Submitted by Northwest Energy Team
Spring is when we start thinking seriously about big home improvement projects in Thurston County. As you’re gearing up, take a look at what you can do to make your home more comfortable and your energy bills lower next time the cold weather rolls around.
This Thursday, March 21, from 5 – 6:30 p.m. at the Lacey Timberland Library experts on building science, efficient heat sources, and solar power are available to answer your questions on what you can do to make your home more comfortable and your electricity bills lower. This is the Home Efficiency Action Training (HEAT) workshop. It is free and open to the public.
Before you begin ripping out walls it’s best to have a plan. You know you want the end result to be a more energy efficient, more comfortable home. How to get there can look like a cluttered path. What you’d like is a little guidance and some expert advice to make your path clearer. And no sales pitch, if you please, thank you. Right?
Marty Hemmann went to the HEAT workshop this January. “My baseboard heaters were noisy. Really noisy! They were inefficient and expensive and we were cold and uncomfortable. We had had enough. I went to the [HEAT] workshop to see what our options were.
“I thought I was going to get some information about things people were selling. What I got was an education,” says Hemmann. “There are so many options for improving my home; it was good to be able to have them explained clearly and to get my questions answered.”
Hemmann chose to have an infrared inspection and blower door test done on his home. He used the test results as a reference and guide while gathering bids for energy efficiency improvements on his home. He took those results to Paul Ivy of Northwest Energy Team, who was also at the HEAT workshop.
“I did the proper thing and got three bids. I chose Northwest Energy Team because I knew they were on the same page as I was. Talking to them at the workshop gave me a feel for their approach. That took some of the strain out of the experience. And they are helping me fill out the rebate forms!”
Northwest Energy Team used the infrared and blower door report to guide their work on Hemmann’s home. They sealed up the air leaks, including the big ones in the skylights, and installed a ductless heat pump to replace the noisy and costly baseboard heaters.
After meeting Brent Foster of Northwest Infrared, George and Martha Dickins decided to have him inspect their inherited 1970’s home. “It had a lot ‘deferred maintenance’ (ie: it needed work),” says Martha. “We knew there were potential problems but we didn’t know where to start and what was most important to deal with. With Brent it was all about education. He had nothing to sell – he doesn’t work for any product company – so we felt we could trust his advice. He helped us figure out what was worth spending money on and what wasn’t.”
The Dickins decided to do all the improvements they can — energy efficient and otherwise – in one fell swoop. Northwest Energy Team put in a ductless heat pump, insulated and sealed off air leaks. “It’s a huge project; we’re stripping the house down to the studs. We got good advice and chose Northwest Energy Team because they respected that advice. And clearly they do good work.”
Matt Cooper went to the HEAT workshop to meet Kirk Haffner of South Sound Solar. “With all the rebates and credits available, we’ve been looking closely at solar,” says Cooper. “I found differing information on the web. A lot of white papers focus on solar performance in California or Germany. I couldn’t find much on solar in Western Washington. I appreciated being able to hear the facts, in person, from Kirk and get them straight.”
Haffner says, “We like to do these workshops because it gives folks a chance to really think about how energy efficiency works in a home. We get people calling us to help lower their electricity bills and our response is: first make your home more efficient. Then call us. Yes, solar is the ultimate renewable energy source. However, your home needs to operate a basic level of energy efficiency or you’re not going to get the full benefit of an investment in solar.”
For more information, attend the workshop at the Lacey Timberland Library on March 21 at 5:00 pm.
