It’s back, but with a new name. The Chaffee Green Homes Tour has grown to include all the great homes being built and remodeled throughout the upper Arkansas valley. This year New Energy Colorado (NEC) and Ark Valley Energy Future (AVEF) will have a booth at the Salida Farmer’s Market in Alpine Park on Saturday, September 16th, to serve as information central for touring homes in the Salida area. The booth will move to Sangre de Cristo Electric’s headquarters in Buena Vista (Hwy 24 N) on Sunday, September 17th, for touring homes in the Buena Vista area.
A guest speaker presentation by Paul Kriescher, Executive Producer and Host of Rocky Mountain PBS Series “Heart of a Building” will take place at A Church in Salida on Friday evening prior to the tour. Time is 6:30 p.m. and registration for the $5 per person event is requested at GARNA.org. Pizza and refreshments will be served.
Paul will speak on ‘Mindfulness in Homes’. Mindfulness has crossed-over from meditation practices to become a buzz-word for many areas of modern life. When it comes to how our homes are designed and built, it means Creativity, Contemplation and Care for Creation. Come learn from Paul about what goes into new as well as remodeled homes when “mindfulness” has guided the process. Then, head out to the Ark Valley Green Homes Tour on Saturday and Sunday to see mindfulness in practice!
With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and its numerous incentives and tax credits available to consumers for beneficial electrification, efficiency upgrades, home solar, battery storage and electric vehicles, we will have homes on tour showcasing heat pump HVAC and mini-split systems, heat pump water heaters, induction stoves, solar and battery systems, electric load management, smart home controls and electric vehicle charging. Homeowners will be on hand to demonstrate these devices and answer all your questions. Please mark your calendar to attend the Friday evening presentation and weekend homes tour to learn about technologies and programs that can help you save money and live smarter, cleaner and greener!