HOMEWOOD RESIDENTS enjoy food and refreshments at an event celebrating those who completed the Grassroots Green Homes program.
by Christian Morrow, Courier Staff Writer
In the spring of 2018, Conservation Consultants Inc. began a program to teach Homewood residents how to make their homes healthier and more energy efficient. By the time it ended last month, 326 homeowners and renters had participated—the most ever in the nonprofit’s history.
So they and their partners at Operation Better Block celebrated the residents’ engagement and achievements with awards and a buffet provided by Showcase Barbeque.
Alison Steele, community programs director for CCI, said she was pleased and somewhat surprised by the enthusiasm and gratitude the participants showed.
“I thought we’d done a good job, but the amount of cheers and applauds; the people really seemed glad we had come,” she said. “Some said it was the first winter they’d felt warm in their homes. The comments made me happy and pleasantly surprised to know that we had helped.”
Steele said the program involved a “friendly competition” among the participants to see who could adopt the most tips and tools for increasing energy efficiency. Tips included things like doing laundry in cold water; lowering the temperature setting on the hot water heater; and CCI also provided tools like caulk, weather stripping, plastic for sealing windows, door sweeps, and brushes to clean refrigerator coils.
“We also gave out thermometers that also have hydrometers to keep track of humidity,” said Steele. “And we had guest speakers make presentations about mold, radon, tips on using green cleaning products.”
In the end, participants realized significant energy savings. In its first two Grassroots Green Homes phases—run with McAuley Ministries in Uptown in 2016; and in Central Northside in 2017—the average seasonal savings on electricity was 15 percent (summer) and 13 percent (winter). The seasonal gas savings was 17 percent (summer) and 8 percent (winter). Steele hasn’t seen the data from the utilities for Homewood yet, but she expects even greater savings.
“We did see a drastic improvement in energy usage,” she said. “In the first rounds, (we) saw an about 15 percent (gas savings), but we had more participation here.”
And those who participated the most—adopting the most tips, using the most tools, becoming energy coaches, volunteering—were celebrated and given more tools including smart strips and programmable thermostats.
Though Danita Massie didn’t top any of the individual categories, because of her overall involvement—coaching, volunteering, adopting tips and tools, conducting surveys, phone banking and Facebooking—she was celebrated as the program’s “Star Participant” and said the whole experience was great.
“I loved it. It’s something we needed in this neighborhood, I grew up here, it helps everybody, especially with these old houses—the ones that are still standing,” she said. “I loved the program. The presenters and demonstrators were very helpful, they were nice and I’m glad to see them come to low income neighborhoods. So anything they come up with I’m going to jump on.”
She won’t have to wait long. Steele said CCI’s next on-the-ground effort will be focused in Homewood again, and in Wilkinsburg, with a partnership with Nate Burden, a certified radon professional for radon and healthy homes screening. For more information on that initiative, call 412-431-4623.
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