Electrifying existing buildings is a crucial step toward reducing reliance on fossil fuels, but it introduces certain challenges. These include the risk of diminished resilience in the built environment during power outages and increased costs for backup power solutions.

This presentation explores how integrating Passive House standards into building retrofits can enhance both energy efficiency and resilience.

Wednesday, February 26 at noon ET
Register via Zoom

A popular misconception says you need a house with space on the roof if you want to enjoy the benefits of solar power…but that’s simply not true. Whether you’re a renter or just don’t have the orientation for a good rooftop array, there are still ways to get the full financial and environmental benefits of solar. Join us for an enlightening Earth Day chat with Maine experts in renewable energy outside the rooftop norm. We’ll learn about creative ways to access solar power including member-owned community solar, ground-mounted solar trackers, and a solar shed.

• Ryan Keith, Owner, Northeast Solar Trackers / Northeast Heat Pumps

• Matt Wagner, Owner, Maine Solar Sheds / Upright Energy

• Thomas Tutor, Residential Sales Team Manager, ReVision Energy

Thank you to the Home + Energy Chats sponsors

This event will bring together top professionals from the renewable energy sector and talented job seekers, creating an incredible opportunity to network, connect, and explore exciting career prospects.

Meet industry leaders

Explore job opportunities

Discover training programs to boost your career

Be a part of the renewable energy sector!

Wednesday, February 26 at noon ET
Register via Zoom

Want to cut down on energy bills, improve comfort, and reduce your home’s heat loss? A home energy evaluation might be the key.  With the help of a registered professional, you can uncover hidden ways your home is wasting energy and create an expert informed plan to fix it. This episode, we’ll break down the various types of home energy evaluations, what each involves, and how they can help you make smarter decisions to improve your home’s efficiency. We’ll also explore the U.S. Department of Energy’s new Home Energy Score, a valuable tool for both homeowners and homebuyers.

Join us Wednesday, February 26 for an enlightening conversation with home energy experts, and be sure to bring your questions!

Colin McCullough, Owner, All Around Home Performance

Claire Betze, Owner, BuildingWorks

Thank you to the Home + Energy Chats sponsors

Maine's 132nd Legislative Session

For about 20 years E2Tech has hosted a morning gathering in Augusta for elected representatives, legislative leaders and E2Tech members.  Their 2025 breakfast, which is about one month into the new legislative session, will be on February 6 from 8-10 am at the Governor Hill Mansion. 

The doors will open at 7:30 for networking.

More information can be found here.

Wednesday, January 22 at noon ET
Register via Zoom

Great news for any Mainer planning energy upgrades and energy-efficiency home improvements: Efficiency Maine has expanded the available home energy loans through the Efficiency Maine Green Bank to help homeowners pay for qualifying energy upgrades. Thanks to the Efficiency Maine Green Bank, new financing options are now available to an expanded range of income levels, making it easier to pay for your next project. Join us for a chat with Efficiency Maine to learn about current residential incentives and how to access these new home energy loan offerings. Be sure to bring your questions!

• James Neal, Senior Program Manager, Efficiency Maine Green Bank

• Bridget Gifford, Senior Program Manager, Efficiency Maine Trust

Thank you to the Home + Energy Chats sponsors

Wednesday, January 8 at noon ET
Register via Zoom

Here in Maine, we build houses with basements and concrete foundation walls…at least, that’s the conventional wisdom. There are many reasons to rethink this approach, including concrete’s high environmental impact. If you’re interested in ditching the traditional concrete basement for a sustainable alternative, you won’t want to miss our conversation with Randy Rand (r.haus design.build, passivhausMAINE) and Reggie Lebel (Emerald Builders). We’ll explore alternatives to traditional concrete foundations, discuss how they impact building performance, and learn about real Maine projects utilizing these technologies. Be sure to bring your questions!

Thank you to the Home + Energy Chats sponsors

This is an in-person, one-day builder training. Retrofits can present a number of complex and evolving challenges such as significant financial investments, complexity of and access to the building structure, and its overall disruptiveness to using the home. With an upfront understanding of the building and knowing a variety of practical approaches, meeting a fast track or long term phased approach to your retrofit goals can be achieved.

At IAQ & Energy 2024 you'll put it all together: all the components to design, construct, operate and repair healthy, environmentally-sustainable indoor spaces. The event is packed with ample interactive activities and resources that you will love! Amazing education by presenters from around the continent.  Opportunities to explore products and services from valued vendors. Ability to network with other attendees.  And greater flexibility to meet the demands of your busy schedule.

Presented by Maine Indoor Air Quality Council

Learn more at www.iaqandenergy.com

A Celebration to Benefit Maine Conservation Voters and Maine Conservation Alliance

The Evening for the Environment will be held on Thursday, October 17, 2024 at UNE’s Innovation Hall in Portland, ME.

