Tag Archives: HEET

Cambridge Thermal Imaging Project

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This winter photo shows brightness where the most heat is escaping this home.

Cambridge! It’s finally here: a chance to vividly see the cool or warm air leaving your drafty home, without having to pay hefty fees to a thermal photographer. Thanks to the Thermal Imaging Project on which HEET has partnered with Sagewell Inc., Cambridge homeowners can request thermal (infrared) images of the outsides of their homes.

The images are taken with car-mounted cameras similar to those used for Google Maps street view, and taken on a “first come, first served” basis – with highest priority given to locations with highest demand.  With the slight air of a Groupon deal, Sagewell has asked for 400 requests from Cambridge before they will release our thermal images for free.

Because of fossil fuel prices skyrocketing and scientists projecting Cambridge’s summer temperatures will soon start looking more like Atlanta, GA temps, everyone’s heating AND cooling bills are only on their way up. High efficiency in your home is valid for every season.

Even better, the easiest time to work on your home’s energy efficiency is spring and summer, when the wait for weatherization services is short!

Request yours on Sagewell.com now.
It should take about a minute to do so;  just enter your address at the bottom of the home page, hit enter, and then enter your information on the next page that shows up by clicking the green “HERE” (see following photo).

This page appears after you enter your address at the bottom of Sagewell.com's home page.

There have already been over 100 requests for thermal images, so if 300 are generated in the next month, everyone will get to have this great service free of cost.  Tell your neighbors! We all want to save money and live a little lighter on the planet, don’t we?

The Extra Goods
You and other homeowners, condo owners, and landlords can access their images and an individualized report free of charge online via a password-protected account when the images are available (Sagewell will email you a link).  The individualized report shows what to work on, how much it will save you, and connects you with the needed free and rebated services. Commercial building owners and owners of more than one building will be able to view their images and analysis for a small fee.

Not all buildings can be analyzed (due to blocked views from trees, etc. or private way constraints), but Sagewell has agreed to image around 22,000 buildings in Cambridge!

The Thermal Imaging Project will enable residential and commercial building owners to lower costs while supporting our city’s climate and emission reduction goals. One more great tool to wield for average citizens and environmental warriors alike. Get to http://www.Sagewell.com now!

If you have any remaining questions, please contact Sagewell at info@Sagewell.com or HEET at heet.cambridge@gmail.com.

Report from a weatherization barnraising

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My team leader, Torrey Wolff, was very patient with us.

On Saturday we went to our second weatherization barnraising, organized by HEET and the Cambridge Energy Alliance. Last time I learned to install programmable thermostats and Jason caulked windows at two apartment buildings. This time I installed Q-lon weatherstripping around doors and Jason insulated skylights at a daycare center. The end result? The blower door test showed a 50% reduction in leaks—the most HEET has ever measured.
Q-lon is foam weatherstripping in the shape of a V attached to a wooden or metal slat. The V expands to fill any open space between the doorjamb and the door—a lot like the V-channel weatherstripping that we use for our windows. When I found out about the Q-lon last time, I still didn’t know quite how to install it, so I was glad to get the chance. HEET actually has a really good tutorial that walks you through the basics. The most important part is making sure the foam isn’t too compressed or too slack. You do this by sliding a piece of paper between the weatherstripping and the (locked) door. If the paper doesn’t fall out when you let go, it’s tight enough. If it comes out when you pull on it, it’s loose enough.

I’m especially interested in this because the self-adhesive foam weatherstripping that we used last year compressed a lot. I don’t know how effective it is anymore. Since the Q-lon is installed on a different part of the doorjamb, we can keep the foam and just add this to it. It’s a much more permanent solution.

It does require some hacksawing, though, to cut the slats down to the size of your door. This may have been the first time I’ve ever used a hacksaw in my life, and I’m proud to say that I got the hang of it after just a couple of ragged edges.

Jason puts Tyvek over a skylight.

Jason got to use spray foam on the cracks around the skylights. This is only the second time he’s used it, and he picked up some tips. First, wear goggles and gloves, and hold something under the can so it won’t drip anywhere. That stuff never comes out. Second, shake it for a long time, then spray it into a trash can until you get a sense of how fast it comes out. It can expand like crazy. You can cut it down with a razor blade once it’s dry, but it’s easier to not have to. Make sure you have a lot of cracks to fill, though—once you start the can you can’t store it to use again later.

