City of Greensboro Receives DOE Stimulus Grant for Energy Efficiency Retrofitting

GREENSBORO, NC – April 21, 2010 – (RealEstateRama) — The City of Greensboro has been awarded $5 million in funding from the US Department of Energy (DOE) for building energy efficiency retrofitting on more than 5,000 housing units and 125 non-residential buildings. The money, available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, is one of 25 grants awarded by the DOE for its Retrofit Ramp-Up Program.

The strength of Greensboro’s application for the funding was its depth of relationships with outside partners and commitment to building the capacity of residents, neighborhoods and businesses who will benefit from the program.

The City’s plan for the funds is called “Energy Efficiency as a Pathway to Community Health and Wealth” and its goal is to emphasize the vital connection between energy efficiency and quality of life. The project will use an extensive community outreach campaign – “Healthy, Wealthy and Wise” – to inform the public about benefits of reducing energy use and will involve personal home and business visits to assess needs, especially in the east Greensboro area. The program is expected to begin in late summer and run for three years.

The project’s objectives include reducing energy consumption by 20-30 percent in at least 34 percent of the homes targeted and 10 percent of the other buildings. This will involve making 10,000 home visits to do basic upgrades like replacing incandescent lights with compact fluorescent lights, installing programmable thermostats, and performing more extensive building up-fit work on up to 5,720 housing units and 125 commercial and institutional buildings. Home owners who participate in the program will receive free energy audits and information about efficiency upgrade options.

The project is also expected to create about 100 local jobs and self-employment opportunities.

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The City of Greensboro works with the community to improve the quality of life for residents through inclusion, diversity, and trust. As the seventh largest employer in Greensboro, the City has a professional staff of 2,800 employees who maintain the values of honesty, integrity, stewardship, and respect. The City is governed by a council-manager form of government with a mayor and eight council members. For more information on the City, visit www.greensboro-nc.gov or call 373-CITY (2489).