WeatherizeDC Blog

A Takoma Neighborhood Weatherization Team member, Anne works to ensure that her neighbors can take advantage of WeatherizeDC's opportunities and to create demand for green jobs.

By putting “boots on the ground” with our community weatherization program, we’ve helped more than 300 homeowners make their homes more energy efficient and created 44 jobs for area residents.

A boots on the ground approach also means “learning by doing.” We’ve learned that homeowners are interested and enthusiastic about making their homes more comfortable and using less energy.

And after two years, we’ve learned these efforts are most successful when homeowners are part of a group -- neighbors, friends or a community network weatherizing at the same time.

Community Weatherization Projects will be our focus for 2012. These are projects in which five or more community members will act as a “buyer’s club” for weatherization services and contract with one local business to work on all of the houses during the same time period.

Homeowners will also have a chance to decide what social standards are important to them, and include those standards as part of the contractor evaluation process. Through this approach, we’ll expand the number of contractors we work with while ensuring that our goal of local economic investment is met.

One Community Weatherization Project was already completed in Silver Spring, Maryland. Four homeowners originally signed on and more neighbors joined as they learned what a great opportunity it was. In the end, eight homes were weatherized and homeowners saved 15% on weatherization services costs, even before taking advantage of state and federal rebate programs.

A project in Mt. Pleasant is moving forward with five homeowners and we expect more to join as it gains momentum.

By learning by doing, we have taken what we’ve learned in 2011 and are looking forward to a happy, weatherized 2012!

The Saturday leading up to Thanksgiving marked a festive day at the Columbia Heights Community Marketplace, and I was happy to be there with WeatherizeDC.

The breeze was cool and the sun was beaming, which made for a crisp, beautiful Fall morning. With the help of my fellow intern Riki, I ran a WeatherizeDC information table at the marketplace.

Folks signed up with us to get more information about weatherizing their homes or for the opportunity to donate their time to volunteer. We were joined by Matt, a volunteer who recently had weatherization work done on his home and was eager to get others involved. 

When I arrived at the marketplace there were a lot of tables being set up and a small number of patrons beginning to file in.

By the time we got our table ready to go about 15 minutes later, I noticed that the cozy outdoor space which housed the the marketplace on Saturdays was pretty much packed to the brim with people.

There were tables set up for just about anything you’d want at a farmers market from farm-fresh eggs and lamb products, to homemade blankets and jewelry, to music to listen to while you stood online for hot apple cider.

As the morning continued Riki, Matt and I talked to dozens of passersby. Through my observations of and interactions with the people at the market, I began to see a community with a lot of interest in an array of important social issues.

In addition to the strong show of interest in WeatherizeDC’s work, I saw many people speaking with representatives from other social organizations who had tables set up that day.

It became abundantly clear that the Columbia Heights community is a great place to discuss energy efficiency and the importance of creating and supporting local economic development in the D.C. area.

I initially attended the market to tell people about WeatherizeDC’s mission. Ultimately, I got a lot more out of this morning of “work” than I could have ever imagined.

I left the Columbia Heights Community Marketplace with a feeling of fulfillment because of the quality and content of the conversations I had that day. 

I was happy to learn that so many people are concerned about our environment and are eager to learn what can be done to alter our path toward a brighter, healthier and more energy-efficient future.

Will you help us down the right path by joining us at one of our upcoming events?

Over Halloween weekend, communities all over the nation celebrated National Weatherization Day to recognize the weatherization work that has taken place this year.

The Sierra Club helped to raise awareness of weatherization on National Weatherization Day. They also used the day to showcase the emerging home weatherization industry and the green jobs that can be created.  They even encouraged people to put up these flyers around their neighborhood for Halloween to inform people about wasted energy in their homes.

‘Project Warm’ in Louisville, funded by the Weatherization Assistance Program, held free weatherization workshops at eight locations in the city. Free do-it-yourself weatherization kits were handed out and tutorials on how to do some self home-retrofitting were given throughout the day.

