence founder Ralph Copleman, who passed away in January.