Free Home Energy Makover
By Shawn Dell Joyce
The Ten Percent Challenge is presenting a series of workshops to help people get a free or inexpensive home energy audit.
These workshops, known as Home Energy Makeovers, provide detailed information about such programs of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) as Home Performance with Energy Star; Green Jobs–Green N.Y., and the new On-Bill Recovery Loan Program.
Utilizing even one of these programs could help homeowners save up to $700 on their energy bills while making their homes more comfortable.
Here are the details of three upcoming Home Energy Makeovers:
–Saturday, Feb. 25, 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Albert Wisner Public Library, 1 McFarland Drive in Warwick.
–Saturday, March 3, 10:30 a. m. to noon at the Newburgh Free Library, 124 Grand St., in Newburgh.
–Thursday, March 8, 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Walden Village Hall, 3rd Floor, at 1 Municipal Square in Walden.
You can fill out an application on the spot if you bring your past utility bills or a 12-month summary of electric and heating usage. You can also register for the Ten Percent Challenge and become part of a county-wide effort to reduce energy usage and costs by 10 percent or more this year.
Some big news from NYSERDA for towns and villages is that the New York Department of State is accepting applications for Local Government Efficiency (LGE) grants to reduce municipal expenses, and property taxes, by helping municipalities plan and implement projects that have positive impacts on taxpayers. LGE projects must demonstrate new opportunities for financial savings and operational efficiencies. This is especially important for municipalities like Walden, Montgomery and Maybrook, which have already pledged to reduce their energy use by 10 percent, as part of the Ten Percent Challenge.
NYSERDA’s FlexTech program offers cost-sharing incentives to help local leaders identify and implement cost-effective energy measures, including energy procurement and renewable generation projects.
If homeowners are looking for renewable energy systems to reduce operating costs, NYSERDA also offers significant incentives for solar panels, small wind-, and solar-thermal systems.
There also is a new program that allows you to finance the efficiency upgrades and renewable energy systems through your utility bill, meaning the cost of owning a solar hot water system is financed at a very low rate and deducted from your energy savings on your monthly bill. You don’t notice the added expense because it’s financed to be less than the energy savings; your monthly bill doesn’t increase but your energy efficiency does.
These programs and incentives don’t last long, so come to a Home Energy Makeover to learn how to take advantage of these programs. If you have any questions, contact Meridith Nierenberg, at Mid-Hudson Energy $mart Communities, meridith.nierenberg@gmail.com or 845-331-2238, or the Ten Percent Challenge at sites.google.com/site/sustainablemontgomery/ or on facebook/MontgomeryTenPercent.
Shawn Dell Joyce is the director of the Wallkill River School in Montgomery. www.WallkillRiverSchool.com
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