Occasionally, I get to see the benefits of all of the hard work of Rising Sun Energy Center. Today was one of those days. Allow me to explain….
As a BPI Certified Building Analyst, one of my responsibilities here at Rising Sun Energy Center is to perform energy assessments on homes enrolled in our GETS Energy Services program. Today, I got to meet one of our customers and perform a post-weatherization energy assessment (known as a “test-out” in the industry lingo). This is where I get to measure how much of a positive impact all of our crew’s hard work had on the home. While my fancy gauges told me how much less drafty the home will be this winter, the home owner told me how she is already more comfortable in her home because of the additional insulation. A mother of three, she also told me how she wants to tell all of her friends, relatives and neighbors about this program so they can reap the same benefits. This got me to thinking about all of the impacts a program like GETS Energy Services has that can’t be measured by my fancy gauges:
- This customer’s family will be more comfortable this winter. They will use less energy to heat the home this winter but, also, her children will have better chances to avoid getting sick (improved indoor air quality from the vapor barrier, properly ventilation and increased thermal performance, etc.).
- In reaching out to her community to spread the word about this program, this customer will strengthen her community. The people she touches will hopefully go on to enroll and then they can spread the word to their friends and family.
- Lowered utility bills can be measured but how do you measure decreased financial strain?
- By enrolling in this program, she gave our GETS Energy Services crew valuable opportunities to gain more experience and skills – the kinds of things employers are looking for.
Will this one happy customer change the world? Well, to be honest, yes. Maybe not in a huge and immediately measurable way but, yes – I like to think we are changing the world one home at a time. I heard a great quote the other day:
“You know that inch-by-inch ground you are gaining? That’s called winning.”
And that’s what keeps me going.
George
