Home Energy Makeover Semi-finalist: Bruce D

Thanks so much to everyone who participated in the EnergySmart Home Energy Makeover contest!  Over the next few weeks we will share the stories of all our semi-finalists.  Enjoy!

Why our house needs a Home Energy Makeover, by Bruce D.

The Drogsvold Family

For 24 years we have called 5^th street home. Our Children were born and raised here; our son was born on the living room couch. In 1990 we planted a tree for each member of the family, and today the trees are all grown up, just like our children. Our house is filled with rich family memories; but like most 100-year-old homes in Boulder, it wastes tons of energy.

"Bessie", the inefficient 100-year old boiler.

The EnergySmart Program provides us with a unique opportunity to reduce our carbon footprint and our utility bills simultaneously. We recently discovered our century-old boiler was merely 40 percent efficient, the attic has only 15R insulation, and the house, overall was very very leaky.

After partnering with our energy advisor, ERC Insulation, and Elevations Credit Union for 4-months, we expect to save energy and money by making a few key home improvements.

This knowledge has also prompted me to share the importance of energy audits, blower door tests, air-sealing procedures, LED lighting and energy efficiency with my real estate clients and colleagues. 

Thank you dear home 

For everything you give

For your warmth, your shelter

And for this place to live

For your contstant protection 

And a roof over our head 

For providing cozy rooms 

To put our children to bed

For keeping us safe 

When we're sleeping at night

For helping our family

Know everything's alright

Now it's our turn 

To give back to you

By improving some things with an EnergySmart redo

Posted by Shawn Lindabury

Home Energy Makeover Semi-finalist: Liz and Mark

Thanks so much to everyone who participated in the EnergySmart Home Energy Makeover contest!  Over the next few weeks we will share the stories of all our semi-finalists.  Enjoy!

Liz and Mark's Essay and Poem

Liz and Mark's House

We are a husband/wife, architect/project manager team with LEED training.  We are recognized for our remodel work and clients look to us to help them achieve their homes’ energy requirements.  We have a home office in a 1968 brick and frame tri-level home with a slab on grade lower level, a partial crawl space and an old inefficient hot-water baseboard system.  This home had a solar hot water system added in 1982 which wore out years ago.

Liz and Mark's old heating system

The primary energy upgrade would be replacing the failing heating system while improving our indoor air quality.  The Xcel Energy Audit totals $11,213.  If selected, we would use the additional dollars to upgrade the single pane windows, increase the size of the south windows for passive solar, change the old wood-burning fireplaces to gas, replace the whole house fan, remove the defunct solar panels, install window coverings and insulated garage door.  We would then have a home demonstrating energy savings to showcase as an example for clients.  With the downturn of the economy resulting in slow business, these improvements would give us cost savings, a boost to our marketability, as well as improve the quality of life for our family of five!

Our World’s resources won’t last.

We must conserve unlike the past.

Every light bulb and leaky seal

Must be addressed for the best deal

By focusing on things with meaning

It will contribute to our World’s greening!

Posted by Shawn Lindbabury 

Home Energy Makeover Semi-finalist: The Harp-Truex Family

Thanks so much to everyone who participated in the EnergySmart Home Energy Makeover contest! We had over 300 participants - wow!

One part of the winner selection was asking our semi-finalists to submit creative answers to "why we need a home energy makeover". Over the next few weeks we will share the stories of all our semi-finalists.  Enjoy!

The Harp-Truex Family & The Little Yellow House (a short story)

Once upon a time...a little yellow house was built.  It was a happy little house and like most houses built a long, long time ago it was built to be naturally efficient—the plaster walls were deep  and kept the little house cozy all winter. A very tall tree was planted and grew and grew, and kept the house cool all summer.

One day a family bought the little yellow house. They moved in and were very happy. But by now the little yellow house had been standing for more than a hundred years and was starting to leak, and crack, and it’s workings were starting to wear out. The little yellow house became less and less efficient as cold air blew in from the west, and hot air seeped out through the attic. The family wanted to fix the little yellow house but the man came from a bustling city very far away, where people didn’t understand how houses worked; and the woman understood only computers.

Then one day the family won a contest, and the city where they lived helped them fix the little yellow house. The stopped up the leaks and fixed the cracks and gave the little yellow house shiny new workings. The little yellow house was saved, and stood for another hundred years.

