Biodiesel, composting and saving on your electric bill - they're all topics covered in workshops at the 8th Annual Renewable Energy Alaska Project, or REAP, fair is taking place Saturday in Anchorage. This year they'll be 19 presenters from around the state.
Chris Rose is the Executive Director of REAP, a non-profit that promotes renewable energy in Alaska. He says, this year they'll be more than 40 booths at the REAP fair.
"Some of those are informational booths; some are craft vendors; Some are food vendors; we have a beer tent there," Rose said. "We also have a bunch of people with electric and alternative vehicles - some that are homemade there that people can check out."
"I think what people like to do is look at all the information that's out there, listen to the music, sit in the grass and go to a few workshops."
REAP is a non-profit coalition of more than 80 energy stakeholders from around the state. Their mission is to increase the production of renewable energy in Alaska. At Saturday's fair, they'll be 19 workshops on everything from Tidal Power to how to make your home more energy efficient.
"One of the workshops that I really want to see myself is Thorsten Chlupp's workshop that will be at 2:00on 'Living with the Arctic Sun," Rose said. "He is a designer and builder up in Fairbanks and he's building zero net energy homes, meaning he's building homes, right now, in Fairbanks, that produce just as much energy as they produce."
"So that's going to be a really interesting workshop that I hope a lot of people can catch."
Music will include Evan Phillips, Tim Easton Rebel Blues and more. The REAP fair runs from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Saturday on the park strip, between G & I Streets.