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Green Your Home-Combat Global Warming!
 Once again, Greening Oakland Homes is partnering with Energy Upgrade California in Alameda County and the City of Oakland in a Home-Energy Forum. If you are considering retrofitting your home and are looking for ways to make it easy and affordable, this seminar is a must as your first step!
Learn about real Rebates and Incentives, and talk to the experts.
Energy Upgrade California is a one-stop-shop for home improvement projects that will save you money, lower your energy use, and make your home healthier and more comfortable. Homeowners can get up to $4,000 back in rebates when you make your home more energy efficient, and there are local contractors who are trained and ready to do the work today. You can also get a $300 rebate on a comprehensive energy assessment through February 2012.
A new program called Energize for the Prize also donates money to local schools when you get an energy upgrade! Learn how it works and get your school on the list at here.
Please join us for a homeowner information event in Oakland where you can learn about these incredible opportunities, meet Participating Contractors, and have all your questions answered. This event is free.
Tuesday, January 31, 6:30 to 8:00pm
Rockridge Library
5366 College Ave, Oakland, CA
RSVP here
 With today’s high energy costs and increased emphasis on energy conservation and environmental restrictions, more homeowners need an Energy Audit to improve energy efficiency, increase energy savings, lower heating costs and help the environment in the process.
Not only will a Home Energy Audit save you money in the future, it can help you:
- Prioritize home improvement projects
- Calculate your potential savings
- Help with choosing the right contractors
- Make you eligible for local, state and federal rebates and tax credits!
And now, Greening Oakland Homes is pleased to announce a new program jointly subsidized by the City of Oakland and PG&E that will reimburse $200 to any Oakland homeowner who gets a Home Energy Audit from an approved Home Performance Auditor. In most cases, this is enough to cover 100% of the cost for the Audit.
Not Just Solar
Audit analysis is not limited to just solar solutions for energy savings. They use a whole-house energy savings approach. Each on-site audit is customized to the property, and uses the latest technology and computer modeling to assess which measures will be most beneficial, both in terms of cost and actual energy savings.
This joint endeavor is administered by the COMMUNITY ENERGY SERVICES CORPORATION (CESC) SmartSolar Program. Here are the steps to apply for your $200 Home Energy Audit Reimbursement:
Step 1 - Visit their website at http://www.ebenergy.org/smartsolar-residential/
Step 2 - Click the ebenergy.org link to begin the enrollment process
Step 3 - CESC will do a free analysis of your energy usage and your home’s suitability for solar installation without obligation to initiate a project.
Step 4 - After your Home Energy Audit is completed and paid for, CESC will reimburse you $200 for the audits, which will be enough to cover the entire cost of the Audit in most cases.
Upon request, CESC offers independent consultation to help with decision-making and choosing green-certified contractors.
For more information and to apply for this Home Energy Audit reimbursement, contact CESC at 510.981.7750 or send an email to smartsolar@ebenergy.org – By Vicky Friedman
At a recent seminar about energy audits, we learned that your home ducts are the place to save energy. “Please replace your ducts,” declared expert Scott Lowery, who works with Building Solutions.
It turns out that some 30 percent of energy leaks through the average Californian homeowner’s ducts. Yet something this elementary, which pays back quickly, commonly gets ignored. We asked Lowery why people don’t pay attention to the basics and he laughed, “it’s boring.”
According to Building Solutions, “testing and sealing duct systems is one of the most cost-effective energy improvements available for residential buildings. In addition to energy savings, proper sizing, sealing or replacing ducts can lead to dramatic improvements in indoor air quality and comfort.”
You should also examine the sealing around plumbing and other penetrations, because leaks happen there too. If these entries are insulated, then you will reduce energy consumption – not to mention block out rodents, a twofer.
Through an energy audit, many systems are checked out as well as every room in your home. The fundamentals boil down to testing insulation, air sealing, duct sealing, lighting and appliances. It seems worth your time and energy, and essential to qualify for various rebates, tax breaks and other financial incentives coming down the pike.
P.S. We suggest reading this article by Oaklander Gene Anderson, who arranged for an energy audit and shared what he learned – plus there are some cool pictures of the testing devices!
Save on your energy bill and enjoy a healthier home! Come to a special seminar, on Saturday, May 8th, to learn about home energy auditing, with expert Building Solutions.
