The organizers of the BrightBuilt Retrofit contest plan to award $10,000 to a New England nonprofit organization that commits to a deep-energy retrofit project.

The public is invited to vote on which of four proposals is most deserving of the award. The proposals have been submitted by Community Partners of Biddeford, Maine; Farm & Wilderness of Plymouth, Vermont; Freeport Community Services of Freeport, Maine; and Yestermorrow Design/Build of Warren, Vermont. The online voting will continue through November 2, 2010.

The winning project will receive:

• A $10,000 cash award
• A $90,000 interest-free loan
• Discounted design services
• Access to an award-winning team of experts
• A reduced carbon footprint and lower energy bills
• A more comfortable, livable, beautiful space

The goals of the BrightBuilt Retrofit award are to highlight the affordability and accessibility of deep-energy retrofit projects and to help complete an energy-conserving building renovation for a deserving New England nonprofit organization.

Full disclosure: GBA editor Martin Holladay is on the project’s Board of Advisors. Also serving on the board are Tedd Benson, president of Bensonwood Homes; Keith Collins, owner of BrightBuilt Barn; Gunnar Hubbard, principal of Fore Solutions; Allison Zuchman, project manager at Fore Solutions; Phil Kaplan, principal of Kaplan Thompson Architects (an a Podcaster for GBA); Robin Tannenbaum, architectural designer at Kaplan Thompson Architects; Dan Kolbert, owner of Kolbert Building & Renovations; Jessica Lantos, membership manager at the Maine Association of Non-Profits; Jennifer Marapese, interim executive director at the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association; Naomi Mermin, Chair of the Maine chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council; Jim Newman, director of strategy at BuildingGreen; John Rooks, president of the SOAP Group; and Alissa Conroy, vice-president of the SOAP Group.

For more information, or to register your vote, visit BrightBuilt Retrofit.