Friday, December 30, 2011

Picture This: Saving Energy in Images

4CORE wishes you and yours a happy and prosperous 2012!

Compare incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent lights
Thick walls and south facing windows make this home easy to heat in the winter and cool in the summer

LED track lighting- efficient and beautiful!

A programmable thermostat set at a reasonable temperature
Intern Anne Pesata educates booth visitors at the Pagosa Home and Ranch Show
Solar PV and hot water provide electricity and hot water to a Durango home
A weatherization crew member blowing insulation into an attic. Photo by Stephen Eginoire.
Community Energy Coordinator Heather Wyatt at the 4CORE Open House. Photo by Stephen Eginoire.
The 4CORE Board of Directors, wishing you a safe and resource efficient 2012! Photo by Stephen Eginoire.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

4CORE Hires Permanent Weatherization Program Manager

4CORE has permanently hired Kirk Coppinger as Weatherization Program Manager, starting December 5th. Coppinger is replacing Gregg Dubit, who was recently hired as 4CORE’s Executive Director. Coppinger was appointed Interim Program Manager on July 1st of this year, and prior to that was one of 4CORE’s Weatherization Inspectors.

“Kirk has eleven years of experience in managing large-scale commercial building projects and a solid foundation of knowledge in building science,” said Gregg Dubit. “He has proven his abilities by successfully assuring high-quality work on hundreds of weatherized units. His knowledge of the rigorous program requirements and existing relationships with subcontractors and our funders allows for a smooth transition.”

The Weatherization Program is a 34 year old Department of Energy program which strives to increase the quality, safety, and energy efficiency of residential, low income housing. Kirk has already proven to be a competent building science technician as well as a very responsible steward of this federally funded program.

"I will endeavor to meet and exceed expectations and hope to develop opportunities to keep the Weatherization program strong and viable for many years to come," said Coppinger. "I look forward to leading the 4CORE Weatherization team into 2012."

Coppinger's background is in commercial construction, including the Springs Hotel in Pagosa Springs and the Sky Ute Casino project.  He has been involved in heavily-themed exterior building skin projects including the Wynn and three Residences at MGM towers in Las Vegas, a new facility for the oldest dental school in the nation in Washington, DC, and the University of Maryland’s Comcast Basketball Arena.  Kirk is a native of the areafrom  Mancos, and enjoys getting out and camping with his family.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Tracking Energy Use on Weatherized Homes

As an intern for 4CORE I’ve been given an important task. It is called the Energy Tracking Project. The Energy Tracking Project is a comprehensive look at energy usage on previously weatherized homes in five counties in southwest Colorado. This study will research homes before and after weatherization to find actual energy savings. Why is this important? 4CORE’s mission is to advance resource efficiency and it’s important to follow through with that message by documenting the actual energy savings from weatherization.

As of now, 4CORE has weatherized over 374 homes. Now that these homes are weatherized, technically they should be energy efficient. But being energy efficient also involves making energy conscious choices. A person can have a completely weatherized home but could keep the lights on all day and night. Ultimately even with weatherization, it’s up to the tenants to be the energy savers.

That is why 4CORE's weatherization team provides education to clients about wise energy use. The data from the Energy Tracking Project will result in information about how these education efforts are going and will also make weatherized homeowners aware of their energy consumption so they can decrease energy use and save money.

Saving money is important for the clients that 4CORE serves. 4CORE’s services are intended for low-income households. With the Energy Tracking Project, 4CORE expects to see that weatherization has saved clients’ money through energy savings.

This type of service reminds me of the meaning of community - individuals looking out for one another.Without this service, I often wonder what would be the result of these families and individuals, and the community as a whole.

I understand the difficulties it can be for families and individuals who are overwhelmed with financial difficulties. I am from the Navajo reservation and there are many low-income households. So when I first heard of 4CORE and the work they do for the community I was truly amazed and impressed.

Working as an intern for 4CORE I hope to bring this knowledge of saving money through wise energy use and weatherization back home. And hopefully I can help make communities stronger and more energy efficient.

About the Author

Crystal Kelly is from Leupp, Arizona, a small town on the Navajo reservation. She has lived in Durango for about three years. The beautiful landscape and generous people attracted her here from Albuquerque, NM. She recently graduated from Fort Lewis College with a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies. In her spare time Crystal likes to watch movies, read, hike, and go for walks. Crystal also enjoys spending time with family and friends, camping, traveling, visiting national parks, and learning new things.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Resource Smart Business Program

Two years ago, a group of my friends and I were told to sit down, blueprint, imagine, and present a program “to spur sustainable economic development” that was transparent, credible, consistent, valuable, holistic, locally defined, and unique.  Our feelings were somewhere between absolutely overwhelmed and excited to show off how competent we were. We then realized we were contained only by the realization we had NOTHING to go from.

