Woods Hole researcher to discuss extreme home energy efficiency May 15

Greg Fiske of the Woods Hole Research Center will discuss conserving home energy usage as part of Western Washington University’s Huxley College of the Environment Speaker Series at 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 15 in Environmental Studies 100 on Western’s campus.

The presentation is free and open to the public.

In his talk titled “Extreme Home Efficiency and the Economized Ranch House,” Fiske will describe his experiences trying to produce, save, and monitor energy in his home while operating on a limited budget. Demonstrations will include insulating techniques, construction of an extensive solar thermal system, and a full-house interactive home energy monitoring system that runs on open-source software code and is built with less than $200 of hardware.

Shooting for extreme home efficiency and affordable energy bills, Fiske, who lives on Cape Cod, has spent the last 10 years updating his run-of-the-mill ranch house to a lean, green, money-producing machine. From solar-energy systems to mounds of insulation, Fiske’s house has gone from average to stellar in energy consumption. By day, Fiske is a geographer at the Woods Hole Research Center, a nonprofit institution on Cape Cod that focuses on global ecosystem science, education, and policy. The Research Center boasts a near net-zero campus with a 100kw turbine, massive solar array, and two of the most efficient green buildings in the country.

The presentation will include a question-and-answer period. Anyone interested in the topic is encouraged to attend and participate. The Speaker Series, sponsored by Western’s Huxley College of the Environment, is intended to bring together environmentally-minded members of the WWU and Bellingham communities. Speakers address topics of contemporary environmental concern in the region and the world.

Western’s Huxley College of the Environment is one of the oldest environmental colleges in the nation and a recognized leader in producing the next generation of environmental professionals and stewards. Huxley’s distinctive, interdisciplinary curriculum reflects a broad view of the physical, biological, social, and cultural world, and has earned international recognition for quality.

For more information, please contact Jen VanderWeyden at Western’s Huxley College of the Environment at 360-650-2554.