Local businesses, volunteers, nonprofit agencies come together to help low-income residents save energy and water!

Posted by: Jason Fults guest blogger and CWC volunteer

Get involved: The next CWC/Neutral Gator day of action at Village and Forest Green will take place Saturday, November 14th at 10 am. More details below...

A little over a year ago, I signed up for a three-Saturday course to learn how to provide free energy audits and retrofits for low-income homeowners. The training, organized by the Community Weatherization Coalition (http://rebuildgainesville.wordpress.com/cwc/), was an excellent introduction to the myriad factors that influence people’s energy and water consumption. I was very impressed with the other volunteers that I met at the training, and by the innovative model that the Community Weatherization Coalition (CWC) utilizes to help homeowners cut back on their utility bills.

It works like this: Anyone who falls within the CWC’s income guidelines can apply for assistance. The client is then partnered up with 2-3 volunteer energy auditors who spend a few hours at their home inspecting it for structural issues which may be contributing to increased energy consumption (e.g., leaky pipes, missing insulation, gaps around windows and doors, etc.). The auditors also provide conservation tips and make minor retrofits on site (replacing incandescent bulbs with energy efficient compact fluorescents, installing low-flow aerators on faucets, etc.). If major issues are uncovered (e.g., structural damage, broken heating & cooling system, etc.), the auditors make note of these on their audit report, which is submitted to the CWC’s Case Management Committee. The many organizations which comprise the CWC, such as Rebuilding Together, Gainesville Regional Utilities, and the Central Florida Community Action Agency, have been able to do significant follow-up repairs on the homes of CWC clients, providing them with safer, more comfortable, and more efficient homes.

Since my auditor training, I have become very active in the CWC, even serving as its interim volunteer coordinator for a few months this past summer. One of my major goals is to help expand the CWC’s operations locally and to replicate the CWC model in other communities. As someone who has never owned a home however, I have been acutely aware that there is a significant portion of the population which is unable to benefit from our services. So a few months ago, I helped forge a partnership between the CWC and another great local organization, Neutral Gator (http://neutralgator.org/), in order to take the CWC model and expand it to the rental market. The good folks at Neutral Gator had already been organizing some CFL exchanges in the name of offsetting the UF Athletics Program’s carbon emissions, so the partnership with the CWC was a great opportunity to expand both organizations’ programs.

Our first “target” in what we’ve come to call the “Renters’ Initiative” has been Village & Forest Green apartments in east Gainesville. We’ve worked closely with the fantastic management staff at the apartments and, over the past few months, have brought volunteers together to provide free audits and retrofits to nearly half of Village Green’s 200 apartments. In our follow-up discussions with residents, it’s clear that they’ve enjoyed the new showerheads, aerators, and lightbulbs that they’ve received, and many have already realized significant savings on their utility bills. We’ve also uncovered significant opportunities for follow-up work (e.g., added insulation) that could make an even bigger difference.

We’re winding down the first phase of our Village Green project, and are already in discussion with the city and county housing authority to figure out where we’ll be headed next. But what’s clear is that there is a significant need for this effort in our community, and that this project will continue until we’ve helped everyone who needs it. Another great aspect of this project is that it’s created great new volunteer opportunities for people looking to get out and support their community. At each event, we spend the first two hours providing training, then partner new volunteers with people who have some experience with this sort of work. Local businesses such as CH2MHill and Indigo have also provided material support. So what are you waiting for?!? Come on out and get involved; you’ll have a great day helping folks in need and making our community more energy efficient, and I can almost guarantee you’ll learn something that you’ll be able to implement in your own home.

The next CWC/Neutral Gator day of action at Village and Forest Green will take place Saturday, November 14th at 10 am. New volunteers will receive a training from 10-12, but returning volunteers can get started on audits right away. We’ll also be providing lunch for all participants. If you have any questions or would like to support this initiative in any way, please contact Angelica (angelica@neutralgator.org) or Jason (jasonfults@gmail.com; 352-318-0060). Even if you can’t make it out on Saturday, please take a look at Neutral Gator, the CWC, and the CWC’s partner organizations like Rebuilding Together (http://rebuildingtogetherncf.org/). These groups are all doing some amazing work in our community and I can assure you, they’ll make great use of whatever resources you have to offer.