Home energy upgrades have come a long way in the past few years, and it’s big news that the general public recognizes the word “weatherization.” Part of the reason it is more widely understood is the focus that was put on energy efficiency upgrades through the American Recovery Act weatherization program. Through this program “more than 245,000 low-income families have had their homes upgraded, which means these families are paying lower energy bills every month.”

Here in the nation’s capital, WeatherizeDC is doing its part to increase awareness and action for energy efficiency.

We are excited to be gearing up for more Community Weatherization Projects (CWP). As part of a CWP, groups of community members who want to help the environment and save on energy bills can come together and take initiative. Using their collective buying power to bring down the cost of weatherization services, community members can decrease their energy use, as opposed to sitting by while we waste our natural resources and money.

Let’s hope that on National Weatherization Day next year, we have even more to celebrate!

Will you take the initiative to weatherize next?

Originally scheduled for Saturday October 29, the LeDroit Park Civic Association postponed Oktoberfest due to pouring rain and snow (yes, snow!).

Fortunately, the following day was every bit as beautiful as the prior day was miserable. When I arrived to set up our WeatherizeDC table I was welcomed by the friendly members of the Civic Association. As the sun warmed the shaded areas of the park, members of the LeDroit Park community began trickling in. By the time I had finished my first cup of coffee, Oktoberfest was in full swing and people browsed the vendor tables, mingling with other attendees of the gathering, including Mayor Vince Gray. With scheduled entertainment from local youth groups and musical acts, along with food from vendors and food trucks, Oktoberfest was a great way to connect with the LeDroit Park community and tell them about WeatherizeDC.

In a close knit community with considerable history such as LeDroit Park, the WeatherizeDC idea of community solutions to community problems fits right in with the mentality of the neighborhood. People expressed interest in the Community Weatherization Projects, noting the emphasis on partnership, relationships, and power of organization.

It is heartening to go into neighborhoods with less familiarity with our work and receive validation and praise for the model and purpose of WeatherizeDC. While talking to folk at Oktoberfest and hearing each of their personal stories, I realized just how many people have values that align with the work we do here at WeatherizeDC.

Ultimately, when we say WeatherizeDC we mean we would like to weatherize all of Washington DC (and then the world)! This may seem like a tall order, but by forming relationships across DC at events like Oktoberfest, in communities like LeDroit Park, we may be well on our way to achieving that goal.

Help us achieve our goal and volunteer with us at an upcoming event!

I am here to confess that before today, I, Lindsey Gill, had never seen An Inconvenient Truth.  You may be asking yourself, why is she telling me this?  On The DC Project’s blog of all places? 

Well, as I watched Al Gore reduce our future to a few terrifying slides I was transported back to my grade school days.  Every April, the teachers would take an afternoon to teach us about environmentalism.  Earth Day became a sort of guilt trip for me—a reminder that every day I was contributing to an unimaginably large, unstoppable problem.  Every year, I was filled with fear and a need to remedy my ways.  Thankfully, the teachers made sure to pass along sheets with suggestions of what we could do.  In the weeks to come, I would run to turn off lights around the house, make sure to brush my teeth without water, and avoid the shower for days (then again, this may not have had so much to do with Earth Day).  I believed that my small actions could save the world, and I was thankful for the opportunity to help out.

Watching an Inconvenient Truth, I felt that same guilt and fear I felt as a kid.   Surely as an adult, there must be something more I can do than turn off my unused electronics—something that will make a real impact.  And just like in elementary school, there was an answer.  As the film came to a close, a series of suggestions started filling the screen. Within a minute, up popped “Insulate and weatherize your home.” 

Thanks to organizations like Weatherize DC, we have the ability to make a real difference as adults.  So, whether its by coming together with community members to start a Neighborhood Weatherization Project, or by volunteering, take a minute to think about how you can save the world one step at a time. 

Monika graduated from Michigan State University in May 2011 and currently serves an intern with the United Nations Foundation. She organizes community engagement activities for the Roosevelt Institute | Pipeline Washington, D.C. chapter.

After moving to Washington, D.C. several months ago, I joined other recent college grads to create Roosevelt Institute | Pipeline, an organization of civically engaged young people. The goal: Continue our progressive activism after we left academia.