I’ve really enjoyed these weatherizations, and I’d definitely do another. I like the idea that the energy savings that the homeowners see will be multiplied by the skills the volunteers learn to use in our own homes. And it’s nice to meet like-minded neighbors (even the crazy ones).

Cross-posted on pragmaticenvironmentalism.com

Free Energy Audit Program Began Last Week

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Audit team members prepare for conducting home energy audits.

Cambridge residents looking to save on utility bills for electricity and heating can request a free audit this summer from the Youth Energy Audit Partners, a collaborative project of HEET (Home Energy Efficiency Team) and the Cambridge Community Center. Three audit teams will install energy and water-saving devices, calculate the dollar savings from these devices, and advise homeowners and tenants on the costs and benefits of additional energy efficiency work and how to obtain rebates and contractors. On average, households can realize a 10%-15% savings on electric and heating bills, or an estimated $200 a year by implementing simple measures.

Each team is led by a trained supervisor, and two high school students employed by the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program. The project is made possible by material resources and advice contributed by the Cambridge Energy Alliance, and grant awards from Constellation Energy EcoStar and the Cambridge Agassiz Harvard Fund, which serves as a catalyst for innovative programming to address emerging community needs.

To sign-up for a free audit for home energy savings , contact:
Ms. Doreen Wade, Cambridge Community Center, Tel. 617-547-6811

See also CEA and NSTAR canvass Cambridge businesses

Peabody Terrace Competition Results

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On March 6th, 84 residents at Peabody Terrace participated in an incandescent light bulb swap for compact fluorescent bulbs. Residents received one free CFL for every incandescent bulb they turned in—over 200 efficient CFLs found homes. The CFLs were provided by the Cambridge Energy Alliance and Harvard Real Estate Services (HRES). HEET, CEA, and HRES organized the promotion and logistics of this successful competition.

During the swap, residents learned about other ways to cut their carbon emissions—seasonable tips also available—and many signed up for a two-month long competition to see who can reduce them the most.

The results are in!

  • Apartments reduced their electricity use by an average of 11%
  • The top six winners reduced their electricity use by 30%
  • And the first place prize winner reduced electricity use by 58%

Winners received several enticing prizes including Smart Strips; credit at Zip Car; and gift certificates/cards from Clear Conscience Café, Shaw’s and Harvest Co-op Market.

How to support Green Nonprofits ?

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New_Gen_SmileSign by k2lunainthesky New Generation Energy (NGE) is a Boston-based nonprofit that operates in six states of New England, and supports energy efficiency and all types of renewable energy including solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal. Their goal is to make communities greener, healthier, and more economically vital through the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.

NGE announced the launch of a microdonation website to support local green energy projects and lower carbon emissions of nonprofits. A unique feature of this new website is that donors can pre-select donation amounts that save a specific amount of carbon. For example a donation amount can be selected that eliminates one ton of CO2.

Similar to popular microlending sites such as Kiva.org, NGE’s microdonation website allows people who don’t make millions to become philanthropists and get involved to support local green energy projects. NGE’s site offers a variety of environmental local nonprofits to choose from, and projects such as weatherization, lighting, and high efficiency equipment.

Cambridge-based HEET (Home Energy Efficiency Team) will become one of the first nonprofits to be listed. HEET, a 2009 EPA (Environmental Merit Award) winner, organizes weatherization parties in homes to lower energy bills and carbon emissions. All the work is done with volunteers. In three hours of work, they lower the heat and electric bills by 10%, an effect that should last for a decade. At the same time, they teach volunteers hands-on skills. 76% of their volunteers continue to do work in their own homes, multiplying the carbon reductions. Microdonations made thought NGE’s website will pay for materials such as CFLs (Compact Florescent Light Bulbs) or caulk needed for HEET to work on low-income homes.

Cambridge Community Center gets an Energy Make-Over

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The Cambridge Community Center received a major energy efficiency upgrade on Sunday, June 28th Sunday, when community members and experts gathered to reduce the building’s energy consumption. The community “barn-raising” project was a combined effort of the Home Energy Efficiency Team (HEET) and the Cambridge Energy Alliance (CEA) that aimed to improve the comfort and efficiency of the Cambridge Community Center while teaching volunteers energy efficiency and conservation skills.

