As a newcomer to D.C., I am eager to explore all this city has to offer. Despite the sprawling National Mall and the throngs of tourists, D.C. is also a network of communities. This blog explores the ways that D.C. residents are banding together to strengthen communities, and building an inclusive green economy from the bottom-up.

On Saturday I had the opportunity to complete my first ever Volunteer Energy Assessment (VEA).  I completed Volunteer Energy Assessment Training a month and a half ago, where I learned to do a preliminary assessment of a home in order to:

• Provide the homeowner with information about home science and WeatherizeDC.
• Give the homeowner do-it-yourself techniques for improving home energy efficiency.
• Advise the homeowner whether he or she is a good candidate for a professional energy audit.

I met my fellow volunteer energy assessors, Abby and Winston, in Takoma Park, and the three of us walked to the house together to meet the homeowner (let’s call her Jane).

Jane welcomed us into her home, a home that she and her family had lived in since she was a child.  She reckoned the house was about 60 or 70 years old, and as far as she knew, there hadn’t been much done to improve energy efficiency over the years.  We sat in Jane’s living room, and spoke with her and her mother for a while about home science and some of the principles behind weatherization.

Jane’s main interest in weatherization stems from the economic benefit that it can provide.  She said there were multiple months last winter when her family was unpleasantly surprised by their energy bill, and that it was an economic hardship she wanted to avoid next winter.

Taking action now will save Jane money and make her home more comfortable next winter.

As part of the VEA, we measured the dimensions of the conditioned space in the house, and collected information from Jane about her energy and gas bills.  We will use this information to provide Jane with a follow-up report that will give her an idea of how her house compares with other houses in energy efficiency.

We did a walk-through of Jane’s house, to look for tell-tale signs of air leaks, which we pointed out to her along the way.  We found a few spider webs in the corners of doors and windows.  Spiders strategically place their webs in spaces with high air flow to increase their chances of catching insects; this helps draw our attention to specific spots in the house that are leaking energy.

We noticed that some of the pipes carrying water from the hot water heater were hot to the touch, suggesting that they are uninsulated and letting heat escape into the room.  We pointed out doors without weather stripping, and mentioned to Jane that the addition of weather stripping would be an easy, do-it-yourself way to start down a path toward improved home energy efficiency.

We left Jane with a few immediate do-it-yourself suggestions for improving her home’s energy efficiency, a packet of information about home science, and a promise to follow-up with her completed report.  VEAs are a great way to help homeowners feel informed and empowered to improve their homes, and help them decide if they want to take the next step towards a professional energy audit and weatherization.

Are you interested in receiving a VEA, or becoming a trained volunteer energy assessor?