Exploring a new city, I was eager to learn about the challenges that the local community faces. WeatherizeDC offered us the perfect opportunity.

In early September, we joined forces with some of the program’s organizers in the Bloomingdale neighborhood. It’s a diverse community straddling Northeast and Northwest D.C. that’s emerging as a popular neighborhood for young, new to D.C. people, but is maintaining its population of long-time residents.

When the WeatherizeDC team offered to meet us in their M Street offices, we were excited to roll up our sleeves and get involved.

Bloomingdale, is lined with beautiful row houses, small businesses and colorful trees. Those same old row houses, though, are recipes for high utility bills and unnecessary energy use in cold weather.

Enter WeatherizeDC, which gives residents the opportunity to obtain a free assessment of their home’s energy use and a sense of where they are likely losing energy through leaks. From there, community members  can work with the organization to connect with businesses who have agreed to hire local residents with multiple barriers to employment or individuals from neighborhoods with high poverty rates. 

In effect, they’re creating green jobs by increasing a demand for weatherization services and sustainable energy usage. 

As a group of nerdy policy wonks, we couldn’t have been more enthusiastic to get started.

On a Saturday afternoon, we set out to canvass 180 Bloomingdale homes. We wanted to talk with residents about how to save energy when temperatures drop in the coming months.

Knocking on doors at first seemed a daunting task, but we were inspired to see that neighbors were equally excited to learn how they could transform their cold weather energy situations.

One resident had even started to organize a community meeting around the issue. Others were ecstatic to learn of a solution to their annual winter utility woes.

As newbies to the D.C. area, we welcomed the chance to get a taste of the culture of Bloomingdale.

Seeing the neighborhood’s  commitment to a greener city motivated us to continue to engage with local organizers for community progress, a valuable perspective for our newly-formed group.

Pipeline is a project of the Roosevelt Institute, aiming to build a civic infrastructure of young progressives. To learn more about the DC Chapter, check us out on Facebook at Roosevelt Institute Pipeline- DC Chapter or at http://www.rooseveltcampusnetwork.org/alumni.

A Takoma Neighborhood Weatherization Team member, Karen educates and involves the community in efforts to create an equitable clean energy economy.

It's been a soggy Fall so far.

In the coming weeks, though, the temperatures will dip and we'll feel a chill in the air.

Now is the perfect time to weatherize your home before our first snowfall.

You're invited to my home on Monday, September 26 from 7pm to 8:30pm for a neighborhood energy gathering.

It's a great opportunity to learn more about investing in home energy upgrades and ask questions about your home's energy use.

Montgomery County residents have another reason to act now.

State and county incentives can help residents shrink the cost of home energy upgrades by up to 70 percent. 

So you'll spend a lot less for greater home comfort and lower monthly bills.    

Interested in joining our Monday gathering? 

RSVP here or contact Senior Organizing Fellow Alessandra Brown ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it /202.725.1856).

Born and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland, Meghan is an Organizing Fellow with WeatherizeDC. She previously worked on sustainable operations in several apartment complexes in Takoma Park, Maryland.

As we continue to grow our outreach on Capitol Hill, I wanted to make sure you saw this excellent posting, "Time to Weatherize," in the The Hill is Home. It helps make the case for why Fall is the perfect time to invest in home energy upgrades. 

Jon Penndorf writes:

"The sudden cooler weather this past weekend was a welcome respite to the heat of the summer, but it was also a reminder that colder temperatures are on the horizon. With the cold comes higher heating bills.  Between air conditioning season and heating season is a great time to air out your house and weatherize to save money on those energy bills and reduce fossil fuel consumption."

Every home is different. Jon helps to outline the range of upgrades that might be a match for your home.

"Sealing and insulation exterior walls are simple ways to weatherize, but sometimes less-obvious fixes can have large impacts on efficiency. Replacing or insulating ductwork or replacing heating units can have significant returns on investment in the form of energy savings."

I'm grateful to The Hill is Home for sharing a little bit about our program and encouraging Capitol Hill community members to take advantage of the change of seasons to protect their home from the elements.

