An annual event, focused on renewable energy and energy efficiency, will make it’s debut in Cedar Falls next weekend. This will be the 17th year for the I-Renew Energy and Sustainability Expo, which has typically been held in Iowa City or Cedar Rapids.

Michelle Kenyon Brown, director of the Iowa Renewable Energy Association , says this will be the biggest expo to date. She says there will be 70 workshops and more than 80 exhibitors. The two-day expo will take place at the University of Northern Iowa’s Center for Energy and Environmental Education. Energy costs continue to rise and that’s encouraging more people to investigate alternative ways to heat and cool their homes.

Kenyon Brown says the expo draws a larger audience every year. Those attending the event can talk directly with energy experts. "We have workshops that cover how to green your home and make it more energy efficient. We have workshops that will talk about how to build a new energy efficient home, using different green alternatives that are out there today," Kenyon Brown said.

The expo will also include demonstrations of solar power, wind power, a hydrogen fuel cell, electric cars and care that run on alternative fuels. The hours for the expo are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $10 per day, although I-Renew members get in free. The Iowa Power Fund Board awarded the expo a $40,000 grant this year to help promote the event.