Training

CASE STUDIES 2 of 2

Energy-Efficiency at the Ground Floor

Homeowner Seminars Provide an Educational Foundation

Client: Energy Trust of Oregon
Location: Portland, OR

Challenge/Business Need

Many homeowners could dramatically reduce their utility bills by simply making their homes more efficient. Unfortunately, many homeowners simply don’t know how to get started and often believe that creating an energy-efficient home would be cost-prohibitive.

More than 40 percent of America’s carbon emissions come from heating, cooling, lighting and operating buildings. Older homes are prone to be particularly wasteful. Homes built in 1939 or earlier use about 50 percent more energy per square foot than those built in 2000. With improvements, retrofits, and simple behavior changes, older homes can perform on par with newer ones.

CSG’s ROLE

The CSG Portland training team worked with Energy Trust of Oregon and the City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability to develop and deliver homeowner workshops that would meet this challenge.

This was a unique opportunity to bring homeowners customized training on how to create a comfortable, energy-efficient home. As homeowners develop plans to improve their homes, it also benefits the local economy by driving demand for professional builder and contractor services and decreasing the local energy demand.

Strategy & goals

CSG has provided technical training to the residential building industry for years. Using that same expertise, the trainers adjusted the content and delivery style for homeowners.

Through the workshop series, CSG educated homeowners about energy efficiency, conservation and behavior changes that will lead to significant reduction in energy use.

The workshops included five sessions. Among the highlights:

• Understanding of household energy use
  
• Analyzing home energy use
  
• Learning about weatherization practices
  
• Prioritizing energy-efficient lighting and appliances
  
• Targeting actions to decrease a home energy use and carbon footprint
  

Impact

Participants in the workshops were extremely positive in their assessments of the program. Each participant created an Energy-Efficiency Action Plan and made a pledge to improve their homes, including:

• Reduce house leakage with air and duct sealing
  
• Improve conditions in crawl space
  
• Investigate window replacement
  
• Reduce hot water use and turn down the temperature on the hot water heater
  
• Service furnace and change filters regularly
  
• Clean dryer ducts

In a survey, 100 percent of participants said they would recommend the workshop to a friend or family member. They also pledged to educate others. Ninety percent of students in the workshop attended all five sessions.

CSG used feedback to slim the workshop down to an information-intensive 2.5-hour course that can be taken on the road. This will enable CSG to extend the program’s reach throughout the state and educate even more homeowners.

CSG Contacts

Sara Brockmeier, Training Manager