Posts tagged Home Energy Makeover
Local residents win Home Energy Makeover with EnergySmart
0November 1, 2012
Reichert family will receive $20,000 worth of energy upgrades
Boulder County, Colo. – John Reichert and his family received a pleasant surprise today when the Boulder County Commissioners and EnergySmart staffers visited to award them the Grand Prize in the EnergySmart Home Energy Makeover.
The Home Energy Makeover grand prize, valued at approximately $20,000, includes a new energy efficient furnace, air sealing and insulation upgrades to the attic and crawlspace/basement, an energy efficient water heater, cooling system upgrades, and $4,000 to use for recommended energy upgrades of the homeowner’s choosing.
John and Kathleen Reichert live in Boulder with their son, James, 6. They purchased their home intending to make it a more sustainable place to raise their family. “Have you ever been caught by a six-year-old for putting an aluminum can in the trash?” John said. Shortly after moving in, however, John’s position at work was eliminated and Kathleen’s hospice-care salary didn’t allow for the planned upgrades.
The Reichert family made it through three rounds of selection to win the grand prize. In round one, their home was identified as one of the top fifteen poorest performing homes having received an EnergySmart assessment.
In round two, the Reicherts submitted a short essay explaining why they needed a Home Energy Makeover, which was selected as one of three finalists by a panel of local energy expert judges. In round three, the three finalists were interviewed and the Reicherts were chosen as the best fit for the award.
Earlier this week, four homes won equal second place prizes, including a new energy efficient furnace, home air sealing and insulation upgrades, and $1,500 to use toward a recommended energy upgrade of the homeowner’s choice.
Contest prizes were largely donated by local contractors:
• Grand Prize package: Solar City
• Insulation/air sealing: EcoHandyman, ThermalCraft Insulation, EcoSmart Homes, ERC Insulation.
• Furnace installations: Service Experts, SAC Mechanical
EnergySmart focuses on improvements that will reduce energy waste, improve comfort, and produce cost-savings for both residential and business participants. Services include energy assessments and expert advisor assistance with finding contractors and all available rebates and financing options for energy efficiency upgrades.
Since the program’s launch in January 2011, EnergySmart has helped more than 6,600 residents and 2,200 businesses throughout Boulder County.
EnergySmart is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the U.S. Department of Energy’s BetterBuildings grant program and is sponsored in partnership by Boulder County, the City of Boulder’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) tax, the City of Longmont, Xcel Energy and Platte River Power Authority. For more information, visit www.EnergySmartYES.com or call 303-544-1000 (for homes) or 303-441-1300 (for businesses).
Related posts:
Four Boulder County homes win $10,000 second-prize Home Energy Makeovers
0October 30, 2012
Grand Prize winner to be announced later this week
Boulder County, Colo. – Four lucky Boulder County homeowners received a pleasant surprise today when EnergySmart staffers showed up to award them with $10,000 worth of home energy upgrades.
The four homes announced today won equal second-place prizes in EnergySmart’s Home Energy Makeover contest. The prizes include a new energy efficient furnace, home air sealing and insulation upgrades, and $1,500 to use toward a recommended energy upgrade of the homeowner’s choice. Each winning home was randomly selected from all entries of homes needing these upgrades.
Second-Prize Winners
- Cara Owen, Longmont
- The Owens’ master bedroom was scorching in the summer and frigid in the winter. They bought a space heater and didn’t realize until EnergySmart came in that insulation and air sealing could fix the temperature by using less energy instead of more. They want to leave their home in better condition than when they bought it, so someday another family can be happy there.
- Matt and Katie Birkholz, Boulder
- The Birkholz family recently moved into their home to be close to the kids’ school. They bike every day and try to be sustainable, but their home is pretty leaky and uses an old heating system. They’re looking forward to being more environmentally friendly and much cozier after these new upgrades.
- LaToya Braun, Louisville
- When she was shopping for her family house, LaToya loved the neighborhood so much that she didn’t realize how inefficient the house was. The original coal-burning furnace was converted to natural gas, and the original windows add charm, but not much warmth. She’s excited to be staying a lot warmer this winter!