If you live on Capitol Hill and would like to learn more about the many benefits of investing in home energy upgrades or are eager to serve as a volunteer and help mobilize one of D.C.'s most interesting neighborhoods, contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Rev. Thomas Knoll is pastor of First Trinity Lutheran Church in Washington, D.C.

Like many congregations in D.C., First Trinity Lutheran Church has grappled with rising energy costs and felt the pinch.

In an essay published in the Washington Post, I write about one way that we discovered to combat sky-high electricity bills.

The Community Energy Purchase, organized by WeatherizeDC, gave us an opportunity to use our collective buying power to save on our energy costs every month. We can then channel those dollars saved back into our ministries and strengthen our social impact. 

The Community Energy Purchase also gave participating institutions a chance to learn about the special community services that each organization offers to the D.C. area.

Read more of my essay here. 

Born and raised in a small town in Northern California, Ayla’s family and neighbors taught her that the most effective way to mobilize and inspire individuals is through their communities. As a WeatherizeDC Organizer, Deanwood is one of the neighborhoods where Ayla focuses her outreach efforts.

As I unloaded large boxes of clipboards, flyers and light bulbs from a borrowed car parked outside the Deanwood Recreation Center, I glanced nervously at the gathering clouds.

We were planning to canvass rain or shine, but how would a group of Georgetown University students enjoy their first canvass if they were soaking wet?

I willed the sun to come out, and continued setting up.
 
We were using the "canvass captain" method that we refined during our Community Canvass at Power Shift 2011 this past spring.

This technique promised to make training the 45 Georgetown students who were volunteering with WeatherizeDC in Ward 7 more manageable.

As the canvass captains arrived, I began to relax.

They had all been trained the week before, were well-versed in the logistics of the day, well-acquainted with their turfs and canvass materials and ready to prep six to ten Georgetown students for the canvass. 
 
The Georgetown students arrived at the Rec Center en masse. As we piled into a small room for training, I could feel the buzz of excitement.

As they broke into six groups, I could hear students introducing themselves to their canvass captains and one another.

I was overcome by memories of my own first week on a college campus.

These students had a unique opportunity during their first week on campus to explore a neighborhood in their new city as part of Georgetown’s Freshman Day of Service.
 
After a short introduction and welcome by Amin Muslim, Director of Constituent Services for Ward 7 Councilwoman Alexander, I handed the reins over to the canvass captains.


Buzzing between clusters, I listened in as the Georgetown students learned about the ins and outs of canvassing, the DC Sustainable Energy Utility Single Family Quick Start program they would be canvassing about, and WeatherizeDC.

Every now and then, I jumped in to clarify a piece of messaging, or to offer a tip from my own canvassing experience.
 
Toward the end of the training, as the students were breaking into pairs to practice the canvass script by role-playing an encounter at the door, the clouds broke once and for all.

I breathed a sigh of relief, and signaled to the group that they needed to wrap up. 

Before sending them out onto the streets armed with compact fluorescent light bulbs, clipboards and their enthusiasm, I gathered the whole group together for one final cheer -- a WeatherizeDC tradition. 

“What time is it?” I asked.

“Weatherization time, hu!” they chorused back.
 
And with that, they were off to start knocking doors.
 
Two hours later, we gathered again at the Deanwood Recreation Center. As the students reflected on their experience, I collected materials and did some quick calculations.

I was blown away by the results.
 
The 45 Georgetown students had knocked on 435 doors and interested 58 people in the DC SEU Single Family Quick Start Program.

Just by the number of free energy efficient light bulbs they had passed out to those that they’d talked to, they had provided Deanwood residents with the opportunity to save more than $4,000 over the lifespan of the bulbs once installed.
 
Now, sitting here glancing over the reflection forms the students filled out, it hits me how much of a success this canvass really was.

Sure, we knocked on lots of doors, and, yeah, this could lead to a lot of Ward 7 residents with more energy efficient homes.

But that’s not all that we did.
 
This canvass brought Georgetown students off of campus. It was an opportunity for them to engage with people who live in the city that they will call home for the next four years, and helped to strengthen D.C.’s community.
 
How are you engaging with your D.C. neighbors?