BuildSmart Learning Center

The New Orleans BuildSmart Learning Center is a multi-faceted facility that serves building professionals, homeowners and green businesses.  The center features a life-sized model New Orleans home with cut-aways that showcase techniques for energy efficiency, residential solar power and environmentally appropriate building practices.  It also has a demonstration area for building workshops and a reference library with practical how-to guides, books on green building techniques, contact information for local businesses and general construction texts.

Our in-house experts can give you advice on any building project you have from weatherizing drafty windows and doors to replacing insulation to purchasing solar hot water heaters.

Are you the ‘do-it-yourself’ type?

The Alliance for Affordable Energy is ready to help you get started with relatively easy energy performance improvements that make a real difference. If you are rebuilding or remodeling in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, this is the perfect time to make energy performance improvements that will increase the value of your home while saving your family thousands of dollars in utility expenses. Anyone can be more energy efficient, whether you are undertaking major rebuilding or just changing a light bulb. 

New Orleanians, especially those living in historically energy inefficient homes, can cut 10% – 40% off their utility bill by making simple home improvements. Many of these savings can be achieved with little or no added costs, while others are sound investments that pay back many times over in annual energy savings.

Click here to see BuildSmart map

Click here to find out about our workshops