E-Conservation Residential
Energy Education Program
Laura Langham
E-Conservation Program Manager
Dr. Sarah Kirby
Associate Professor
and Housing Specialist
North Carolina
Cooperative Extension
Mission:
North Carolina Cooperative Extension partners with
communities to deliver education and technology that
enriches the lives, land and economy of North Carolina.
Personnel:
381 faculty and staff at NCSU
694 faculty and staff in county locations (407 county agents)
46,081 volunteers.
Facilities:
101 county offices, 2 Regional Extension Centers,
6 4-H Camps and Education Centers
Partners:
County Governments, USDA, other land grant
universities, Energy Efficiency Contractors, etc.
E-Conservation
Residential Energy Education Program
• Provides consumers with education about ways to
reduce energy use and increase energy efficiency in
the home
• Teaches consumers to be proactive in reducing
energy consumption through no/low cost measures,
maximizing utility and government energy efficiency
offers, behavioral changes, and home retrofits
• State Energy Office Funding
E-Conservation Program
Reaches
consumers
through
outreach
efforts of
local county
Cooperative
Extension
Offices
Participating Counties – Last Contract Cycle
2008 - 2011
Plus Cherokee Indian
Reservation
E-Conservation Program
Reaches consumers through:
– Workshops
– Website
– Newsletters
– Fact sheets
– Media Releases
– Community service activities
– Energy Master Program
– Home Energy Assessments and Retrofits
- Social Media (Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter)
Residential Energy Assessments
Funding for 100
Assessments
with Retrofits
Residential Energy Assessments
$500 total cost per home
• $400 covered by E-Conservation
• $100 covered by Homeowner
Distribution of the $500 per home:
• $150 of cost goes toward home assessment
• $350 of cost goes toward identified low-cost retrofit
– (Materials and labor)
Residential Energy Assessments
Objectives:
Reduce energy use and lower homeowner utility costs by:
•Providing each participant with a home energy assessment
•Conducting low-cost retrofits to participating homes
•Educating the homeowner about their home energy uses and needs
•Demonstrating how energy is being used in the participant’s home
•Providing each participant with home energy education that will:
– Increase awareness, interest, and knowledge about home energy
conservation strategies
– Encourage and enable participants to make behavioral changes that
will reduce their energy use.
Residential Energy Assessments
Strategies:
Participants will
participate in one or
more of the
presentations from
the E-Conservation
Home Energy
Management Series
led by Cooperative
Extension Field Staff.
Residential Energy Assessments
Strategies:
Participants will
receive a home energy
assessment from an
E-Conservation Energy
Assessment Professional.
Residential Energy Assessments
Strategies:
Participants will engage in conducting basic retrofits,
assisted by E-Conservation energy
assessment/retrofit professionals.
Residential Energy Assessments
Strategies:
Participants will share their
residential utility usage
information with EConservation and participate
in E-Conservation surveys.
Residential Energy Assessments
Strategies:
E-Conservation will:
•Conduct E-Conservation Home Energy
Management Series workshops statewide
– led by Cooperative Extension Field Staff
•Conduct an energy assessment of the
participant’s home
– Performed by Professional Home Energy
Assessor / Retrofitter
Residential Energy Assessments
Strategies:
E-Conservation will:
•Educate participant and family about their home’s
energy conservation needs during the home
assessment
– Led by Professional Home Energy Assessor /
Retrofitter (Field Staff may participate)
•Provide participants with a written home energy
efficiency assessment report
– Provided by Professional Home Energy Assessor
Residential Energy Assessments
Strategies:
E-Conservation will:
• Install a package of energy conservation measures
that will reduce overall energy use and household
energy costs.
• Track utility usage of participating homes to:
– Evaluate program impacts on utility usage
– Continue to engage and educate homeowners
Residential Energy Assessments
We are in the process of developing the guidelines for the
residential energy assessments. They will address:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Air leakage
Insulation
Heating and Cooling
Duct leakage
Lighting
Electronics
Appliances
Windows
Homeowner Behaviors
Residential Energy
Conservation Measures (Retrofits)
Examples of Retrofit Items:
• Water heater temperature check and adjustment
• Simple air sealing - Caulking and weatherstripping
• Checking HVAC filters
Installation of:
•
•
•
•
Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
Water Heater Wrap and Insulation for Water Pipes
Low-Flow Faucet Aerators
Low-Flow Showerheads
Energy Master Program
• Overview of energy efficiency and renewable energy
for homeowners who want to expand their knowledge
and provide community support through volunteerism
• Empowers homeowners to make wise energy decisions
• Educates volunteers for the benefit of their
communities
Energy Master Program
• Intended for
– Homeowners
– Retirees
– Recent college graduates
– Realtors
– Educators
– Interested members of the general public
Energy Master Program
Course Content Sample:
Residential Energy Efficiency and Energy Assessments
•Provides information on home energy efficiency
including how energy is used in North Carolina homes,
costs and payback periods for various energy efficiency
upgrades, demonstration of a home energy
assessment by a home energy professional, and
instruction on conducting a basic walk-through home
energy assessment.
Goal of Collaboration:
Expand and extend
our ability to educate and
support homeowners
in reducing their
home energy needs
Collaboration Opportunities
Assessments and Retrofits (100 homes):
•Sharing of utility usage for homes receiving program
assessments and retrofits (100 homes)
•Expanding beyond the 100 homes in the E-Conservation
budget and/or increase budget per household for retrofits
•Maximizing retrofits through existing rebates and offers
•Supply materials such as light bulbs, sealing/insulation
materials, etc.
•Other possibilities?
Utility Usage Information
Collaboration Opportunities
Workshops:
•Utility Company representative speak/co-present at homeowner
workshops to share information such as rebates, online services,
and energy conservation opportunities.
– provides a venue to engage with a self-identified group of energy
conscience homeowners.
•Provide “freebies” to customers who attend E-Conservation
educational workshops.
•Provide Workshop Presenters with hands-on materials and
literature to share with participants.
•Workshop Promotion to Customers
Collaboration Opportunities
Master Energy Program
• Provide resources
• Provide subject matter expertise
• Provide training materials
• Provide hands-on materials
• Support with funding
• Other possibilities?
http://energy.ces.ncsu.edu/
Pinterest
Questions?
Sarah Kirby, Project Director
Sarah_Kirby@ncsu.edu
919-515-9154
Laura Langham, Program Manager
Laura_Langham@ncsu.edu
919-515-8474