MIDDLEBURY — Join renewable energy consultant Hilton Dier on Wednesday, Aug. 3, at 6 p.m. at the Vermont Folklife Center in Middlebury for an introduction to the principles and techniques of using the sun as an energy source.
There are times that we want to let the sun into our homes and times we want to keep it out. There are ways to design and modify our homes and the landscapes around them to make them more energy efficient and comfortable. Dier will discuss seasonal changes in the sun’s path and why a homeowner should care about this. He will offer techniques on using the sun for heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting.
Dier has worked in the fields of architecture, commercial hydroelectric power, electric vehicles and both residential and commercial solar power. He now works as a renewable energy consultant and as a partner in Missisquoi River Hydro, LLC.
As a consultant, Dier has worked for private individuals and local architects, as well as larger institutions. He has been a guest lecturer at the University of Vermont, Cornell and Dartmouth, and regularly teaches renewable energy workshops at the Yestermorrow Design/Build school in Warren, Vt.
This program is free and open to the public, and is the third of five programs organized in conjunction with the Vermont Folklife Center exhibit, “Portraits in Action: Pioneers in Renewable Energy, Environmental Conservation, and Land Use Planning,” on display through Aug. 6.
Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The gallery will have extended hours from 5-6 p.m. on Aug. 3, in advance of this program. For more information about the exhibit and program series visit the website at www.vermontfolklifecenter.org or call 802-388-4964.