The Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage Project (SVBH) is a non-profit organization in Harrisonburg that exists to recover and share resources on African American history in the Shenandoah Valley. The impactful work put forth by these community members is coordinated and housed in the Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage Center located on Hill St. in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The Gaines Group partnered with SVBH in their efforts to improve the environmental stability of their building by completing an energy audit. This complimentary service helped identify areas that can be modified to reduce energy usage and increase the overall efficiency of the building.
Charles with members of the Carpenters Guild talking through improvements to Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage Center.
After identifying areas of improvement, the Carpenter’s Guild of Harrisonburg donated their time and efforts to making energy-efficiency improvements and preparing the roof to install solar panels. Give Solar is promoting fundraising efforts to support the entirety of this project which includes the installation of solar panels. If you are interested in supporting this project, please visit their website to learn more about these efforts.
Members of the Carpenters Guild of Harrisonburg worked to make energy-related improvements.
Energy audits are a free service and a great opportunity to support organizations such as SVBH who are doing important work in our community. We have experience providing these audits in numerous homes, non-profit organizations, and various churches in our surrounding areas. We want everyone to feel comfortable in their living or working spaces and cut down on the overpayment of energy bills. Reach out if you or your organization are interested in this free service!
Our last collaboration with Give Solar and the Carpenter’s Guild resulted in a more energy-efficient building at Our Community Place in Harrisonburg. This pro-bono work benefits the community by lowering the monthly utility bills of area non-profits making them more sustainable and our community more resilient.
We are beyond excited for our very own Charles Hendricks to attend the first annual Rocktown Energy Fest to present his panel on, Building Science: Save Energy and Money. You can RSVP and find further details of this event here.
A home is the most complicated machine you will ever own. Humidity, water, insects, energy use, air quality, VOCs: there are so many factors that impact your health and comfort in a home, but we rarely think about them. Join Charles for a short session to talk about things you can do in your home that can reduce your monthly energy bills, saving you money while reducing your chances of getting sick.
We hope to see you there this weekend, Saturday, October 2nd at 10:00 AM. Our panel begins at 10:20 AM, and if you would like more information on saving money by going green check out our ‘At Home Energy Series’ Including Solar, Hydro, and Around the House!
This week we went over the different ways to conserve energy using sunlight and rainwater, but if growing your own food and catching rain isn’t fitting for your lifestyle there are plenty of other things you can do to cut down on energy bills!
A quick fix that will save you money for years to come is swapping our your light bulbs! Switching from regular bulbs to LED bulbs can save you up to $1,000.00 in a 10 year span. By using a semiconductor to convert electricity into light LED light bulbs work 90% more efficiently than regular incandescent bulbs!
Unplug your appliances! Did you know that your appliances still use electricity even when not in use? That means the iphone charger plugged in next to your nightstand is still using electricity even when your phone isn’t plugged in. In retrospect it doesn’t seem like a big deal but when you have several appliances (toaster, coffee maker, etc.) plugged in and not in use this can add up to an extra $100-$200 a year in unused energy.
Washing your clothing in cold water can be a huge game changer for not only your clothes but your energy bills. While washing your clothes in cold water can help preserve the color and size of fabric, 90% of the energy your washing machine uses is just for heating up the water! Cold Water Saves does an excellent job of breaking down laundry loads and energy pricing here, washing in hot water costs around $0.68/load whereas washing in cold water costs $0.04/load.
Change your air conditioning filter monthly. As your AC gets dirtier over time it can make it more difficult for it to pump out air, which can even cause it to break down quicker. As a result you could save up to 15% on your utility bills.
Much like the sun, water also offers many opportunities that can save money and the environment. If you are similar to the vast majority of the population you don’t have a river or waterfall in your backyard to utilize a hydroelectric power generator (which can be extremely costly even if you do). These easy water hacks will hopefully give you a refreshing outlook on the power of water and what natural resources can do for you.
Rainwater has plenty of natural nutrients and is relatively very pure, a quick and easy way to cut down on your water bills is to use rainwater to hydrate your plants. In the solar portion of the series, we discussed the importance of growing your own food, now you can harvest healthier water for that food without worrying about a water bill. According to Good Earth Plant Company, rainwater will even clear out the pores on plant leaves, improving their ability to breathe in carbon dioxide.
Rainwater can even be used to water pets and livestock. Mass amounts of water go towards the upkeep and care of farm animals and wildlife, a dent can be made in this exceedingly large bill by collecting rainwater in cisterns!
Aside from collecting rainwater, there are several things that can be done in the home to conserve water and minimize your water bill. One of the biggest things you can do is make your showers shorter. According to Friends of the Earth, we use 4.5 gallons of water for every minute we shower, so consider setting a timer on your phone the next time you shower!
Save up your laundry! Hold off on doing loads of laundry and dishes until you have a full load. Running one large load of dishes or laundry conserves more water than running several smaller ones. Plus you get the benefit of not doing as much housework every week. Plus washing your clothes and dishes together is fun – just kidding, wanted to make sure you were still reading.
As the desire to utilize green energy grows, the tools to harness it expand as well. As the options continue to expand the price for green energy continues to drop. Anyone who has had the tiniest interest in solar panels knows just how good of an investment they can be for your home or business, but there is a high economic bar to get started. This series strives to shine some light (pun intended) on different ways solar energy can be used to save you money and save our planet.
A simple life-change you can do to utilize the energy from the sun is using a clothesline. This not only saves you the energy from using your dryer but is also gentler on your clothes and even removes stubborn odors embedded in the fabric. According to Efficiency, the sun even whitens your whites, acting as a natural bleach by sanitizinbg your clothes.
Another way to utilize the suns energy is through growing your own food! This is definitely a solution for those with patience and maybe a green thumb. Purchasing fruits and vegatables from a grocery store has a hidden environmental cost that we don’t always consider. Long distance transportation of produce contributes heavily to fossil fuel emissions, you also receive the benefit of knowing what you are spraying on your plants. You don’t even need a yard to accomplish this, just a few pots of soil, some seeds, and of course sunlight!
In extreme situations the suns light can also be used to purify water. When water is in a clear container and exposed to sunlight the UV radiation will eliminate any parasites, or bacteria! According to the Koshland Science Museum the water will need to sit for up to six hours in direct sunlight, and two days if particularly cloudy. While we might not use this hack everyday, it can save lives when clean water is not accesible.
