Limited insulation and weather sealing in older homes mean that today it can take a lot of fuel to heat a house, and the house cools down quickly when the power is out in the winter. Learn how to improve the efficiency of an old house in ways that benefit the environment at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, during a free lecture by architect Emily Mottram at Union + Co. (31 Centre St. in Bath).

John Mickles of Northern Energy Services applies spray foam insulation in April 2022. While weatherization can be expensive, there are many effective strategies to weatherize a home. Gregory Rec / Portland Press Herald file photo

Improving the air sealing, insulation or performance of homes can help manage longer power outages and more drastic weather, while also helping to slow climate change by decreasing the amount of fuel it takes to heat a home. Mottram will share ways to renovate and maintain homes in response to the climate impacts seen in Maine now, which materials have the lowest climate impact, and how to make homes as energy efficient as possible on a budget.

Mottram’s work shares frameworks and guidelines for building or renovating a home that focus both on its inhabitants and the environment — but keeps in mind that few people have pockets deep enough to achieve a “perfect” solution. It provides ways for homeowners to work within their financial and practical constraints both to meet their own needs and do as much for the planet as possible.

Mottram is the founder and principal of Mottram Architecture and is a co-author of “Pretty Good House: A Guide to Creating Better Homes.” She is a member of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, the Maine Indoor Air Quality Council and the Natural Resources Council of Maine.

This program is part of a continuing series of Bath Climate Conversations focused on learning, discussing, and connecting around ways to sustain and support our vibrant town as climate change occurs. It is hosted by the Bath Climate Action Commission in partnership with Kennebec Estuary Land Trust, Patten Free Library and Union + Co.