Asheville South East Energy Expo 2010
This years South East Energy Expo started off great. I was excited to hear that the WNC Agricultural Center had a brand new building and that this years Expo would be there. It is a huge building and there were plenty of displays to fill it, as well as another building.
I love going on Friday of the three days. It is slower, and being the person I am (LOL) I like to see what is there and ask a lot of questions. So yesterday was perfect. I got to talk to a lot of people about their products, and learned a lot.
It seems like every year, products are upgraded and better, with a lot more features. This year really showcased that fact. Panels are more productive, water collection systems are better and there were a lot of new and innovative ideas floating around. It was fun to see and that is what I look forward to every year.
This year there were a lot more products being featured and a lot more booths. I got to ride in an LSV (Low Speed Vehicle) being sold by Dave Walker, of the Golf Cart Center in Flat Rock. These are really amazing vehicles. They can only be driven on roads with 35 MPH limits, but so many streets where I live in Hendersonville and Flat Rock fit that requirement. It road smoothly, and quietly. In fact, Dave mentioned the need to be extra careful around pedestrians because they are so quiet. I really want to get one of these. With most of my driving being done within 5 miles of my home, I would be able to use this 95% of the time. Wouldn't you like to look at properties in a cute car like this? No gas and all electric, it goes 40 miles on a charge, so is meant for very local traffic.
I found booths with books full of How To topics, smaller things like organic clothing and bumper stickers, and even a booth of artwork made from recycled 'finds' that were gorgeous. Electric vehicles were found, along with solar panels, wind generators, water pre-heating systems, and more.
I got a really nice, small flashlight that is brighter than I imagined, and charges with its own tiny built in solar panel. How cool is that? It charges with minimal light and is a nice small size. This is a product by Solar LED Innovations. See what else they have. I wanted to buy them out! They have so many great items.
I especially like the permaculture display. Being an avid gardener I was excited to see all of the plants that are indigenous to our area. Xeroscaping is a big deal. If you plant only those plants that are indigenous to the area you live in you will have much better luck with them, and you will rarely have to water.
I enjoyed several classes during the afternoon. The SEE Expo always has great classes going all day, in four classrooms at a time, with varying topics. You can learn a lot in one day. I listened to one on How A House Works, and then later one on Rain Catchment Systems. Both were very informative and given by individuals who really knew their stuff.
I had a great time at the SEE 2010 Expo and I hope that if you have time you will stop by as well. There are still two full days left this weekend and you can learn more about it from yesterdays blog entry.
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