Illinois Success Story

RC&D Project Responds to Rising Energy Costs

By: Jill Rees, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist
September 2005

Energy Star Rater Jim Osborn demonstrates how pressure diagnostic technology detects air leakage to Energy Conservation Workshop participant Mary Meinhart. Osborn conducted 75 home energy check-ups for his part in the Wabash Valley RC&D's Energy Conservation Project.

Jim Osborn’s house is tight. Although it was built in the 1930’s, the home’s sealed air leaks, upgraded lighting, and beefed up insulation are saving him hundreds of dollars a year on energy costs.

Now, Osborn is helping his community achieve the same savings through the Lawrence County Energy Conservation Project of the Wabash Valley Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D).

Osborn is a certified building technician and the only certified Energy Star Rater in southeastern Illinois.

“Many homes in Lawrence County range in age from 50 to over 100 years old and are often very inefficient,” Osborn said. “There are plenty of cheap, easy improvements people can make on their own to start saving money right away.”

The RC&D obtained a $20,000 grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation to conduct a public education campaign on energy conservation and to offer Osborn’s home energy check up to Lawrence County residents free of charge.

This year, Osborn provided inspections to 75 residents and small businesses. Participants each received a written energy assessment, a detailed list of recommendations, and two free fluorescent light bulbs to replace inefficient incandescent bulbs. The program also reimbursed participants up to $50 for supplies or services to install recommended treatments.

Lawrenceville resident Delilah Gray gained peace of mind from the energy assessment. “I can’t say enough about the program,” said Gray. “I live in a modular home and figured they would find so many leaks that I wouldn’t be able to afford to fix anything.”

What Gray’s inspection showed, however, was that her home is exceptionally efficient. “To know I have an excellent home is a relief,” said Gray.

Like many participants, Gray was happy to learn that achieving energy efficiency at home can be quick, easy, and cheap.

“Many of the homes and business I inspected needed inexpensive improvements, such as caulking and weatherstripping,” said Osborn.

“In a time of rising energy costs and economic challenges in small communities, it makes sense to maximize energy efficiency,” said Wabash Valley RC&D Coordinator Betty Joubert.

Participants in the Energy Conservation Project provided information on their energy costs before and after they made recommended improvements. According to Joubert, the results showed an average savings of about 30%.

Through the project, the RC&D held 80 demonstrations to local business owners, homeowners, and school students to raise awareness of energy conservation at home and in the office. The demonstrations also featured experts who discussed new technologies, such as pressure diagnostics, geothermal heating and cooling systems and solar and wind energy.

“Projects like this have the potential to provide a number of benefits,” said Joubert. “This definitely helps the environment, but it also offers a local economic boost. Participants make energy improvements with goods and services purchased in the community, and in turn, the money saved on power bills is also spent locally.”

RC&D is a program of the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). RC&D supports locally-led efforts to implement creative solutions to economic, environmental, and development issues. RC&D projects include conservation programs, small business development, and infrastructure improvements for small communities. For more information on the Lawrence County Energy Conservation Project or the RC&D program, visit the NRCS Web site at www.il.nrcs.gov.