As rising energy costs and environmental concerns continue to gain attention, energy committees in many towns are pushing for residents to shift towards renewable technology and eco-friendly homes.

The NH Home Energy Expo, an annual event typically organized by the Bow and Dunbarton Energy Committees has the Weare Energy Committee joining the effort this year.

The event will take place at Dunbarton Elementary School on Saturday, Oct. 14 between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

“It’s our way of helping people get the information they need and connect with the businesses and products and services that they might be interested in. Our goal is to enable individuals to conduct their own research and find what works best for them,” explained Jessica Dunbar, chair of the Energy Committee in Bow. “We really want this to be something that pulls in people from a larger area and benefits all of our local communities.

Solar power will be the focus of this year’s event. But residents will also have the opportunity to learn about electric vehicles and heat pumps that could help them reduce their carbon footprint.

While these towns don’t have any incentives for solar installations, Dunbar said in the future Bow might explore solarized programs.

However, the state offers incentives in the form of rebates to New Hampshire residents installing solar or wind electric generation systems. It’s either a $.20 per watt of power generated up to a maximum of $,1000 or 30% of the total cost.

A workshop on composting will also be conducted at the expo to give residents information on the options available for composting and sustainable living.