What: Getting Started – Home Energy Conservation
When: Saturday, May 8th, 11am – 12pm
Where: Temescal Tool Lending Library, 5205 Telegraph Ave (map)
Cost: No cost, it’s free to all comers
Get the prescription for “green” ways to improve your home’s energy efficiency and comfort from Building Solutions’ staff. Learn how a home energy audit works, what the most cost-effective solutions are – and how you can get started. This is an educational hour worth your time, and definitely not a sales pitch!
It’s conveniently taking place at Oakland’s Temescal Library which has a lending tool library. So after the seminar, perhaps you will be inspired to check out a few tools and begin tinkering at home as well.
Today the State of California is putting finishing touches on a statewide green building code, effective next January. California plans to levy fees based on greenhouse emissions, rather than wait around to see what Uncle Sam’s doing to impact climate change.
There’s been plenty of buzzing about homeowners and what’s expected of them. If we decrease our energy consumption, then families should expect tax breaks or dividend checks worth up to $1,000 – pretty sweet!
The Economic and Allocation Advisory Committee, a 16-person state panel, is behind all these conservation plans. Unfortunately, there’s a political problem because their recommended green standards aren’t, well, standard. And there’s a two-tiered approach that’s a bit confusing right now.
Meanwhile a more stringent and generally-accepted set of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (aka LEED) standards are already followed by builders and contractors these days. Some 50 California cities and jurisdictions already comply with these standards, too.
The new statewide code won’t meet these LEED requirements. It’s no surprise that protests have already begun, with all the national green and environmental groups delivering a letter to Sacramento. We are pleased with any progress, but ignoring the accepted standards is a head-scratcher!
More info: USA Today - LA Times - The WSJ - SF Chronicle – Twitter Search Results
January 14th Update: As expected, California’s green-building code was approved on Wednesday. This first-in-the nation standard goes live next year – and is an important progress point.
Even in climate-perfect Oakland, we get hit with winter’s chilly temps. There are a couple things you can do to winterize your home and save energy costs, starting with an old-fashioned treasure hunt for leaky places.
Yes, we suggest that you take a good look at every window and door. Then go ahead and investigate openings like mail chutes, electrical/gas service entrances, cable TV and phone lines, outdoor water faucets, dryer and other vents, and air conditioners.
How do you detect leaks? According to the U.S. Energy Department, leakages may be identified through these test approaches:
- Light test – “Shine flashlight at night over all potential gaps while a partner observes the house from outside. Large cracks will show up as rays of light.”
- Paper test – “Shut a door or window on a piece of paper. If you can pull the paper out without tearing it, you’re losing energy.”
- Smoke test – “Light an incense stick and pass it around the edges of common leak sites. Wherever the smoke is sucked out of or blown into the room, there’s a draft.”
We understand this smoke test provides the most complete leak detection. In our opinion, the incense smoke works best when you start chanting too. Only kidding! Remember that anywhere smoke’s getting sucked out is a leak, and keep track.
If you’re a homeowner, then you can “go green” by relying on the experts. There’s no need to earn your masters degree in environmental engineering anymore.
Through the Build It Green clearinghouse, we discovered 539 GreenPoint raters living the Bay Area. Some of these experts are certified to rate existing homes…which also comes in handy around here.
Here’s one local rater that caught our attention. This auditor works on homes and smaller projects, based in Oakland:
- George Nesbitt, Oakland - george-at-houseisasystem.com, 510-655-8532 (l) or 510-599-5708 (c). Also check out Nesbitt’s House Is A System web site.
There are several other raters located in the 510 area code, too. You might ask them to review your home or else recommend others nearby:
- Russell Bayba, Berkeley - russellbayba-at-yahoo.com, 510-666-8257 (l)
- Amy Dryden, Oakland – aldryden-at-hotmail.com, 510-435-8443 (c)
- Robert Harold, San Pablo – r.harold-at-sbcglobal.net, 510-710-8797 (l)
- Marc Richmond, Berkeley – marc-at-practicaconsulting.com, 510-524-5889 (l)
Not sure what to ask? For bigger-picture guidance, we suggest reaching Practica Consulting’s Marc Richmond (listed above). Since this group helped design Build It Green, they know the ratings landscape well.
Our advice is to dip your toes before jumping into the water. It would be a shame if you proceeded with projects that sound like you’ll save energy – but won’t truly pay off.
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