Low-income HEET Home Efficiency Upgrade

 

Organization: Home Energy Efficiency Team

Location: Cambridge, MA

 Project Description: HEET (Home Energy Efficiency Team) organizes free weatherization parties to teach volunteers how to lower their energy bills and carbon emissions. Work takes place in Cambridge area low-income homes or nonprofits creating the additional benefit of energy savings in those buildings. Every project receives a thorough audit before each event including blower door tests, combustion analysis, and more. This ensures that the work completed will effectively lower energy use. During the event, projects are focused on air-sealing (stopping drafts) electrical efficiency and water efficiency measures.

Total Cost: $407

More About This Project:

Project technologies:

  • Weatherization
  • Electricity Efficiency
  • Water Efficiency

 Energy Economics:

  • Lifetime Savings in Energy Costs for an average non-profit: $7,400
    • A $55 donation will save a local non-profit $1000
    • A $110 donation will save a local non-profit $2000
  • Source of $ savings:
    • Lower heating, electricity, and water bills

GHG Economics: 

  • CO2 lifetime savings: 24,990 lbs
    • One ton of CO2 emissions can be eliminated with a $32.57 donation
  • Source of CO2 savings:
    • Lower electricity usage results in lower emissions at the power plant
    • Lower consumption of heating fuel directly lowers CO2 emissions

Green info: Air-sealing a home keeps a home more comfortable, less drafty, with less vermin and with a higher resale value. Altogether over 12 tons of CO2 and 109,000 gallons of water will be saved over the next decade.

More About HEET:

HEET (Home Energy Efficiency Team) is volunteer driven weatherization organization founded in August of 2008.  Just as 18th and 19th century communities came together to help each other, HEET brings individuals together today to combat climate change.  Volunteers give their time in return for learning the skills necessary to weatherize their home and reduce their energy consumption; buildings that host HEET events receive free weatherization upgrades and the resulting cost savings. Community members meet each other, learn for each other, and work together, to build a stronger, greener community.  The work that HEET does has been recognized through an EPA Environmental Merit Award, a Cambridge GoGreen Award and a MCAN Climate Superstar Award. www.HEETma.com.