It's easy to apply, and it means free stuff, but more on that in a minute.
First, the project's name: “Green Blocks Pilot Project: Giving Conservation a Square Deal.”
Basically, Green Blocks is a partnership between the city of Missoula and NorthWestern Energy to save energy.
The city will deliver to the power company eight blocks of customers ready to conserve energy. Instead of spending all its marketing money trying to reach those customers, NorthWestern spends some dough making those homes more efficient.
And in the end, everyone gets to see how much electricity, natural gas - and money - they save.
“Sometimes when you're offered something, it sounds too good to be true. This one's true,” said Gerald Mueller, who pitched the project to Engen. “There's only benefits.”
City communications director Ginny Merriam said applying is a cinch and the project is a natural for Missoula to adopt.
“Mayor Engen is trying in many arenas to lead the city to be greener and more sustainable,” Merriam said.
And she said a residential setting is one of the easiest places to save energy.
If you want to be involved in the pilot project, look at a Green Blocks packet with more information and an application. The packets are available online at www.ci.missoula.mt.us/greenblocks.htm or in the mayor's office.
If you want to nominate a two-block area in your neighborhood, decide to become a coordinator. That means rallying most of the rest of your neighbors - 90 percent - to sign on, too. Everyone fills out a printed application. (The forms are available online for printing but cannot be submitted to the city online.)
People need to be NorthWestern customers to apply, their homes need to be built before 1989, and renters need to have landlords agree, Merriam said. The application deadline to the city is May 22.
She said two-block areas don't need to be two exact square blocks. They can be both sides of the street, for example.
And the project is free - people won't be forced to spend money on conservation measures, she said.
The city will select four two-block areas for an intense audit and a lot of material that ups a home's energy efficiency. The audits, which are not part of NorthWestern's regular energy audit, are expected to take place over the summer.
“I'm imagining that we may spend $1,000 to $2,000 per home to conduct the audit and do the installation work,” said Bill Thomas, manager of regulatory support services for NorthWestern.
And NorthWestern pays 100 percent of the cost, he said. Basically, the partnership means the company can stretch its conservation dollars by spending some marketing money on real conservation, Thomas said. That's because the city does the outreach.
“If I can save on marketing, I can spend a little more on installation. I hope it works,” Thomas said.
Thomas said one of the purposes of the project is to learn how much energy can be saved home by home. That's one reason he wants to see blocks representing different vintages of homes. He also wants to call customers' attention to other company programs that help with conservation. Call 1-888-467-2669 for more information.
Merriam said Allied Waste and Mountain Water are on board, too, to help people save in other areas. Mountain Water will look at water consumption and in some cases install meters, and Allied Waste will do “a waste stream audit.”
Then, next spring, a project evaluation will come out so people can see the resources conserved. As part of the demonstration project, people who live in Green Blocks and feel comfortable doing so can open up their houses to those wanting ideas for their own homes, Merriam said.
Mueller said in some cases, a bill could drop as much as 20 percent or 30 percent if a resident insulates an attic, for example. Back in the 1980s, a similar but larger demonstration in Hood River, Ore., showed that conservation does work, said Mueller, who served as a member of the Northwestern Power and Conservation Council in the 1980s.
He said the timing is right in Missoula because energy costs are rising - yet people still can see their bills decrease if they start saving energy.
“The way energy costs are going, it's one of the few things that I know of that could really help people do something about their bills,” Mueller said.
Reporter Keila Szpaller can be reached at 523-5262 or at keila.szpaller@missoulian.com.
|
 |
 |
Add your comment now! Write your comment in the form below.
(Email address is for verification only. If you'd like to email a story, look for the link above)