On June 26, at the Cambridge, MA YWCA Emergency Family Shelter, about 30 people from Home Energy Efficiency Team (HEET)

Reduced the leakiness of the building by 12% (reducing the air leakage by 1,500 cubic feet per minute as tested by a pre and post blower door test.  Each 100 cfm reduction = 7 therms of gas savings.  Thus saving $1,480 for them over the next decade in heating.)

Installed 20 cfls [compact fluorescent lights] (saving probably $11 per year on each one because of the high occupancy of the building)

Installed 3 incandescent exit signs with LED retrofit kits (saving 36 watts per bulb  24 hours a day all year long.  Since there were 2 bulbs in each of the 3 signs this will save over $388 in total per year)

Installed 7 low flow showerheads (each saving $42 each in heating the water and $26 in water and sewer charges) $476

Installed 2 programmable thermostats which can save up to 10% on heating if used to turn the temperature down during the winter when no one is home or everyone is sleeping.

We did other work too, but we should save the shelter at least $14,260 in total in energy bills over the next decade.  

Thanks for all your work.

Here’s the announcement and work plan that HEET sent out before the event:

Weatherization Barnraising

Saturday, June 26th

12:30-5:00 p.m.

Attic air-sealing Saturday, June 19th 9-2

Cambridge YWCA Emergency Family Shelter

3 Bigelow Street, Cambridge

Pitch in to help 10 homeless families who live at the shelter

Lower vast energy bills for the shelter so it can help the families more

Learn skills that can save you $$ at home

Fight climate change

Share food & celebrate after a job well done

No skills necessary – training on the job!!

Work includes:

• An easy and cheap way to fix old vinyl replacement windows so they easily close again

• Air-sealing an incredibly leaky attic

• Using caulk and sprayfoam to stop air leaks

• Saving water and electricity

• Installing programmable thermostats

• Masonry, plastering, and more

If you want to take part in the attic air-sealing, check the box on the form

www.heetma.com

heet.cambridge@gmail.com

617-491-6761

Organized by HEET (Home Energy Efficiency Team), a Cambridge-based co-op that brings neighbors together to weatherize our homes and take the energy future into our own hands.

Co-sponsored by Cambridge Energy Alliance

HEET has been doing monthly weatherization barnraisings since the summer of 2008 and are looking for new homes to weatherize.  Cambridge is not the only community doing weatherization barnraisings.  HEET now has links to some 25 groups.

crossposted to dailykos.com, bluemassgroup.com, and eurotrib.com

 Loading ...