Although the cost of solar energy generation continues to fall, it still represents a significant expense to most homeowners. Go Green Together seeks to identify residents who would be interested in joining a bulk buying club to purchase solar energy installations at a reduced cost through volume purchase. Similar initiatives have been undertaken successfully in other jurisdictions, and we hope the response here will enable us to pursue this option.
Interest from homeowners in installing residential solar systems has exploded since the Province recently announced its Feed-In-Tariff (FIT) Program. The microFIT version of this program (for systems 10 kilowatts and less) is targeted to homeowners and small businesses. The microFIT Program makes it profitable to install rooftop solar systems to produce electricity and sell it into the electrical grid. Homeowners become little power producing businesses. The buying group will also be purchasing solar thermal systems which heat domestic hot water.
We have named this the 'Solar Unlimited Network', or SUN for short. If you are interested, please fill in the Contact Form or call the office for more information. You can also download an informative PowerPoint presented at the initial meeting (available as a PDF - you do not need PowerPoint to view the presentation).
Two early adopters tell why they decided to go solar through the SUN program (video):
An interview with the installer.
A site tour/analysis with Judy Smith Torrie, JP Pawliw (Generation Solar) and the contractors.
SUN Steering Committee contact information:
Tony Walker (Chair) 521 Lakeshore Rd Cobourg K9A 1S4 905.373.0731
Richard Tyssen (Community Organizer) 154 Stuart St Cobourg K9A 2Y2 905.377.1713
Gay Dey 3238 Garland Port Hope K9A 4J7 905.885.2222
Jack Cook RR5 Cobourg K9A 4J8 905.349.3403
John Geale 7494 Vimy Ridge Rd Port Hope L1A 3V6 905.342.3851
Deborah Hackett RR4 Brighton K0K 1H0 613.475.2383
Richard Nonnekes 452A King St Cobourg K0K 1M6 905.377.0337
David Thomson 235 Water St Cobourg K9A 1R3 905.377.8341
Lynda Gowling 8234 Mill St Garden Hill L0A 1B0 905.797.3187
Judy Smith Torrie (Executive Director) Go Green Together 207A Division St Cobourg K0K 3P6 905.377.1278
Go Green Together is planning a number of events and activites designed to help Cobourg residents integrate cycling into their normal daily routine.
As cycling becomes the preferred method of travel for a significant percentage of trips, including those to work, school, shopping, errands, visiting, recreation, business appointments, and so on, we will realize benefits not only to the environment through reduced automobile usage, but also improvements to personal health and happiness, and significantly reduced personal travel costs.
To make bicycling more attractive to more people, we plan to:
meet with employers to develop incentives to encourage employees to cycle to work
develop an educational program for both students and adults to provide training on bike safety and bicycle maintenance (beginning September 2009)
develop and promote a 'Bike for the Planet' campaign to be presented to community groups, fitness clubs, service clubs, churches, labour unions, schools and others
encourage town planners to support cyclists through improved, safer, road and bicycle route design
promote secure bicycle facilites including bicycle lockups in numerous locations throughout town
organize public 'Bicycle Brigade' events and tours to promote cycling
In many communities clotheslines have all but disappeared from sight! This is a real pity, as clothes dryers are real energy hogs, hard on your clothes, and do not produce a result as fresh and pleasant as an outdoor line. It is our opinion that clotheslines lend a character and charm to a neighbourhood that has been sorely missing of late.
With the coming of the automatic clothes dryers we were led to believe that it was somehow “unsightly” to hang our laundry outside. Nonsense we say! All over the world, in the largest cities and the smallest towns and villages, people continue to hang their clothes up and out to dry. Why don’t we? We want to make Cobourg a “World-Class Clothesline Community”, by getting in step with places like Paris, London, Rome, Venice and San Francisco.
Go Green Together intends to bring back clotheslines as the first choice for drying our clothes!
We will work together with Cobourg Town Council, and the County of Northumberland to convince our citizens that not only do clotheslines reduce our energy consumption, they can also be lots of fun, a creative expression, and a beautiful part of our urban and rural landscapes (not to mention the fact that clothes that have been hung on the line to dry smell wonderful! Remember?)
We propose to encourage residents by promoting a clothesline photo contest and offering services and resources to anyone who wants to install an outdoor clothesline or rack, or an indoor rack. We also plan to encourage the media to show video clips, print photographs and publish articles that foster the culture of clotheslines. We most heartily welcome your participation and input!
Qualify for up to $5000 in provincial rebates! (click here)
View or download 
Interest from homeowners in installing residential solar systems has exploded since the Province recently announced its Feed-In-Tariff (FIT) Program. The microFIT version of this program (for systems 10 kilowatts and less) is targeted to homeowners and small businesses. The microFIT Program makes it profitable to install rooftop solar systems to produce electricity and sell it into the electrical grid. Homeowners become little power producing businesses. The buying group will also be purchasing solar thermal systems which heat domestic hot water.
Go Green Together is planning a number of events and activites designed to help Cobourg residents integrate cycling into their normal daily routine.
Project Clothespin!
