Re: Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy and Historic Preservation: A Guide for HDC's

New Message Reply Date view Thread view Subject view Author view
Genell Scheurell (Genell_Scheurell@nthp.org)
Wed, 2 Dec 2009 14:04:58 -0500



From: Genell Scheurell <Genell_Scheurell@nthp.org>
Date: Wed, 2 Dec 2009 14:04:58 -0500
Subject: FW: Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy and Historic Preservation: A Guide for HDC's
Message-ID: <1BB68F6D411C33499A67A9FAA2D889BE4F47A00FE7@NTEMAIL.nthp.org>

FYI. There is a new guide for Historic Preservation Commissions titled, En ergy Efficient, Renewable Energy and Historic Preservation: A Guide for His toric District Commissions. The guide is available for download at http://w ww.cleanair-coolplanet.org/for_communities/HDCGuide.pdf. Information descr ibing the publication is shown below.

Questions can be directed to: Bill Burtis Manager, Communications and Special Projects Clean Air-Cool Planet 100 Market Street, Ste 204 Portsmouth, NH 03801 phone: 603-422-6464, x 105 bburtis@cleanair-coolplanet.org<mailto:bburtis@cleanair-coolplanet.org>

www.cleanair-coolplanet.org<http://www.cleanair-coolplanet.org/>

Genell Scheurell

Genell Scheurell | Senior Program Officer, Midwest Office National Trust for Historic Preservation | 53 W. Jackson Boulevard, Suite 3 50, Chicago, Illinois 60604 Phone: 312.939.5547, Ext. 37223 | Fax: 312.939.5651| Email: genell_scheurel l@nthp.org | www.PreservationNation.org<http://www.preservationnation.org/>

New guide to improving energy use in historic homes and districts released

PORTSMOUTH, NH - A new publication from Clean Air-Cool Planet is designed t o help historic district commissions and other local organizations and prop erty owners make historic buildings more energy efficient.

Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy and Historic Preservation: A Guide for Historic District Commissions details in 40 pages ways to employ energy eff iciency measures and renewable energy without detracting from the historic value of properties, from private residences to community buildings and mus eums.

"A large proportion of the buildings in the U. S. are considered historic, whether they are officially designated or not," said Anne Stephenson, Ph.D.
, who oversaw the preparation of the Guide. "Unfortunately, there is a per ception that those properties cannot or should not be made energy efficient
.

"That's an ironic attitude, considering that some of our more efficient and
 climate-wise building practices were common in colonial times," Stephenson
 said. "This guide revisits some of the lessons old buildings can teach us
 and provides a bridge over the perceived divide between preservationists a nd those concerned with climate and energy issues."

The Guide offers:

 * An introduction to local energy and sustainability committees for hist oric preservationists;
 * Specific ways for preservationists and local energy groups to work tog ether;
 * Details about energy efficiency measures that protect historic value o f properties;
 * Examples of successfully employed renewable energy applications within
 historic districts;
 * Answers to frequently asked questions from building owners and members
 of local energy committees;
 * And resources for further research and information.

More than 15 percent of buildings in the U.S. were built before 1939 - with
 a much higher percentage in the East - and most buildings constructed befo re 1850 were not designed to be heated or cooled with fossil fuels.

"We know that more than 20 percent of energy use in this country comes from
 the residential sector's heating, cooling, and electricity use," said Clea n Air-Cool Planet CEO and President Adam Markham. "This guide addresses wa ys to make a significant portion of that housing stock - particularly in th e energy-poor northeast - more efficient and affordable.

"By finding ways to make our historic buildings more efficient, we also mak e their preservation, and the preservation of our local history and culture
, more possible," Markham said.

The guide was researched and written by Meghan Giuliano and Virginia Way, t wo of Clean Air-Cool Planet's 2009 Climate Fellows, over the course of the summer, when Way interned on Nantucket Island and Giuliano was based at Str awbery Banke museum for her research on efficiency and preservation.

Way's work, "Sustainable Preservation, An addendum to Building with Nantuck et in Mind" was formally accepted as part of the Historic District Commissi on guidelines for Nantucket Island, which is recognized internationally for
 preservation work. It appears in the CA-CP Guide as an appendix.

The Guide is available from the Clean Air-Cool Planet website at www.cleana ir-coolplanet.org/for_communities/HDCGuide.pdf<http://www.cleanair-coolplan et.org/for_communities/HDCGuide.pdf>.

A webinar on Wednesday, December 2, at from noon to 1 p.m.., moderated by A nne Stephenson, Ph.D. with Ginny Way, author of the addendum to Building wi th Nantucket in Mind, and Julia Dundorf, co-director of the New England Car bon Challenge, will discuss the guide and the important ways local energy c ommittees and historic district commissions can work together to help commu nities and property owners with energy efficiency and renewable energy appl ications. For details and to register, visit: https://www1.gotomeeting.com
/register/935195553.

# # #

---



New Message Reply Date view Thread view Subject view Author view
This archive was generated on Wed Dec 02 2009 - 13:59:38 Central Standard Time