Better Buildings for Michigan funds residential energy improvements

Thursday, December 9, 2010 | Source: Metromode

A Ferndale neighborhood will be the first of 12 in southeast Michigan to benefit from residential energy efficiency grants through a program that kicks off today.

A Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth program, originally called the Michigan Retrofit Ramp-up Initiative and now Better Buildings for Michigan, is part of a national program that is distributing $30 million across the state. Gov. Jennifer Granholm is expected to officially announce and begin the statewide program today, and is expected to visit a home and assist with an energy audit.

The community-focused programs will target residential areas, selecting neighborhoods based on the age of the home, the area's demographics, and other features, explains Amanda Dentler, Outreach Director for the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office. Ferndale is the first city in the area to receive funding, and the office will alternate between Detroit and a suburb for each of the 12 neighborhoods; in all, six regions across Michigan are participating.

A total of 420 homes are selected in each community, and a $50 contribution by the homeowner gets a $1,200 package that includes an energy audit, light bulbs, blower door tests, efficient shower and sink faucets, and more. Dentler says the program is off to a good start -- of the selected homes, about a quarter have been contacted, and half of those have already agreed to participate.

"That's a success for us, considering no one's ever heard of this," she says. "I think we'll get a flood of commitments after the governor kicks it off."

The number of houses selected in a community, at 420, qualifies it to be a metropolitan neighborhood, she explains, and is a large enough population to begin to reduce the carbon and energy use of the area. Each neighborhood will get a six-week sweeps period, with canvassing and outreach, and a liaison afterwards if there's any follow-up or late interest.

According to a Department of Energy document, the goal for Better Buildings in Michigan is to address 11,340 residential buildings and at least 131 commercial, public, and industrial structures across Michigan over three years. It should save 1.2 trillion BTUs of energy, and 19.6 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year, while creating 2,063 green jobs, the document says.

Michigan's share comes from a total of $452 million in federal stimulus funds.

Source: Amanda Dentler, outreach director for Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office
Writer: Kristin Lukowski