Shelter First in State to Run on Renewable Energy

Featured in Portland Press Herald

Formerly homeless residents have begun moving into the first shelter facility in Maine to get most of its heat and half its electricity from renewable energy sources.

Vinton Hall is an eight-unit building next to the York County Shelter in Alfred. The heavily insulated apartment house has solar panels that warm water and generate electricity. Much of the space heat comes from a high-efficiency wood boiler.

The building's nonprofit owner, York County Shelter Programs Inc., finds housing options for more than 600 homeless and low-income residents annually. It tapped a variety of grants and loans to finance the $800,000 project, calculating that the higher up-front capital costs for green construction would be offset over time by lower operating expenses. Read more at the Portland Press Herald.

Carrot vs. Stick

The GA was recently mentioned in the well-known Fast Company blog. Contributing blogger Chris Jarvis, in an article which delt heavily with issues of getting businesses to become more sustainable, had this to say:

....The tough part is that it puts – once again – the responsibility onto consumers to be thoughtful in where we shop and do business. There are groups throughout the country that make it easier to find such gems – The Green Alliance is here in my local corner of the world. They help companies communicate their efforts and impact to consumers and other stakeholders, so we can make informed purchasing decisions. It’s also time for me to start telling my kids why we DO shop places rather than just why we DON’T shop in others.

To read the entire blog, and to read Fast Company's wealth of interesting content, click here!

'Green' business owners see customer growth

Featured in the Portsmouth Herald

By Jennifer Feals
jfeals@seacoastonline.com
July 26, 2009 6:00 AM

Despite a struggling economy, local businesses offering green products and sustainability initiatives say they are tapping into what consumers are looking for and thriving.

"You're hearing it straight from the horse's mouth," said Sarah Brown, who created the Green Alliance just under two years ago, with just two businesses. "We set up this organization right smack dab in the middle of the recession and yet the Green Alliance just exploded. I think that right there is an incredible testament to the strength of green."...

To read the entire article from this last Sunday's Portsmouth Herald, click here!

Acorn Organic Salon Named "Innovation Rocks!" Winner

Featured in Business NH Magazine

For some people, the thought of a “green” haircut conjures up visions of Halloween or punk music. However, the type of “green” hairstyling that takes place at a local business has led to Acorn Organic Salon in Dover being named the “Innovation Rocks!” Award winner by the NH Division of Economic Development’s Business Resource Center for the month of July. To read more go here.
 

Deerfield Business Wins Cornerstone Award

Featured in the Forum

In less than a decade, builder Shane Carter and his team at Ridgeview Construction have made their home-construction business one of the greenest and most sustainable anywhere in New England.  So it wasn’t a surprise when Ridgeview was recently awarded the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of New Hampshire’s Cornerstone “Gold” medal for new and custom homes in the $450 to $600K price range.  The annual prize, while certainly not expected, did not come as a total shock:  Ridgeview is booked solid with contracts through at least October, and possibly through the spring of 2010.  For Carter, such success amidst tough economic times provides vindication for Ridgeview’s unique and progressive business model. Read more here

Exception Magazine features SCE's effort to help local couple green their wedding

From Maine's Exception Magazine:

Planning a green wedding

by Jessie Sawyer

This year, Sarah Stevens and Chris Smith met on Match.com, fell in love and five weeks later they were engaged. In addition to their love for each other, Stevens and Smith share another love – the environment.

Interested in how to reduce their carbon footprint and that of their wedding guests, the couple has incorporated renewable energy credits (RECs) as a part of their wedding registry with the help of two Maine organizations: the Seacoast Consulting Engineers (SCE) and the Green Alliance, a green business consortium serving the Seacoast Region of Maine and New Hampshire...

To read the entire article and read Exception's great contect, click here!