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More than 600 nonprofits and other community organizations are based in the Greater Cincinnati area, an indication of the strong community spirit in this metropolitan area, the 24th most populous in the country. Residents put a lot of trust in the local clubs or churches to which they belong. Recognizing the strength of the bond between these organizations and their members, the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance, a nonprofit organization, is using $17 million in seed funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Buildings Neighborhood Program to bring energy efficiency upgrades to the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region.

Program Design: Saving Energy Through a Multi-Faceted Effort
Financing: Alliance Incentivizes Improvement With 35% Offer
Driving Demand: Door-to-Door Communication Convinces Citizens to Change
Workforce Development: Increased Demand Leads to More Classes, More Jobs

Saving Energy Through a Multi-Faceted Effort

Housing in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region dates from an era when energy efficiency was not a concern. To encourage citizens to make the energy upgrades needed to bring these homes into the 21st century, the Energy Alliance is undertaking several efforts:

• Conducting community outreach events and door-to-door canvassing
• Creating a comprehensive and easy-to-use website for residents to access a free home energy comparison report and sign up for an energy assessment online
• Forging partnerships with local nonprofits, churches, and other civic organizations.

The Energy Alliance has recruited "parent" organizations to connect and network with nonprofits across the area that could benefit from energy upgrades. For example, the Energy Alliance contacted the Missions Foundation of the Ohio River Valley District of the United Methodist Church (UMC), which oversees all area Methodist churches, to offer its services to member churches. The Missions Foundation connected the Energy Alliance with its first nonprofit energy upgrade: the Mount Washington UMC. The Energy Alliance matched the church with technical resources and a financial grant toward a $40,200 energy efficiency project, which included:

• Installing T-8 fluorescent bulbs in 125 light fixtures
• Replacing a 12-year-old boiler with a more efficient one
• Updating outdated air conditioning equipment.

Through these efforts, the church will reduce its annual lighting bill by 35%, annual heating bill by 25%, and annual cooling bill by 25%, with an expected savings of $8,000 per year. The church will now be able to allocate these resources for other purposes. And parishioners have been inspired to schedule their own home energy evaluations.

Alliance Incentivizes Improvement With 35% Offer

To encourage residents to take action, the Energy Alliance currently offers $400-$500 energy evaluations for a reduced rate as low as $50. And for any improvements homeowners undertake, the Energy Alliance provides either cash incentives up to 35% of the total project cost, or 15% of the project cost plus a 10-year unsecured loan of up to $20,000 at a 6.99% interest rate. The Energy Alliance and its contractors will also help customers secure rebates from local utilities and federal and state tax credits to further reduce the cost of the project.

Door-to-Door Communication Convinces Citizens to Change

The Energy Alliance is conducting door-to-door canvassing to reach residents where they live. For one canvass, 30 volunteers met for an hour of training, then spent a Saturday knocking on the doors of 700 homes, speaking to 200 people, distributing 154 energy efficiency kits containing compact fluorescent light bulbs and low-flow faucet aerators, and generating 60 new home energy assessment requests.

This strategy personalizes community outreach by using local volunteers as a trusted source to discuss energy improvement options with their neighbors. In summer 2011, the Energy Alliance had nine Americorps interns canvass neighborhoods to reach even more residents.

Increased Demand Leads to More Classes, More Jobs

Cincinnati State College recently increased the number of energy upgrade certification courses it offers to meet the anticipated demand created by the program. The school has already graduated several classes of students, many of whom were hired right away by growing businesses.

The Energy Alliance is providing the college with funds to start a new building contractor institute and to assist in recruiting and teaching efforts, helping ensure that a steady stream of experts will be trained and ready to meet the ongoing demand for evaluations and upgrades.

Contact

Andy Holzhauser
aholzhauser@greatercea.org
513-621-4232

U.S. Department of Energy
Better Buildings Neighborhood Program
BetterBuildings@ee.doe.gov