We were a mere semester away from graduation, reveling in the attitude that we could take on the world, so we pulled something together, got to dress up, and presented the shared masterpiece of our world-view, understanding, and skills picked up in college having no idea what we achieved or if it would… accomplish anything.
We called it the Sustainable Services Program, an ill choice for a name if you are not into the whole “green” thing and are irritated when people wax poetic "evil corporations". And what does "sustainable" mean, anyway? 
Coming out of college I thought anyone would be totally thrilled to have someone like me who could use power point so well join their (professional) business team.  When I did finally find a place that brought together my interests in sustainable economics (4CORE), I was shocked to see our program, the one we truly devoted our efforts to, being discussed and initiated by the end of the year.  I am alternately overwhelmed and refreshed on a project I helped create.  It is awesome and a bit embarrassing all at the same time. 

Our team has changed the name.  I was so blown away that they liked the idea that I overlooked the lack of zest in the new moniker: Resource Smart Business Program.  Real people with real jobs, real capability, and real resources are actually pioneering a multi-generational sustainable business program with intent to make it for profit, long term, and a community focused economic model for towns, cities, networks or whoever can use it around the world.  I want to do everything I can to participate and help realize this program and can’t believe more than my three friends from college are interested too. This is going to be fun, which is exactly what we wanted. 

About the Author
Ryan graduated from Fort Lewis College with a Major in Business Economics and Minor in Philosophy.  His specific interests and area of expertise are economic strategy, green business, and community networking toward specific goals.  When not at the office, he's on the pitch playing and singing after 11 years of loving rugby and many surgeries.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Practicing Permaculture

What does 5 acres of land, 8 mouths to feed, and a dedication to conscious living sound like to you? Potential. Heather Wyatt and her 7 housemates are bringing living things together to work and live at their highest potential while benefiting from their interaction. It all started with the desire to eat local, organic food. You can get a lot of local, organic food, but not everything, all the time. Also, buying organic can become expensive and on a budget it’s hard to grab the $1.99 pepper that’s sitting next to the $0.99 pepper.

Permaculture is defined as an ecological design system for sustainability in all aspects of human endeavor by the Permaculture Institute. That’s what Heather and her housemates have tried to instill on their land. Through seminars and week-long classes, permaculture has started to rule the decision
making at their house.

After recognizing that four 36’ raised beds and 20 earth boxes of tomatoes wasn’t supplying enough food in the short growing season they started researching other options and ended with a decision of an aquaponic system or a grow dome. After researching the benefits and challenges of both, they decided to go with a 36’ diameter grow dome. Installed May 2010, with considerable initial effort and consistent upkeep, most all the vegetables are being produced 20 yards from our front door. They have fresh vegetables year round, including peppers, carrots, Italian fennel, lettuce, collards, Swiss chard, kale, broccoli, beets, cabbage, peas, parsley, basil, and more. They also have a fig tree that is growing quite well.

Local, organic vegetables year round – Check. Next was adding some variety into their protein diet. Week after week of organic chicken, local beef, and pork in a balanced schedule was getting boring. Not that they were complaining at all, they were just ready for some variety.

One of the housemates had raised rabbits before and suggested a rabbitry. After looking into it, and finding out 2011 is the year of the rabbit, it was a no brainer. They bought 3 female and 3 male Californian rabbits. Breeding started immediately, and they currently have 26 rabbits, after harvesting 13. The coolest part of the rabbits is the whole cycle that takes place. The rabbit poop supplies garden beds with fertilizer, the gardens provide fresh greens for the rabbits, the rabbits provide food for them. Seeing how the land, animal, and human can all fit together so nicely is amazing.

While all of this was happening, they noticed their unused land wasn’t thriving like it could. The soil was dry and dusty and didn’t hold water very well. In permaculture classes, they learned how to help our soil; digging swales and creating berms. To do this, they had to take an inventory of the land, notice the lay of the land, and watch where the water moved. Once they got a better feel water movement, the digging began.

They dug down 12-18”, about 12” across and put that dirt on the opposite side from where the water runs, so when it rains, the water is held, stopping erosion, and creating moist, fertile soil. They also dug some wider swales in our front yard, from 1’-5’ depending on the land. They layered in cardboard (to keep the weeds out, but it will also compost itself with help from the worms), manure, compost and raw food scraps, with a top layer of hay. These beds were left over winter and are just now being planted in and the soil is beautiful and dark. These beds are being used as kitchen gardens.

In the midst of these things, they joined the local Durango bee club and bought 20,000 bees, which are now in two hives on their porch, along with earth boxed tomatoes. Last year they had to manually pollinate some of our plants because they never saw any bees.

Don’t forget the 14 chickens, 2 roosters and 12 laying hens, which are currently about 11 weeks old. They also have two red-waddle pigs coming in July and plan to breed these pigs not only for eating, but for possible sale to local restaurants. Lastly, a guard dog with a mix of Anatolian Shepherd, Akbash and Great Pyrenees to protect their animals will join them this summer.

