State and Local Climate and Energy Program
Home Energy Retrofits for All
Greenfield, Massachusetts
Federal Funding: $160,915
Project Timeline: February 2011 – February 2014
Project Summary
Raising Awareness through Weatherization Opportunities for Town Residents
Greenfield, MA has a cold New England climate, below average median income, and an aging housing stock in poor condition. The Home Energy Retrofits for All Program will engage and educate residents about the benefits of retrofitting their homes. The multi-pronged approach to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and improve the ability of residents to heat their homes will teach residents that retrofits are available for renters as well as homeowners and do not require large upfront expenditures, making them accessible to low-income households. The program will be conducted over three years, each year focusing on a different area of Greenfield. The first year will focus on downtown Greenfield, where over 73% of the households are occupied by renters. The second year of the program will continue to spread out from the city center to focus on the non-central neighborhoods and, ultimately, homes on the outskirts of town will be the focus in the third year of the program. The program will alert residents to the importance of weatherization and provide an easy-to-understand compilation of the many existing resources and funding opportunities available to Greenfield residents.
To raise awareness about the ease and benefits of retrofitting, the program will implement a door-to-door canvass to target residents who could gain the greatest benefit from available weatherization programs. The program will also disseminate education and outreach materials, offer one-on-one counseling to the target populations, and hold workshops for landlords and the general public to alert them to available resources. The program will also take thermal photographs of downtown homes to target those in most need of retrofits and to motivate residents to take action and collect data on energy use and costs to promote the potential financial savings.
Over the three year time period, the Home Energy Retrofits for All Program will create jobs for Greenfield Community College and Franklin County Technical School students in the weatherization field, and it will forge strong partnerships between the Town and local schools, utilities, and non-profit organizations. The program coordinator will also create a “How To” kit for distribution to other communities who are interested in promoting home energy retrofits. The program will help Greenfield meet its energy and greenhouse gas emission reduction goals and, above all, will help end confusion about the options and processes required to acquire support for home weatherization.
Community Characteristics
| Population: | 18,500 |
|---|---|
| Area: | 21.9 square miles |
| Government Type: | Town |
| Community Type: | Suburban |
| Median Household Income: | $33,110 |
Program Results/Estimated Results
| Expected GHG Reductions: | 2,843 metric tons CO2e annually |
|---|---|
| Expected Energy Cost Savings: | $427,000 annually |
| Expected Houses Retrofitted: | 854 houses |