Posted by Shawn Lindabury

Reicherts Receive Grand Prize of $20,000!!

There is one happy family in Boulder! Kathleen, John and James Reichert will be enjoying the comforts of home this winter after receiving $20,000 worth of home energy upgrades!

 EnergySmart Home Energy Makeover emotions in Boulder

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 Reicherts' choosing.

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.

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

Earlier, the Birkholz, Braun, Owen, and Wyss families 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. 


written by Kate Taft

More $10,000 Second Prize Winners!

In addition to the Braun and Owen families in our last blog:

Wendy Wyss of Unincorporated Boulder County, and Katie and Matt Birkholz of Boulder, are celebrating their $10,000 worth of home energy upgrades!

The Wyss and Birkholz families will each be enjoying the warmth and comfort of a new energy efficient furnace, home air sealing and insulation upgrades, and a remaining $1,500 home energy upgrade of their choice!

 

 Bringin' the winnin's 

 

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 $10,000 surprise look!

"Team Wyss Home Energy Makeover!"

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.

Big check disbelief?

The Birkholz family and contractors.

This is why EnergySmart does what they do; happy healthy families make it all worth it!
 
A big thank you to the local contractors, again, as contest prizes were largely their donations:

• Insulation/air sealing: EcoHandyman, ThermalCraft Insulation, EcoSmart Homes, ERC Insulation.
• Furnace installations: Service Experts, SAC Mechanical 
• Grand Prize package: Solar City

Check out our other other 2nd prize and grand prize winners!



written by Kate Taft

Boulder County Homes Win $10,000 Prizes!!

LaToya Braun of Louisville, and Cara Owen of Longmont, will be two warm homeowners this winter!! 

EnergySmart arrived Monday, October 29th, to award both homes fantastic Home Energy Makeover second-place* prizes-- $10,000 worth of home energy upgrades!! 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.

 EnergySmart's Beth Beckel writing out a big check!

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!

 Surprise!!

 The happy Braun family and their contractors and EnergySmart Advisor

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.

  "No way!"

Happy homeowners show off their sign.

A HUGE "thank you" goes out to local contractors who largely donate contest prizes:

• Insulation/air sealing: EcoHandyman, ThermalCraft Insulation, EcoSmart Homes, ERC Insulation. 
• Furnace installations: Service Experts, SAC Mechanical 
• Grand Prize package: Solar City

EnergySmart's Home Energy Makeover grand prize and additional 2nd-place prizes were awarded this week as well!


*Each 2nd-place winning home was randomly selected from all Home Energy Makeover entries needing these upgrades.


written by Kate Taft

Low Cost Home and Business Energy Loans

It’s that time of year! Leaves and snowflakes are falling in Boulder County and pumpkin lattes are on every menu. Being warm and comfortable is on everyone’s mind.

Is your home cozy? 

Are you feeling Jack Frost at work? 

Are there improvements you’ve been meaning to make?

NOW IS THE TIME TO GET REBATES! EnergySmart rebates are almost exhausted, but an EnergySmart Advisor can help you find and apply for all available rebates for your upgrades. Rebates may be available from the City of Boulder, City of Longmont, Xcel Energy and more!

In order to make those warm dreams come true, EnergySmart has also partnered with Elevations Credit Union to offer fantastic LOW COST ENERGY LOANS:   

• Fixed rates starting as low as 2.75% APR* for residences; 3.75% APR* for businesses. 

• 36, 60, 84 or 120 month terms.   

• Minimum loan of $500 and a maximum of $25,000 for homes; $1,000 to $150,000** for businesses.

Fantastic video by Elevations Credit Union - just hit play!

Whether it is insulation, air sealing, heating, water heating, windows or solar PV upgrades that you are considering, the Elevations Low Cost Energy Loan is where to start! To date, more than $1,240,000 in low cost loans have been approved by Elevations Credit Union for home and business energy upgrades around Boulder and Denver Counties.

Remember, energy efficiency upgrades in your homes and facilities can reduce energy costs and help bolster your bottom line and holiday time!

* APR = Annual Percentage Rate. Actual APR will be determined when you apply and will be based on your application and credit information. Click here for additional rate information. 
** Business energy loans over $40,000 may be variable rate, are underwritten on a case by case basis and may take longer to process. Business energy loans may exceed $150,000 with prior review.

written by Kate Taft