Region
Second Wave - Michigan
Capital Gains - Lansing
Catalyst Midland
Concentrate - Ann Arbor/Ypsi
Epicenter - Mount Pleasant
Route Bay City
Rural Innovation Exchange
Southwest Michigan
UPword - UP
The Keel - Port Huron
The Lakeshore
Metromode - Metro Detroit
Flintside - Flint
Model D - Detroit
Rapid Growth - Grand Rapids
Focus Areas
Arts and Culture
Community Development
Diversity
Economic Development
Entrepreneurship
Healthy Communities
Kids and Education
Sustainability
Technology and Innovation
Transportation
Cities
Ann Arbor
Berkley
Birmingham
Dearborn
Detroit
Ecorse
Farmington
Ferndale
Grosse Pointe
Hamtramck
Hazel Park
Mt. Clemens
Northville
Oak Park
Plymouth
Pontiac
Port Huron
Rochester
Roseville
Royal Oak
Sterling Heights
Village of Franklin
Wyandotte
Ypsilanti
Series
Metromode
Block by Block
City Dive
Community Redistricting
COVID19
Culture of Health
Detroit Driven
Dining Destinations
Early Education Matters
Equity in our Parks
Ethnic Markets
Exploring Economic Equity
Girl Scouts SE Michigan Team Up
Inside our Outdoors
Invasive Species
Live, Work, Play in Macomb!
Macomb Parks & Trails
On The Ground
One Detroit
Sterling Heights Innovation District
Voices
Statewide
Areas of Concern
Block by Block
Bridging the Talent Gap
COVID19
Cyber Security
Disability Inclusion
Early Education Matters
Forestry
Girl Scouts SE Michigan Team Up
Good Food
Greater Lakes
Inside our Outdoors
Invasive Species
MI Mental Health
Michigan Nightlight
Michigan's Agricultural Future
Michigan's State of Health Podcast
Nonprofit Journal Project
Preserving Michigan
State of Health
Stories of Change
Voices of Youth
Yours, Mine, & Ours - Public Health
Toggle navigation
Focus Areas
Arts and Culture
Community Development
Diversity
Economic Development
Entrepreneurship
Healthy Communities
Kids and Education
Sustainability
Technology and Innovation
Transportation
Cities
Ann Arbor
Berkley
Birmingham
Dearborn
Detroit
Ecorse
Farmington
Ferndale
Grosse Pointe
Hamtramck
Hazel Park
Mt. Clemens
Northville
Oak Park
Plymouth
Pontiac
Port Huron
Rochester
Roseville
Royal Oak
Sterling Heights
Village of Franklin
Wyandotte
Ypsilanti
Series
Metromode
Block by Block
City Dive
Community Redistricting
COVID19
Culture of Health
Detroit Driven
Dining Destinations
Early Education Matters
Equity in our Parks
Ethnic Markets
Exploring Economic Equity
Girl Scouts SE Michigan Team Up
Inside our Outdoors
Invasive Species
Live, Work, Play in Macomb!
Macomb Parks & Trails
On The Ground
One Detroit
Sterling Heights Innovation District
Voices
Statewide
Areas of Concern
Block by Block
Bridging the Talent Gap
COVID19
Cyber Security
Disability Inclusion
Early Education Matters
Forestry
Girl Scouts SE Michigan Team Up
Good Food
Greater Lakes
Inside our Outdoors
Invasive Species
MI Mental Health
Michigan Nightlight
Michigan's Agricultural Future
Michigan's State of Health Podcast
Nonprofit Journal Project
Preserving Michigan
State of Health
Stories of Change
Voices of Youth
Yours, Mine, & Ours - Public Health
About
Contact
Better Buildings for Michigan funds residential energy improvements
Thursday, December 9, 2010
| Source:
Metromode
Share
A Ferndale neighborhood will be the first of 12 in southeast Michigan to benefit from residential energy efficiency grants through a program that kicks off today.
A Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth program, originally called the
Michigan Retrofit Ramp-up Initiative
and now Better Buildings for Michigan, is part of a national program that is distributing $30 million across the state. Gov. Jennifer Granholm is expected to officially announce and begin the statewide program today, and is expected to visit a home and assist with an energy audit.
The community-focused programs will target residential areas, selecting neighborhoods based on the age of the home, the area's demographics, and other features, explains Amanda Dentler, Outreach Director for the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office. Ferndale is the first city in the area to receive funding, and the office will alternate between Detroit and a suburb for each of the 12 neighborhoods; in all, six regions across Michigan are participating.
A total of 420 homes are selected in each community, and a $50 contribution by the homeowner gets a $1,200 package that includes an energy audit, light bulbs, blower door tests, efficient shower and sink faucets, and more. Dentler says the program is off to a good start -- of the selected homes, about a quarter have been contacted, and half of those have already agreed to participate.
"That's a success for us, considering no one's ever heard of this," she says. "I think we'll get a flood of commitments after the governor kicks it off."
The number of houses selected in a community, at 420, qualifies it to be a metropolitan neighborhood, she explains, and is a large enough population to begin to reduce the carbon and energy use of the area. Each neighborhood will get a six-week sweeps period, with canvassing and outreach, and a liaison afterwards if there's any follow-up or late interest.
According to a Department of Energy document, the goal for Better Buildings in Michigan is to address 11,340 residential buildings and at least 131 commercial, public, and industrial structures across Michigan over three years. It should save 1.2 trillion BTUs of energy, and 19.6 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year, while creating 2,063 green jobs, the document says.
Michigan's share comes from a total of $452 million in federal stimulus funds.
Source: Amanda Dentler, outreach director for Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office
Writer: Kristin Lukowski
Enjoy this story?
Sign up
for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.
Share
Related Tags
Energy
,
Government
,
Green Building
,
Historic Preservation
,
Oakland County
,
Redevelopment
,
Sustainability
Recommended Content
Across Our Network
Detroit collaborative builds future leaders by introducing kids to hiking and camping
Source: Metromode
What's it like riding the U.P.'s electrified trails?
Source: Upword - UP
Detroit has always been a hotbed of jazz artists. This year's Jazz Festival moves them center stage
Source: Model D
40 years of sweet treats on the Grand Haven Boardwalk
Source: The Lakeshore