Updates

Yes, Covid has slowed down the people working on Cooler Communities in 7 Berkshire and Pioneer Valley communities - but it's not stopped them!                                                                                                        Have a look at the first virtual Cooler Communities event, set up in partnership with Berkshire Museum and the grassroots volunteers organizing the yearly Berkshire Earth Expo. Close to 30 students participated both in an extraordinary art show as well as other projects, presented in podcasts, from research on the anti-fungal properties of local honey to songs composed in honor of the earth and those protecting her. Other students demonstrated hands-on activities that reduce waste and plastic use - great things to do while at home due to COVID. For...

Get an energy assessment! Surely these are tremendously challenging times. With our focus understandably on health and equity issues, it’s hard to think about anything else. But alas, just look at the hurricanes raging down south and the fires out west. We have to find a way to consider what we can do to address our planet’s issues as well. There IS something that we can do that not only will be a step in the right direction, but it will also help us during these harsh economic times to save money. We’re noticing, I’m sure, the morning chills, and we are reminded that soon we will be paying heating bills. Massachusetts offers its Mass Save programs that provide a free energy assessment, evaluating where you live or work and making suggestions as to how you can save energy. These recommendations come with information about how these improvements can be paid for by the Mass Save program. There are opportunities available that cover...

There is hardly a week now that we do not read or hear about young people taking the initiative in our struggles to cope with the challenges of a pandemic, a recession, police brutality and racial injustice – and all of it against the backdrop of unrelenting climate change. On June 6th, I attended a Black Lives Matter rally in Great Barrington. It was organized, in part, by Calista Nelson, a senior at the local high school and her friend Langston Stahler and drew a larger crowd than any other event in Great Barrington before. Calista led through the action, announcing speakers and giving a short speech herself. I had met her before when she was tabling outside the local co-op selling raffle tickets for a school-related cause. A friend of mine who used to be her teacher also told me that she was one of the leaders in her school trying to organize a school chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Also...

COVID 19: Free Virtual Audits and Free Insulation “Virtual home energy assessments”  In response to the current situation, the State of Massachusetts and the utility companies have worked closely with home energy assessment providers to create an opportunity for home energy assessments to be delivered remotely for all one to four unit buildings – without the need for anyone to visit your home. These assessments can be completed with a smart phone or device and an ability to take and electronically send a small number of digital photographs of your home. These assessments can result in the same benefits as a more traditional in-person assessments, including the free at-home delivery of any identified ‘instant savings measures’ (LED lightbulbs, smart power strips, etc.) and the identification of larger savings opportunities like improved home insulation and more efficient heating systems. While the implementation of some of these larger measures might need to wait until the suspension has been lifted, many of the traditional incentives...

As you can imagine, our Cooler Communities events in 5 Western MA towns had to be postponed into the fall or next spring, due to the COVID 19 crisis. We hope that as you read this, you and yours are healthy and able to navigate these challenges with support and care around you. In order to still offer a chance to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day this month and to collectively take action to care for the earth, we joined the Earth Day Ecochallenge. Our team is 50 people strong already, learning and pledging daily or one-time actions to honor, support and heal the earth. Can we get to 75 this week? Come join our Cooler Communities team at the Earth Day Ecochallenge It is fun and encouraging to see over 600 teams across the country participate and see everyone’s impact - from saving water to advocacy, from healthy gardening to learning about local climate solutions.   ...

Workshop for Landlords and Property Managers We are offering a free workshop designed especially for landlords in the Springfield area about services from Massachusetts’ Mass Save Program. You will have the chance to learn from Tom Jordan of Clear Result about the following: You are entitled to a free energy audit of your rented buildings You will learn about the free services and products that are available to you and your tenants You will be informed about 0% loans available to you so that you can do more to make your property energy efficiency. At this time when climate change is spoken about broadly, here is your chance to do your share. How you’ll benefit: Cost of utilities that you or your tenants pay will go down, resulting in more consistent occupancy rates Your tenants will be happier (see our founders video about this here and below!)  and more collaborative - you helped them save on bills! The value of your property will go up (every...

We are thrilled to see students from Northampton jumping into planning for a Cooler Communities even in their town. Here, at the Western Mass Student Climate Summit, they are beginning to create an action plan under the inspired guidance of previous student leaders. In a room full of engaged students the energy is positive and determined, as you can see from the Thank You card! ...

We've been so busy working away that we have neglected this blog for a while - no longer! Listen in on WAMC about how the City of Springfield and Ener-G-save work together to build on the success the city has had in reducing its energy use and saving millions of dollars. Mayor Sarno declared October energy efficiency month and with his support Ener-G-save helped more than 100 residents just last month to access energy efficiency programs. ...

This was fun! Here is a look at Agawam Cooler Community Challenge and Cooler Communities Berkshires! The passion of the students and of the organizers makes this program so worthwhile. "This brings the whole community together around this really important topic", said Mayor Sapelli from Agawam. And that is the whole idea. Saving energy is fun and when it's done as a community the impact multiplies. It's a win-win, as Sheila Hoffman, the Assitant Superintendent says. And we are thrilled to be expanding it to more communities in the next school year. Interested? Contact: education@ener-g-save.com...

Results! This past April, Ener-G-Save and many partners came together in Pittsfield MA to host the 2019 Berkshire Earth Expo. Then, in May, the Agawam Cooler Community Challenge followed. We are really excited to be announcing the results: Of the roughly 700 visitors who came to the events, a total of 191 filled out valid "carbon trackers" to monitor how their homes and lifestyles contributed to the towns overall carbon output and to pledge actions they would take to reduce energy waste. The options ranged from auditing and weatherizing a home to save on heating and cooling to joining a community solar farm to consolidating errands to save on gas among many more. If followed through on, these actions save about 226 tons of CO2 and $25,100 energy dollars in the Berkshires: the equivalent of removing 32 cars from the road. The numbers for Agawam are even more impressive: $87,600 in energy savings and 605 tons of CO2 emission reductions per year. This...