Free Energy is not a myth – One Call Now donates $7,500 for weatherization project

Weatherization is more than the latest buzzword. It can create jobs, stimulate the economy, reduce our dependency on foreign energy sources and reduce our carbon footprint. One Call Now is proud to be the cornerstone sponsor of a groundbreaking project starting here in Miami County Ohio to create 850 jobs by weatherizing 100 homes per week. (Current state, county and local projects aimed at the poor do about 150 homes per year in the county).

Earlier this week, fifty people, including elected officials, contractors, homeowners, landlords, tenants, utility companies, technology firms, universities, green certified professionals, job creation specialists, and concerned citizens from across Miami County gathered for a kick-off meeting for MiamiCountyFreeEnergy.org

We presented a ‘straw-man plan to create 150 jobs within a few months by rapidly ramping up a weatherization program that will cut $50 per month off the average home owner’s utility bill. The PowerPoint is available here…miami-county-free-energy-community-kick-off-meeting-2009-3-31

This program, made possible with a $7,500 kick-start grant by One Call Now to do the initial groundwork and weatherize five homes for free is intended to be a cornerstone piece for making a greener community, saving $50.00 per home – per month in energy costs, and create 200 jobs over the next year, and more than 800 jobs created within  five years.

In doing the research for the program, it was also fascinating to understand the environmental impact weatherization has. By reducing home energy costs by $600 per year, we will have reduce carbon emissions by 20 tons of CO2- equivalent to taking an SUV off the road, and getting the carbon absorption of 4 full grown trees!

The weatherization project itself is intended to make use of what we, as a company, have learned about making technology widely available at an affordable cost. By using technology, large scale infrastructure, standardization, and large commitments, we will drive the cost of doing a weather audit and actually weatherizing a home from an average of $2,000 to less than $600 per home.

The announced approach still has wrinkles and crinkles to be worked out, but the 50 people who came this week were involved, engaged and excited about what we can accomplish together moving forward, and so am I.

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