Better Buildings Program Concludes with 95 More Efficient Ferndale Homes
(Crystal A. Proxmire, 2/22/2011)
A pilot energy savings program has wrapped up in a Ferndale test neighborhood, with 20% of the eligible homeowners taking advantage of grant-funded home upgrades. Homes located W. 9 Mile Road to Pearson and Pinecrest to Allen were eligible to participate.
Residents were given fliers and invited to an informational meeting about the program. Those who signed up paid $50 to receive a custom evaluation, free weatherization services, free energy-saving devices like compact fluorescent light bulbs, a programmable thermostat, a flow-saving shower head and more. The upgrades are expected to save the homeowners approximately $300 per year.
The Better Buildings for Michigan Program is funded through Federal Department of Energy grant money, and administered through the Michigan Suburbs Alliance. There will be six communities in Detroit and five more in the suburbs that will follow in Ferndale’s footsteps.
“The Southeast Regional Energy Office thanks the participants of the Ferndale pilot neighborhood for their support of the Better Buildings for Michigan program. A special thank you to the Mayor and the City of Ferndale, the Ferndale City Council, the Kulick Center, the Ferndale Environmental Sustainability Commission, OLSHA, and the residents for their partnership and support,” said Outreach Specialist Sheila L. Vanfield. “We also thank Ferndale for hosting Gov. Granholm for the Better Buildings for Michigan statewide kickoff event.”
At the Feb. 14, 2011 City Council Meeting representatives from Better Buildings presented their results and thanked the City for taking part. Mayor Dave Coulter noted that both he and Councilperson Kate Baker were able to take advantage of the program.
OTHER RESOURCES
For those who don’t live in the target area, there are other resources available. Michigan Saves is a Statewide program that provides access to home improvement loans at www.MichiganSaves.org.
The Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency (OLHSA) has many programs with assistance, which can be found at
http://www.olhsa.org/oak_housing.asp?catID=3&cty=oak.
And the WARM Training Center is a non-profit organization that promotes the development of resource efficient, affordable, healthy homes and communities through education, training, and technical assistance. WARM’s services include: education, technical assistance, resources, and green jobs training.
To read more about the Better Buildings Program’s launch in Ferndale, see our previous article at https://oaklandcounty115.com/2010/11/02/betterbuildings/.
For other Green News, go to https://oaklandcounty115.com/category/green-news.
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