About the
Eco-Solar
Tour

    ~~~~~

   Sponsored by

About the Eco-Solar Tour

The Eco-Solar Tour is an organization that organizes free open house style tours of homes and businesses that display practical and timely examples of sustainability including: renewable energy (solar, wind, and geothermal), energy security, energy efficiency, water efficiency, low emission technologies and natural landscaping. You can see how homes and businesses are reducing their utility bills while increasing the quality of our air.

The Eco-Solar Tour is organized by a group of volunteers who have a passion for the environment and sustainability. Through the tour they are able to share this passion and educate and encourage others to consider the sustainable choices in new technologies and building practices. In 2003 we incorporated ourselves as the non-profit Eco-Solar Home Tour Society of Alberta.

Volunteer With Us

If you would like to volunteer to help with the Tour, please contact us at "hometour (at) ecosolar (dot) ca".

Who Should Attend?

The tour is open to everyone and anyone looking to see examples of energy efficiency innovation in practice.

How to contact us?

As we are all volunteers, the best way to contact us is by e-mail at
"hometour (at) ecosolar (dot) ca"

Our Mission

The tour informs and encourages home and business owners to make knowledgeable decisions from among the numerous choices in new technologies and building practices. The tour includes homes and businesses that demonstrate a variety of approaches to energy efficiency, water efficiency, sustainable building practices and renewable energy.

Terms of Reference

The Eco-Solar Home Tour is a pro-active annual tour that:

1. Illustrates a wide variety of choices for improved and sustainable technologies, materials and building practices available in the housing and building market today.

2. Provides practical examples, through open house tours, of choices that have been successfully integrated into homes and buildings.

3. Demonstrates a range of approaches that go beyond traditional solutions, which challenge home and building owners to consider new and innovative approaches that reduce: energy consumption, embodied energy, water consumption, material consumption, and lifestyle impacts on the environment.

4. Encourages the large-scale adoption of these practical solutions in homes and businesses within our communities.

5. Celebrates the successes of home and business owners who are demonstrating vision.

6. Encourages other communities to adopt this initiative to help their residents realize these possibilities and make better choices.

Scope

• The Eco-Solar Home Tour
• Audience: The general public of Edmonton and region
• Focus: Technologies that can help people reduce their environmental impact

• The Eco-Solar Tour of Energy Efficient Buildings
• Audience: Owners, designers, contractors and equipment suppliers
• Focus: Technologies that reduce the life cycle costs of commercial buildings

Funding

Funding for the Eco-Solar Home Tour will only be accepted from people and organizations that agree with this vision, mission and terms of reference. No other environmental, social, or commercially competitive issues will limit or restrict the participation of organizations. The focus and efforts of these tours will solely be directed towards the illustration, demonstration and encouragement of better technologies, materials and building practices.

Strathcona Farmer's Market 25 May 2013

For the last few years we have set up an information table at the Old Strathcona Farmer's Market. This year our information table will be setup on Saturday 25 May 2013. The market is open from 8 am until 3 pm and we will have volunteers on hand to answer your questions about the Eco-Solar tours and our society. The market is located at 10310 83 Avenue in Edmonton.

Find out more about:
  The 2013 Home Tour
  The 2013 Tour of Energy Efficient Buildings
  Volunteering on the tour
  How you can become part of the Home Tour Society
  How you can start your own energy efficiency tour

We will have all the site sheets from the all the homes and buildings on the tour and can explain some of the technologies that will be on display. We can help you plan your way around the Eco-Solar tour showing you how to get to the homes and buildings that will have the examples you want to see.

We will have volunteer experts available to answer your questions about energy efficiency and how you can reduce your energy footprint. We will also have demonstration items available to show how solar electric, solar thermal, and other technologies work.

Come out and talk with us at the market and we will help you with your plans to get out and see the Eco-Solar tour.