Our community will come together for an exciting night to honor the environment that we all love. For 22 years, the Evening for the Environment has brought together community advocates, legislators, business leaders, environmental visionaries, and philanthropists to celebrate the bold work done by MCV, MCA and our allies.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we have rescheduled this session to October 9. We hope you can join us and will share a recording for anyone who cannot join at the new time. If you registered for the previous time, you can use the same link as before and do not need to re-register

Swapping out that old boiler for whole-home heat pumps can reduce energy costs and improve your home’s comfort year-round. And, as with any heating system, other factors also play a role in your home’s overall energy efficiency. Wondering what energy upgrades might make sense for you? If you’ve been considering whole-home heat pumps, you won’t want to miss this conversation with three of Maine’s foremost energy efficiency experts.

Tune in to our Home + Energy Chat with Andy Meyer (Senior Program Manager, Efficiency Maine), Richard Burbank (President, Evergreen Home Performance) and Colin McCullough (Owner, All-Around Home Performance) to learn how to maximize your heating system’s performance. We’ll debunk myths, answer your questions, and discuss how improvements like insulation and air-sealing impact a heat pump’s performance.

Register now to join us on Wednesday, October 9 from 12-1.

Thank you to the Home + Energy Chats sponsors

Celebrate being green in your community! The Town of Scarborough is hosting its second annual Sustainable Scarborough Day, bringing together everyone from the environmentally conscious to the eco-curious for a day of learning and fun.

Meet with experts, local businesses, nonprofits, and enthusiasts on topics ranging from sustainable living, efficient homes, transportation, landscapes, recreation, waste management, land conservation, and climate action.

All activities will be based at Wentworth School. Test drive an electric vehicle, listen to some live music, attend a workshop, do a fun, hands-on activity, learn from experts.

This is a family friendly event with activities for all ages!

E2Tech is proud to partner with Maine Electric Boat Co., Maine Marine Trades Association (MMTA), The Roux Institute, and LOOKOUT to bring you networking and a celebration of electrifying the marine industry! Representatives of all the above organizations will be in attendance. Maine Electric Boat Co. will host the gathering at their facility in Biddeford, where demo rides will be offered on the quietest electric boats around!

The LOOKOUT is an AI-powered marine camera that synthesizes data from charts, AIS, computer vision, and the cloud, then fuses it into one intuitive, 3D augmented reality view to improve boating safety.

Join NESEA for this special Pro Tour event: we’ll be visiting a new, free-standing single-family home and the modular manufacturing facility where it was pre-fabricated. After an opening presentation where attendees will learn about the collaboration between our hosts, BrightBuilt Home, and the manufacturer, we'll tour the factory and a finished home, getting a behind-the-scenes look into the process.

The Recharge Rockland Electrification Expo is a free, outdoor community event showcasing electric and energy efficient technologies, hosted by the City of Rockland. The Expo features businesses and organizations involved in electrification and energy efficiency. This year’s Expo will feature all the elements of last year’s, plus an expanded emphasis on heat pumps and building electrification and efficiency.

This training focuses on meeting the new MUBEC building and health codes as well as implementing the most effective and modern practices for building long-lasting, low-carbon structures.

In addition to food, drinks, and games, there will be e-bike demonstrations, keynotes from leaders in the field, and opportunities to take action to support a clean transportation future. You'll have a chance to interact with the organizations leading on making our streets cleaner and safer through investment in public transit, active transportation, and better community design.

Join us for a site walk of the Portland Commons dorm at USM. The university's first dormitory, now redesigned for a passive future, is currently the second-largest passive building at a U.S. university.

DACF Integrated Pest Management Specialist Dr. Hillary Peterson will present about an ongoing project deploying a moth species from Ukraine, Hypena opulenta, as a classical biological control agent of the invasive black swallow-wort in Maine. Black swallow-wort is a challenging invasive plant that is difficult to control and can negatively impact populations of monarch butterflies. The caterpillar stage of Hypena opulenta only feeds on swallow-worts. Releases of Hypena opulenta have taken place in Ogunquit in 2019 and 2021, Harpswell in 2022, and South Portland in 2023. This summer (2024) releases are taking place on Little Deer Island. Release sites are monitored to determine if the moth species has established on an annual basis.

This talk will cover a high-level overview of the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in accelerating the energy transition. It will begin with a brief historical perspective on AI, highlighting recent trends and advances. Next, the presentation will touch on the current energy landscape, outlining the urgent need for a shift towards a cleaner and more sustainable energy supply. Then the talk will outline a few examples of how AI is revolutionizing various sectors of the energy industry, including renewables, energy efficiency, and carbon management. The talk will conclude with a brief treatment of future opportunities and challenges, followed by an open discussion on the same.

Join us at Diggers Co-op in Acton, ME, for an immersive experience in natural building practices. This hands-on workshop will cover the entire process of building with hempcrete, from construction 101, to permitting, planning, sourcing the materials, mixing the recipe, and installing it in a livable structure.

An informal discussion for women and non-binary building professionals to ask, learn, debate, knock around, support, and question the challenges and concepts of the best building practices.

July: Electrify Everything, Moderated by Emily Mottram 

• Why should we consider fully electrifying our homes?

• Pros and cons of a fully electric home.

• Short term vs long term costs.

• Battery back ups

• Drinks, snacks and discussion start at 5 pm