As winter weather approaches, students affiliated with Energy Service Corps premiered their first weatherization event on Friday afternoon in several students’ off-campus residences.
The initiative, a joint effort from AmeriCorps and New Jersey Public Interest Research Groups Student Chapters, teaches residents how to be more energy efficient through simple cost-saving measures.
The tools of the trade are inexpensive, but can save residents up to 30 percent on their heating and electric bills, Energy Service Corps intern Nicole McCann said.
“The energy problem is overwhelmingly complicated,” College Avenue Campus Dean Matt Matsuda said. “Like world hunger, it requires a very local effort with global help.”
Matsuda was impressed with the turnout of the event, noting that half of the people in the students’ living room were volunteers. He praised the leadership displayed by Energy Service Corps.
Cook Campus Dean Richard Ludescher said Americans have had the luxury on cheap energy for hundreds of years, which is an era that has come to a close.
“Americans now have two good reasons to cut back: the economy and the environment,” Ludescher said.
NJPIRG program director Liz Glynn wrote the grant that earned the three-year contract with AmeriCorps. The funding comes largely from AmeriCorp’s $201 million expansion under President Barack Obama’s stimulus plan.
Before any changes are made, an energy audit is performed to determine what will be needed for the job, Glynn said. Windows are assessed, ceiling light bulbs are counted, appliances are traced to outlets and vents are inspected for cleanliness.
While these may seem like minutia, they are the most common conduits for wasted energy, she said.
Members of the Energy Service Corps then split into groups so three houses could be audited at once. Volunteers caulked cracks, shelved permeable air conditioners, weather-stripped windows and swapped wasteful light bulbs for lower-energy alternatives.
“A lot of windows don’t close completely, but caulk and weather strips make a big difference,” said McCann, a Cook College junior. “This is especially true for single pane windows that lack extra insulation.”
Basements are the biggest culprits of wasted heat, McCann said. Ground level windows are rarely tight and exposed hot water pipes give off a lot of heat. Pipe insulators are sold for less than $1 per foot.
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences junior Maryann Gulotta, a resident of one of the houses, was pleased with the results.
“My room is already much warmer,” she said. “I think this will make a big difference in the electric bill.”
Gulotta said the biggest help will be unplugging the washer and dryer in the basement. Because it requires coins, no one uses it, but it still consumes electricity when dormant.
Plante was also happy with the results.
“All three houses were a success,” she said. “We taught more than 10 people how to weatherize their homes and we learned a lot too.”
The Energy Service Corps plans to weatherize 20 homes this semester, and more if possible, Plante said. They encourage people to reach out to them and provide feedback to see how effective their efforts are. They will be successful, but they must work hard to earn people’s trust.
“We want people who are motivated to get involved,” McCann said. “We’re not just here to come over and clean up your house for you.”
Household weatherization is one of four main operations of the Energy Service Corps, Campus Organizer for AmeriCorps Heather Plante said. Other services include community workshops, free energy auditing, door-to-door grassroots canvassing and K-12 education.
Groups weatherize houses to save energy
Published: Sunday, October 18, 2009
Updated: Sunday, October 18, 2009
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