Good news today for sustainable communities.

After learning about the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s regional planning grants announcement this morning, our own local non-profit, Sustainable Works, that does energy audits and retrofits, sent a notice about their first birthday celebration. Awww. They deserve props: In the last year, Sustainable Works audited over 160 Spokane homes and performed 70- full-energy retrofits and the program continues having moved from the South Perry neighborhood to Audubon and Shadle.

The party starts Wednesday, October 20th, 7pm at Browne Elementary, 5102 N. Driscoll Avenue.
 
From Kellie Stickney:

On October 20th,  SustainableWorks, a Spokane-based non-profit will be celebrating one-year of stimulus funded energy efficiency audits and retrofits by expanding its program to include the entire 99205 zip code. The celebration and neighborhood launch will be held at Browne Elementary on Wednesday, October 20th from 7-8pm. In the last year, SustainableWorks has audited over 160 Spokane homes and performed 70- full-energy retrofits. Participants have saved significantly on items like insulation, furnaces and water heaters, and reduced their energy costs by 20-40%. The SustainableWorks project has also been able to put a number of skilled trade people back to work in family-wage jobs.

“The SustainableWorks project offers a great opportunity for residents to take advantage of stimulus funds to lower their energy bills, improve their homes and lower their carbon emissions,” said Justin Bell, volunteer with SustainableWorks and 99205 resident. “It’s great to be part of a project that’s saving people money and putting my neighbors back to work.”

SustainableWorks project has been supported by a number of community based institutions, the Spokane Alliance, unions, and the Mayor’s Office. These organizations and individual volunteers have spent more than 1600 hours working to get members of their communities involved in reducing energy use and creating quality jobs.

Candidates for SustainableWorks must be owner-occupied homes, small businesses or rental property (with landlord agreement) located within the target area. Interested people are encouraged to attend the 99205 Celebration and Neighborhood Launch to learn more about the program:
 
·         Wednesday, October 20th, 7-8pm at Browne Elementary, 5102 N. Driscoll Avenue
 
 or sign-up by visiting www.sustainableworks.com, or by calling the SustainableWorks office at 509.532.1688
The process begins with a pre-audit to determine eligibility followed by a professional energy audit. Worth approximately $600, the cost of the audit to the home or business owner is $95. An energy consultant then explains to the homeowner where they are losing energy and suggests the most cost effective every saving improvements. Contractors managed by SustainableWorks then complete the energy saving measures chosen by the homeowner. Projects are designed to pay for themselves with energy savings.
 
 
About SustainableWorks 

SustainableWorks is a non-profit focused on creating quality jobs and improving the environment with residential and small commercial energy retrofit projects facilitated through community engagement and participation. SustainableWorks utilizes a $4 million Community Energy Efficiency Program Grant to retrofit up to 2,000 homes and small businesses in moderate-income neighborhoods in Spokane, Pierce, King, and Snohomish counties over the next 2 years. This activity should produce approximately 120 full-time jobs and $12 million in retrofit work, as well as reduce carbon emissions by 3,000 tons.

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