Councilor Henrietta Davis, CCC member Yvonee Gittens, and HEET leader Audrey Schulman

Councilor Henrietta Davis, CCC member Yvonee Gittens, and HEET leader Audrey Schulman

The project drew approximately 60 community volunteers, primarily from the Riverside neighborhood in Cambridge. A team of eight volunteers from Mass Climate Summer also joined the neighborhood effort as part of their broader campaign to educate residents on efficiency solutions in partnership with the Cambridge Energy Alliance.

Community volunteers learned how to make doors and windows less drafty, seal air leaks in the building, install interior storm windows, and save on electricity through simple changes. They also received energy efficiency kits from the Cambridge Energy Alliance that contained materials to make their own homes more energy efficient and information on community environmental resources and programs. The Cambridge Community Center barn-raising provided a great opportunity to meet neighbors, try out a green job, cut energy bills at the Community Center, and get a free energy savings kit, while learning to save energy and money at home.

Register to attend the next HEET barnraising on Saturday, July 18th from 12:30 – 5:00pm at two homes in Cambridgeport.

Cambridge Energy Barnraising

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Last week, we showed you how a local Cambridge organization (HEET–Home Energy Efficiency Team) ‘weatherizes’ a house for fellow Cambridge residents.  Weatherizing a house involves making some basic non-structural changes to a house to reduce the energy needed for heating and cooling and save money on utilities. The homeowner supplies all the materials and HEET provides the knowledge and manpower needed to finish all energy efficiency improvements in a single day.

It’s a great community activity and a fantastic way to meet your fellow Cambridge residents while learning from skilled tradesmen how you can make your own home more energy efficient. And there is always a party to celebrate the completion of another successful Weatherization Barnraising.

The next HEET Weatherization Barnraising is scheduled for Sunday, March 1 between 12:30—5 pm at 120 Chestnut Street and 100 Henry Street, Cambridgeport.

The Work to be carried out on site includes:

  • Spraying the basement rimjoist using RetroFoam, led by Tom Lawler (the head of RetroFoam, a Massachusetts-based insulation company)
  • Using Plexiglas to insulate windows
  • Repairing drywall
  • Weatherizing doors
  • Possible building of an insulated cover for an attic hatch

The number of participants will be limited to assure that everyone has guidance and support from a skilled team leader.  You can sign up today by contacting Steve Morr-Wineman at swineman@gis.net or 617-876-4753.

HEET Barnraisings—a green twist on an old idea

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You may remember the scene from the 1985 movie Witness starring Harrison Ford. A group of Amish people converge on a neighbor’s property and assemble a barn in a single montage, a single day. A Cambridge-based co-op  HEET (for Home Energy Efficiency Team) does weatherization work that’s less lofty, but arguably more important to the modern world. It’s a model for what can be done by harnessing the power of progressive community which emerged during the Obama campaign.

As Bob the Builder might say, ‘Can We Caulk it? Yes we can!’

Combining the materials purchased by the homeowner with free knowhow and labor from HEET, the team has weatherized several low-income  homes in Cambridge, with the goal of performing a barn-raising per month. As they do so, they transfer the skills needed to make—and keep— a home more energy efficient to both homeowners and groups of new volunteers. The energy savings persist, putting cash in the pockets of Cambridge residents, which can be spent in the local economy in different ways—a Cambridge mini-stimulus.

HEET grew out of neighborhood organization called GreenPort. The purpose of both groups, according to co-founder Steve Morr-Wineman, is to bring neighbors together to respond to the environmental crisis. A recent project included weatherizing the Cambridgeport Public School, a pioneering public-private-volunteer collaboration with the savings going back to Cambridge’s tax-payers.

Daily KOS thinks the model needs to go national, and so does Warm Home Cool Planet.

Somerville, MA will soon hold their first weatherization barnraising and Watertown, Brookline, Lexington, Medford, Milton, Newton, Beverly, and Boston are thinking about starting their own groups.  I think it would be a good idea for this idea to go nation-wide.  In fact, a weatherization barnraising on the White House might be a very good way to kick-start that process.

Our hats off to the HEET team. You’re doing great work. Expect to hear from us soon.