WAYNE — Sustain Wayne, a local nonprofit that promotes sustainable living practices, local foods initiatives and regional economic development, will host Paul Kando, the co-founder of Midcoast Green Collaborative, at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5. Kando will give a talk “Why Go Solar?” at the Johnson House, 498 Main St. in Wayne. The event is free and open to the public.

Kando has been conducting energy research since the 1970s, according to a news release from Susain Wayne. He has been a member of many “green” energy initiatives across the country including a member of the design-build team of the solar water heating system installed on the White House during the Carter presidency, conducted research on photovoltaics at the University of Delaware, and managed a solar energy program for the U.S. Department of Energy.

He moved to Maine in 1991 and has been doing home energy audits since 2007. He co-founded Midcoast Green Collaborative, a nonprofit in the Damariscotta area that aims to build awareness of climate change while promoting local business and energy self-sufficiency initiatives, according to the release. He often publishes articles on sustainability in local publications such as The New Maine Times.

“Solar energy supports all life,” says Kando in the release. “It makes the plants we burn as renewable ‘biomass’ grow. Coal, oil and natural gas are but plant life left to rot in swamps, compressed underground for millions of years. Solar radiation causes molecules to vibrate at a rate that corresponds to the amount of energy absorbed, and winds that power turbines are the product of temperature differences. Water evaporated by solar heat falls as rain and snow on high elevations, forming rivers that spin hydroelectric turbines. And solar energy can heat and light houses, and generate electricity.”

At Wednesday’s talk, Kando will discuss how converting a home or business to solar power can reduce heating and electricity bills, keep money in the local economy, create good-paying jobs, and reduce carbon footprint. He will also explain the math step-by-step to show how much people could be saving by switching to solar.

For more information, contact margot@sustainwayne.org.

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