- Wendy Wyss, Unincorporated Boulder County
- The Wyss family wanted to invest in long-term value, and put solar panels on their home shortly after moving in. When they got an energy assessment from EnergySmart, they were surprised at how leaky the house was, especially around the kitchen can lights. They’re looking forward to tightening up the house and reducing their wasted energy.
The Home Energy Makeover grand prize, valued at approximately $20,000, will be announced later this week. The Grand Prize package includes a new energy efficient furnace, air sealing and insulation upgrades to the attic and crawlspace/basement, an energy efficient water heater, cooling system upgrades, and $4,000 to use for recommended energy upgrades of the homeowner’s choosing.
Contest prizes were largely donated by local contractors:
- Insulation/air sealing: EcoHandyman, ThermalCraft Insulation, EcoSmart Homes, ERC Insulation.
- Furnace installations: Service Experts, SAC Mechanical
- Grand Prize package: Solar City
EnergySmart focuses on improvements that will reduce energy waste, improve comfort, and produce cost-savings for both residential and business participants. Services include energy assessments and expert advisor assistance with finding contractors and all available rebates and financing options for energy efficiency upgrades. Since the program’s launch in January 2011, EnergySmart has helped more than 6,600 residents and 2,200 businesses throughout Boulder County.
EnergySmart is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the U.S. Department of Energy’s BetterBuildings grant program and is sponsored in partnership by Boulder County, the cities of Boulder and Longmont, Xcel Energy and Platte River Power Authority. For more information, visitwww.EnergySmartYES.com or call 303-544-1000 (for homes) or 303-441-1300 (for businesses).
Related posts:
EnergySmart announces Home Energy Makeover contest
0July 5, 2012
County residents eligible for $60,000 in energy upgrade prizes this summer
Boulder County, Colo. – All residents in Boulder County who sign up for a home energy assessment from EnergySmart before Friday, Aug. 31 will be eligible to win a Home Energy Makeover.
One Grand Prize winner will receive a whole-house makeover, valued at up to $20,000. The Grand Prize package includes a new energy efficient furnace, air sealing and insulation upgrades to the attic and crawlspace/basement, an energy efficient water heater, cooling system upgrades, and $4,000 to use for recommended energy upgrades of the homeowner’s choosing.
Four second place winners will each win prize packages worth up to $10,000. Second Place Prize packages include a new energy efficient furnace, home air sealing and insulation upgrades, and $1,500 to use toward a recommended energy upgrade of the homeowner’s choosing. One winner will be selected from each of four geographical “regions” of the county: City of Boulder, City of Longmont, East County (including Erie, Lafayette, Louisville and Superior), and mountain towns/unincorporated county (including Lyons, Nederland, Jamestown, Ward, Allenspark, Niwot, Gunbarrel, etc.).
The contest prizes are largely donated by local contractors, including Solar City, Service Experts, EcoHandyman, ThermalCraft Insulation, EcoSmart Homes, ERC Insulation, and SAC Mechanical. The remaining prizes are provided through federal grant funding.
The Home Energy Makeover contest is open to residents in all Boulder County communities. Winning homes must be owner-occupied and must need energy improvements. Residents are encouraged to register even if they live in newer homes or don’t think they need energy upgrades.
Boulder resident Megan Cuzzolino benefited from EnergySmart, even in a relatively new home. “I was surprised that my 2006 condo didn’t have much insulation,” Cuzzolino said. “After air sealing and insulating, my condo has been cozier all year round.”
EnergySmart focuses on improvements that will reduce energy waste, improve comfort, and produce cost-savings for both residential and business participants. Services include energy assessments and expert advisor assistance with finding contractors and all available rebates and financing options for energy efficiency upgrades. Since the program’s launch in January 2011, EnergySmart has helped more than 5,500 residents and 1,800 businesses throughout Boulder County.
EnergySmart is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the U.S. Department of Energy’s BetterBuildings grant program and is sponsored in partnership by Boulder County, the cities of Boulder and Longmont, Xcel Energy and Platte River Power Authority. For more information, visit www.EnergySmartYES.com or call 303-544-1000 (for homes) or 303-441-1300 (for businesses).
-B
