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ENERGY SMART
To learn more about Energy Smart Colorado, visit: www.energysmartcolorado.com
To sign up for an audit go to the Energy Smart Counties tab and select Summit County. To answer any questions about Energy Smart Colorado or how to sign up, call HC3 at (970) 668-5703
Spreading information Education is an important factor in the energy program, and HC3 is ready to step in and assist homeowners in firstly, understanding exactly what all those pages of their energy audit mean, and secondly, who to contact to make improvements. That job falls to Berg and energy programs coordinator Marty James. “Our job is coaching (homeowners) and looking at their priorities and opportunities to improve, looking at the costs and advising them what direction they could take to get their best savings and best comfort, and guiding them towards contractors that are under this program,” Berg said. Berg and James will be on hand to analyze the audit results with the homeowner, and then put them in touch with local contractors who can make the improvements. HC3 plans to offer training programs throughout the year to local contractors in the building science field. HC3 also hopes to foster connections between the contractors themselves, across all fields. For example, if during a boiler installation the contractor notices issues with insulation, they can mention that to the
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Summit County HOME | March/April 2014
homeowner and even recommend another local business to help them out. “It’s getting the interconnectivity of the contractors to understand each one’s profession to really promote one another,” said Berg. Having HC3 energy experts look over the audit should also help homeowners feel they’re getting the best advice “without the sales pitch,” he added. “I think we lend some credibility in that regard. People trust us; it’s a third party objective view.” Berg and the HC3 hope to meet their goal of at least 120 audits and 50 improvements during the program’s first year. They’re positive that homeowners, local contractors and auditors, and the environment will quickly notice benefits. Schenk estimated that over the next two years, the Energy Smart Colorado program would help homeowners save more than $70,000 in power bills, and reduce carbon emissions by more than 600,000 pounds. “We want people to save energy, save money and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” Berg said.