State and Local Climate and Energy Program
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Neighborhood-Based Home Energy Efficiency Upgrades and Capacity Development
City of Durham and Durham County, North Carolina
Federal Funding: $500,000
Project Timeline: February 2010 – December 2012
Project Summary
Promoting Energy Efficient Retrofits, Neighbor-to-Neighbor Training, Energy Efficiency Literacy and Skills Training, and Landlord-Tenant Program Support
With the support provided by the Community Climate Showcase, the City of Durham and Durham County, North Carolina, are working together on an innovative, neighborhood-based, residential energy upgrade and capacity-building program. The project will reduce energy use and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from at least 344 homes. A key component of the program strategy is the use of neighborhood organizing, which allows the implementation of several highly-effective and commonly-needed efficiency upgrades to a large number of homes. This effort is being partnered with energy efficiency education for individuals and small groups.
For this neighborhood-based effort, all residents in selected neighborhoods are being brought into the program via door-to-door efforts by community volunteers. The program is targeting households with earnings at more than 200 percent of the poverty level who are asked to contribute a cost-share to the upgrades. Households below this income threshold are referred to the City's Weatherization Assistance Program, which can provide greater assistance with no cost-sharing requirement. Eligible homes include those that are either owner-occupied or renter occupied, no larger than 2,000 square feet, and single story. Implementation of this basic set of criteria allows maximum efficiency for the program and provides opportunities for newly-trained retrofit workers.
For renter-occupied properties, a program manager will contact property owners to negotiate permission for upgrades and provide information to the owners on the marketability of energy efficiency. Because education is an important component of this program, all residents and property owners that are contacted will be provided with information on all available energy efficiency assistance (through local, state, and federal sources), regardless of whether they choose to participate in the program.
The City of Durham is contracting with a community organization to manage the community outreach, including volunteer recruitment and education, program material development, volunteer training, and data collection and analysis. The City is also contracting with local companies to conduct basic energy audits and to install the targeted energy efficiency upgrades. Upgrades that are included in the program are limited to those that are needed in nearly all residences, can be completed without an exhaustive energy audit, and can result in significant energy savings with minimal up-front cost.
Community Characteristics
| Population: | 201,000 |
|---|---|
| Area: | 95 square miles |
| Government Type: | County |
| Community Type: | Urban |
| Median Household Income: | $47,070 |
Program Results/Estimated Results
| Expected GHG Emissions Reductions: | 1,800 metric tons CO2e annually |
|---|---|
| Estimated GHG Reductions as of 12/2011: | 301 metric tons CO2e annually |
| Expected # of Households Targeted: | 1000 |
| Expected # of Homes Retrofitted: | 344 |
| Actual # of Homes Retrofitted as of 12/2011: | 133 |
| Expected Hours of Paid Work Created: | 4,472 |
| Actual # of Hours of Paid Work Created as of 12/2011: | 2,123 |
Project Website
Media Coverage
- From Durham to Sacramento, Cities Get Help With 'Climate Showcase' Projects
, 3/3/2010 - Durham Awarded EPA Grant for Neighborhood Energy Retrofit Program , 3/1/2010
- Durham Receives $500,000 EPA Grant for Energy Program , 3/1/2010
Photos and Video
