Energy smart homes
The cleanest energy is the energy we never have to use, and any energy future that is clean and affordable for all of us starts with energy efficient housing that avoids energy waste and helps all of us maintain energy saving lifestyles.
Research from the Minnesota Department of Commerce has estimated that the amount of current energy use that is wasted through poor understanding of how to use energy efficiently and inefficient and outdated technologies that could be replaced cost-effectively is around 50% of the energy we use in Minnesota. The Rocky Mountain Institute estimates an even more aggressive 75%-80% of all energy used today could be avoided through cost-effective technology and smart energy management practices. Either way, that’s a lot of power plants and power lines we don’t have to maintain, a lot of coal, fracked gas, and oil that never has to be extracted and burned, a lot less wind and solar that needs to be built to provide us with a 100% clean energy future. The benefits are vast:
Minnesotans spend over $11 billion every year paying for electricity and heating fuels - saving between 50%-80% of that means a huge boost for the local economy.
Energy poverty impacts low-income Minnesotans and renters the worst; low-income households spend 8-10% of their total income paying energy bills each year, and some households spend up to 30%. Helping these households save energy would help thousands of Minnesotans avoid evictions for non-payment of rent or utility-bill shut-offs, payday loans, and other unfair choices between energy and other basic necessities.
Energy efficiency relates closely to home health; with leaky buildings, over-heated, under-heated, or under-cooled housing, poor ventilation and mold issues, and other home energy issues being leading contributors to asthma and other respiratory conditions.
Cooperative Energy Futures has offered a number of services to members across Minnesota to improve home energy:
Do It Yourself Weatherization Work Parties:
Cooperative Energy Futures has helped teams of neighbors organize weatherization work parties, by providing in-home training on home energy systems and how to address the most common areas of energy waste, as well as offering air-sealing materials like rope caulk and window plastic and equipment to make Do-It-Yourself weatherization easy and simple. Weatherization Work Parties provide a great place to help communities to begin envisioning larger steps to a clean energy energy-efficient future.
Group Contracting for Home Insulation and Air Sealing:
Cooperative Energy Futures has helped groups of neighbors assess and secure home insulation and air sealing improvements as a group to bring down cost, ensure quality control through cooperative-assisted contractor vetting, and secure streamlined financing offerings. Dozens of Twin Cities residents have dropped their home energy use 15%-45% by participating in a group insulation and air sealing contract with a qualified contracting partner.
Future Plans:
Our past efforts around energy efficiency have been limited by the fact that many of the Do-It-Yourself actions require landlord approval, and for deeper improvements, existing financing options are only available to homeowners with access to debt or substantial upfront cash. In the future, Cooperative Energy Futures is excited to participate in new program models that open access to energy efficiency to everyone in our community, including renters and those who lack the upfront cash or access to loans to pay for home energy upgrades themselves. We support the development of Inclusive Financing in Minnesota, and look forward to helping build program models to make sure all renters can access cost-effective energy efficiency through their utility bill as has been done in many other states.