This Saturday, a bunch of local home owners will invite the public in to see how they've used alternative energy strategies to heat and power their homes. This is an awesome nationwide event, organized locally by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association. This year's event promises to be the largest event of its kind in history, with as many as 150,000 people participating in 46 states across the nation.

Here in RI, local solar energy company SolarWrights will host tours of several homes, to demonstrate how photovoltaic or thermal solar systems can work in our climate.  "The tour is an opportunity for people to see how others, in their neighborhoods, their towns, their states, are using solar energy to combat rising energy costs and reduce carbon emissions," says SolarWrights CEO Bob Chew.

Other open homes and businesses offer close-up looks at a variety of green strategies, including wind, geothermal, passive solar, and more.

The Green Buildings Open House demystifies green buildings, proving that they are comfortable, affordable, and attractive. Informational materials will be available at all sites. The Tour is free and open to the public.  For locations of homes and more info go to the NESEA Web site. Or click here for the listing of RI sites, found in the East Bay, South County, Providence, and elsewhere. A nifty google map feature will show you the locations of all the sites (be sure to click on both go! buttons). Click here for an NNN slideshow about Ray Cayer's round house in Hopkinton, one of the homes on the tour.