It’s not easy being green
By Nick Hebb
The SMARTNet Sustainability Showcase & Electric Vehicle Exhibition happens on Saturday, September 21 at Lansdowne Park. Don’t miss Eastern Ontario’s largest sustainability event. Highlights include the region’s “greenest” exhibitors, workshops, panel discussions, an “ask the expert” area, electric vehicle test drives, the chance to tour on an electric bus, a family friendly area and much, much more.
Join us starting at 10 a.m. on September 21 inside the Horticulture Building. To kick things off we’ll have a panel discussion with the Ottawa Centre federal candidates moderated by Ecology Ottawa’s executive director, Robb Barnes. Later on don’t miss our Electric Vehicle Panel where you can hear tips and tricks to finding great deals on new and used electric vehicles. In the afternoon, our friends over at EnviroCentre will be leading a discussion dedicated to Green Lifestyle. After that, Jason Burggraaf of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association will lead a panel dedicated to “green” renovations and home building. To cap things off we will have a panel of SMARTNet Alliance members discussing innovation within our network and how our members are driving sustainable change.
Browse our exhibitors throughout the day where the greenest and most environmentally friendly businesses will be on display. Chat with green experts about home building, renovations and retrofits, solar and PV installations, battery storage, heating and cooling options, new sustainable technologies, responsible investing, and much more.
Outside on Aberdeen Square, the Electric Vehicle (EV) Exhibition will be in full swing starting at 10 a.m. Attendees will get a chance to see the latest EV models and chat with local EV drivers. New this year, EV test drives will be available. If you’ve always wanted to try out an electric vehicle, this is your chance. Also, be sure not to miss the Proterra Electric Bus, which will be doing multiple tours throughout the day. The EV Exhibition is brought to you in partnership with the Electric Vehicle Council of Ottawa. This year, we also welcome Plug’n Drive who will be on hand helping with the test drives and giving workshops about their Used EV Rebate program. Be sure to sign up for one of these in order to be eligible for $1,000 off the purchase of a used EV.
Back inside, you will be able to check out our Green Chat Box. Here, experts will be holding workshops dedicated to sustainable living. Learn about the Zero Waste movement and find out how to take more control of your electricity bill. Also be sure to head over to our Ask the Expert area where you can chat with experts about topics such as solar installation and heating and cooling options for your home. One of our experts will be long-time Glebe resident Bill Nuttle. He is a heat-pump owner, and an active member of the Glebe Community Association’s Environment Committee. He will be talking about Home Energy Innovation. Homeowners can increase energy efficiency and drastically reduce the carbon footprint of older homes using existing technologies. Nuttle will show what is possible in a typical Glebe row house built around 1920. He will examine emerging new technologies that are allowing homeowners to comprehensively manage energy inputs from several different sources and achieve even greater efficiencies. Neighbouring homes linked through small-scale smart grids and district energy arrangements can maximize the use of locally produced renewable energy. His presentation will illustrate what is possible with existing technology. Further discussions will explore opportunities for groups of homeowners to work together to share resources and increase the sustainability of existing neighborhoods.
The SMARTNet Sustainability Showcase happens in partnership with Green Energy Doors Open which runs in the Ottawa Region the following week from Thursday, September 26 through Sunday, September 29. Green Energy Doors Open is a Canada-wide showcase of individual, community and commercial sustainable energy projects, organized and spearheaded by the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association. This year will feature host site tours where you will be able to visit everything from passive homes, solar and PV projects, large-scale renewable energy projects and many more green energy sites across the National Capital region.
We’re excited about a Sustainable September with the SMARTNet Sustainability Showcase, Electric Vehicle Exhibition and Green Energy Doors Open – Ottawa Region. There is important work to do in the world of sustainability and we invite you to join us on September 21 at Lansdowne Park and September 26 through 29 at sites across the Ottawa region. Be sure to visit www.OttawaGEDO.org for more information about the tours and to register for the Showcase.
Nick Hebb is the program director at SMARTNet Alliance and will be hosting several panels at the Showcase on September 21. He believes in a sustainable future.
