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
Community Characteristics
Program Results/Estimated Results

Project Summary

Raising Awareness through Weatherization Opportunities for Town Residents

The Town of Greenfield has completed the Home Energy Retrofits for All program’s first canvassing effort in downtown Greenfield. During a five-week campaign, four Energy Efficiency Canvassers completed the door-to-door effort and reached approximately 500 homes in the downtown area, where over 73% of the households are occupied by renters. Two of the Canvassers will serve as advisors and follow up with approximately 200 residents interested in home weatherization. Furthermore, Greenfield has partnered with the Franklin County Technical High School to conduct thermal imaging throughout the town. Future work includes continuing to engage in outreach, particularly exploring the use of door hangers to inform 8,000 residences about the program.

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

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