Living in LoCo’s last installment in October marking Loudoun’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation month was originally scheduled to appear in yesterday’s posting.

But we got a little sidetracked with the Palin rally in Leesburg.

So to finish up this month, we start with a follow up on the Cascade’s Green Team item that Living in LoCo highlighted last Monday. I called around to a few Loudoun neighborhood homeowners associations to see if their communities have initiated any similar conservation efforts.

I was most interested to see if area HOAs allowed residents to install energy-efficient things like solar panels, rain barrels and yes, as reader mazman128 suggested on last Monday’s item, clotheslines.

Newer communities in Loudoun, like Spring Lakes in Leesburg, are still using the “boiler plate” HOA rules and regulations that were handed to them by the community developer. These documents typically prohibit “eyesores,” such as -- some would say -- solar panels, rain barrels, compost bins, and yes, clotheslines.

“We haven’t addressed those types of issues yet,” admitted Spring Lakes HOA president David D’Onofrio. “But we’ll certainly consider those items in the future as we get more resident interest.”

Countryside, a Sterling neighborhood of 2,500 households established in 1983, does have provisions for solar panels within its documents, but general manager Kelly Beavers said they’ve had no such requests for things like clotheslines.

“We do have paperless HOA and community meetings,” she said, “and we recycle and have neighborhood clean-up days in the fall and spring.”

Broadlands, where I live, was (and still is) marketed by developers as a nature sanctuary of sorts. The community was recently certified as a National Wildlife Federation community and resident Oya Simpson was recognized this month by the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors for her conservation efforts within the community.

Cliff Keirce, Broadlands HOA president, said the neighborhood does allow for solar panels, rain barrels and compost bins. However, he said, outdoor clotheslines are prohibited.

Would you like to see your HOA approve solar panels, rain barrels and clotheslines?

If strict HOA rules and regs got you down and real eco-living is what you’re after, check out this Loudoun neighborhood, EcoVillage, which offers energy efficient homes and encourages sustainable living.

Register at the EcoVillage Web site to schedule a community tour; the next one is scheduled for Nov. 9 at 2 p.m.

…

Be one of four lucky Loudoun residents to win a free energy audit in the county’s Home Energy Audit Giveaway. To enter, submit your energy-saving idea here by Nov. 15.

…

Finally, some eco-congratulations are in order:

Loudoun County was honored with a first place award in the Virginia Municipal League’s inaugural Green Government Challenge.

The award was presented to LoCo reps Supervisor Andrea McGimsey (D-Potomac), who chairs the county’s Energy Efficiency Committee, and Loudoun County Energy Manager Najib Salehi at VML’s annual conference in Norfolk last week.

During the conference, the Town of Purcellville also picked up an official certification as a “green community.”

Purcellville Mayor Bob Lazaro said in a released statement, “I am delighted at the designation for our Town and thank our citizens and staff who work so hard to protect the environment we enjoy in our community.”

The Go Green Virginia Challenge is a friendly competition of VML member governments to encourage energy savings and conservation at the municipal level.