[Durham INC] Durham Begins Neighborhood Energy Retrofits

[Blalock, Amy]

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

 

 

News Release

 

For Details, Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 11253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.gov

 

For Immediate Release:  November 17, 2010

 

 

Durham Begins Neighborhood Energy Retrofits

17 Neighborhoods Scheduled to Receive Energy Retrofits; Neighborhood Applicants Still Sought

 

DURHAM, N.C. – Residents in Durham neighborhoods who applied to the City of Durham’s Neighborhood Energy Retrofit Program will soon begin saving money on their energy bills thanks to work now underway.

 

The City has begun upgrading homes to be more energy efficient through its Neighborhood Energy Retrofit Program. The program, overseen by the Durham City-County Sustainability Office, works to increase energy efficiency, which saves homeowners on their energy bills and reduces harmful greenhouse gas emissions. The funds are being used to help households in selected Durham neighborhoods improve their energy efficiency by at least 20 percent.   

 

Jada Atwater, who lives in Colonial Village, is one of the initial participants to have her home upgraded, including sealing air leaks in heating and air conditioning ductwork; installing programmable thermostats; and sealing air leaks in the attic and crawlspace. Insulation will also be added to her attic in the next few weeks. “I am really excited to participate in this program because I’m going to be able to save money and reduce my environmental footprint,” Atwater said. 

 

The City’s Neighborhood Energy Retrofit Program also relies on volunteer efforts to recruit and educate residents in the participating neighborhoods. To date, volunteers have contributed over 1,500 hours of time for the project, including time spent in training and going door-to-door in their neighborhoods. In addition to receiving the retrofits, Atwater also helped recruit her Colonial Village neighbors to participate in the program. “The fact that the program is focused on the neighborhood level means that I have the chance to help myself and set an example for my neighbors,” Atwater said. “That’s the best part. The retrofits fit right in with the spirit of our community.”  

 

According to Tobin Freid, manager of the Durham City-County Sustainability Office, more than 375 applications from 17 different neighborhoods have been received for this program to date, which helps Durham make progress toward reaching greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals by reducing energy use.  “We are currently assessing all of the applications we have received to determine their eligibility for the program. Thus far, we have qualified 29 homes. Our end goal is qualify and install retrofits in almost 700 homes in the coming year,” Freid said. “Once we have those 700 homes completed, the program will ultimately result in a reduction of more than 2,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year, making a significant impact on Durham’s environment.”  

 

In addition to the retrofits, residents will participate in workshops on do-it-yourself energy efficiency projects, as well as receive information about additional grants, rebates, and tax credits available to pay for more upgrades. “This program is designed to get neighbors talking to each other about energy efficiency and helping one another to reduce energy use even after the grant money is gone,” Freid said.

 

According to Freid, the program is focused on the neighborhood level to create a culture of energy conservation among neighbors and to make it easier for the retrofit contractors to work quickly. Neighborhoods participating in the program thus far include Colonial Village, Duke Park, East Durham, Fisher Heights, Frenchman’s Creek, Hillside Park, Lakewood, Lochaven Hills, Morehead Hill, Newhall Village, Northgate Park, Parkwood, Spring Valley, Trinity Park, Tuscaloosa Lakewood, Watts Hillandale, and West End.  

 

Applications are still being accepted for homes that meet the program criteria in the targeted neighborhoods identified above. To be eligible, the homes must be single-story, 2,000 square feet or less, and be free of unvented combustion appliances. Such appliances include some gas hot water heaters, stoves, or furnaces that could leak carbon dioxide back into the home. The retrofits have a market value between $800 and $2,000 depending on the size and characteristics of the house. Participating property owners or renters must pay $200-$300 to cover some of the cost of the retrofits, and must allow access to their energy bills so energy savings can be calculated. Interested residents can apply on line at www.DurhamNC.gov/NERP or by calling the Durham City-County Sustainability Office at (919) 560-7999.       

 

According to Freid, the City’s Neighborhood Energy Retrofit Program is designed to help Durham reduce its emissions by 30 percent from residences, businesses, and institutions by 2030 as required in the 2007 Durham City-County Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Plan. The City’s Neighborhood Energy Retrofit Program is funded by two federal grants  the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (City grant award), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Communities Showcase grant (City-County grant award). Clean Energy Durham, a local non-profit, is managing the neighborhood outreach efforts on behalf of the City. 

 

For more information on the City’s Neighborhood Energy Retrofit Program visit www.DurhamNC.gov/NERP.  For more information on Durham City-County Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Plan or Durham City-County Sustainability Office, visit www.GreenerDurham.net, e-mail Energy at DurhamNC.gov, or contact Freid at (919) 560-7999.

 

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