Governor Comes to Town to Kick Off Energy Efficiency Program
Gov. Jennifer Granholm comes to Ferndale to kick off the statewide energy efficiency program that piloted here.
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Gov. Jennifer Granholm is visiting Ferndale Thursday for the statewide kick-off of the BetterBuildings for Michigan energy efficiency program.
Granholm will begin the conference at 3 p.m. at 970 Pearson St., which is across from the Gerry Kulick Community Center. Afterward, she'll participate in an energy audit of the house.
The BetterBuildings for Michigan is a part of the Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth (DELEG), and the program is run here in Ferndale by the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office (REO).
As we reported last week, a section of Ferndale is the first community in Michigan to participate in the BetterBuildings' energy efficiency program. It launched in November and provides $1,200 home energy audits for $50.
This program designated a section of Ferndale -- West Nine Mile Road south to Pearson and between Allen to the east and Pinecrest to the west – to be the pilot for Michigan.
"This shows that Ferndale has embraced environmental programs," said Outreach Director Amanda Dentler.
The audits will run until the end of December, where then REO will shift to a selected section of the city of Detroit.
Dentler said the group has been in contact with about 25 percent of the houses in the 420-home section and that more than 50 percent of those houses have participated in the audit.
"The homeowners that participate in the audit get excited about it," she said. "They are out, telling neighbors, that's what we want."
Speakers on Thursday include Granholm; Andrew S. Levin, acting director of DELEG; Jeff Williams, program director of Michigan Saves; Amy Butler, director of the Bureau of Energy Systems and DELEG; and Conan Smith, executive director of the Michigan Suburbs Alliance.
Dan
9:26 am on Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Sometimes you get what you pay for. I see a problem in that the ones doing the inexpensive energy audits are also the ones charging you for your power. Seems like a little of a conflict. An independant auditor would give a more unbiased report and probably more thorough too.
Conan Smith
9:35 am on Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Hey Dan, just to be clear, the energy audits are done by firms selected through a competitive bid process by the Regional Energy Office. The utilities provide rebate support through a state "Energy Optimization" program but are not otherwise involved. The audit, to be sure, costs more than $50 to do! The costs to residents, however, is only $50 because the balance is covered by the grant funds provided to the BetterBuildings for Michigan program by the US Department of Energy through the Recovery Act. There's a whole lot of quality assurance involved too, so you can be confident that you'll get a fair and independent review. The program also provides some basic weatherization for you home. I'd guess you'd save that $50 over the winter if you live in a drafty house like mine!
Doug Selby
2:11 pm on Wednesday, December 8, 2010
As one of the contractors who was selected on a competitive bid, Meadowlark Energy, I can assure you that the homeowners are getting a great audit and a good bit of contracting work to go with it. We are aiming for a 8% reduction in total energy bills through our efforts in the home, which should make this investment a home run - a payback in under 3 months this winter! For the list price on the audit and direct install, $1200, our company aims for a 25% return on investment over the first 5 years.