Why do all of this? Because they’re excited about the brilliance in how everything works together. The bees will help gardens grow, the chickens eat leftovers, keep weeds and bugs away and provide fresh, beautiful eggs; the rabbits are feeding them and eating garden scraps; the pigs will eat the majority of leftovers while feeding them; and the gardens will benefit from the poop of all the animals and continuously provide more food. Fresh, organic, local foods that they grow will keep producing as long as they want it to- what could be better?

About the Author:
Heather recently received her Bachelor's Degree from Fort Lewis College in Psychology. She thoroughly enjoys people and is excited to see all the different ways the Weatherization Program will help others.  She has experience in managing small businesses and working with people from different backgrounds.  She enjoys watching movies and working in the yard on weekends.    

Monday, June 6, 2011

Another Happy Weatherization Client

Tavia Widder, age 68, lives in Durango, Colorado. She only source of income is her Social Security payment of $1,000 per month. Up until May 2011, her main source of heat was an extremely dangerous old pellet stove that once burned out of control and had to be extinguished by the local fire department. After the incident, Ms. Widder spent $1,000 of her own limited income trying to have the pellet stove repaired to no avail. Rather than risk burning down her home, Ms. Widder endured the winter months of December, January and February with no heat source. Her home became an icebox, with temperatures hovering between 49 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit. To stay warm in her living room Ms. Widder donned 2 pairs of long underwear, 2 pairs of sweatpants and sweatshirts, fleece-lined winter boots, a warm hat, a heavy wool winter coat and wrapped herself in a blanket. The cold temperatures didn't help the arthritis in Ms. Widder's hands. 

In February Ms. Widder received a letter in the mail from the Four Corner's Office for Resource Efficiency (4CORE), informing her that she automatically qualified for weatherization since she was already accepted into the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP), which helps regional families pay their utility bills. Ms. Widder completed 4CORE's application and was accepted into the program. 4CORE's subcontractors performed an energy audit of her home and discovered what work needed to be done. Weatherization crews immediately got to work repairing broken windows, performing air sealing around windows, doors and walls, and insulating the hot water heater and pipes. Finally, with the help of the LEAP Crisis Intervention Program, Housing Solutions for the Southwest removed Ms. Widder's old pellet stove and installed a brand new, safe, high efficiency stove. 4CORE inspected all of the weatherization work and approved it for health and safety, accuracy and quality. 

Ms. Widder is very thankful for her improved quality of life. She says that every morning when she comes downstairs and sees the fire going in her new pellet stove, tears of joy come to her eyes. Now she says her home is "a balmy 65 - 70 degrees".  Ms. Widder asked the weatherization crew that worked on her home, to send information to her grandson so that he might apply for a position and become part of this wonderful weatherization program. Without the Weatherization Assistance Program it is likely that Ms. Widder, an elderly woman surviving on Social Security, would still be living without heat in a dangerous environment.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Jicarilla Housing Crisis: Approaching a Solution One Step at a Time

By Anne Pesata

I grew up in Dulce, New Mexico, the sole municipality within the boundaries of the Jicarilla Apache reservation. That experience offered me a rich cultural background and a strong sense of place and family. There are a multitude of issues that plague the community on the reservation that need to be recognized. One such issue is that of housing, specifically the areas of housing quality and availability.

I categorize the availability of housing on the reservation as grossly inadequate and the general quality of existing homes as substandard and inefficient overall.  I conducted a survey of various tribal members, including directors of the various housing departments in Dulce, and the results formed a noticeable trend. Most people surveyed felt housing quality was poor, while a couple people said that housing quality depended on whether the family was living in a HUD home (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development), mobile home, or personally built home, and how recently the home was built. Every single person surveyed felt housing availability on the reservation was inadequate and an issue in need of a strong footed solution. Former employee of the Jicarilla Utility Authority, Sashiin Vicenti, who oversaw the installation and integration of a neighborhoods-worth of new modular homes into the community, described the problems with the new housing as follows:

One of the Newer Houses

Everything that could possibly go wrong did. The houses were literally falling apart before our eyes. During a period [the manufacturing company] called settling, the poorly constructed foundation caused the walls to start tearing apart, and there were cracks in the floors and ceilings as well. The plumbing wasn’t sealed properly […] some of the sinks didn’t run, there would be no heating in one room, and excessive heat in another, condensation would accumulate and mold would start growing. On top of all of that, they built the homes on shale, which lead to additional leaning and breaking of the structures overtime.” (Vicenti)

She provides valuable insight into the living conditions in the newest housing options available to tribal members on the reservation; conditions that would be worthy of a lawsuit in any other community, but have become commonplace on the reservation.

George H. Cortelyou, writer for the Seton Hall Legislative Journal, puts it this way, “Many reservations resemble Third World nations, because unemployment, economic depression, and inadequate housing produce conditions that few non-Indians experience.”

George offers a dramatic, and eye-opening view of the situation. The unique economic situation of reservation communities demands a solution that will meet the needs of the primarily low-income population.

A solution to the problem of housing availability and quality, which is inherently includes the standard of living of the Jicarilla Apache people, should be approached in a manner which addresses the underlying and superficial problems, and approaches them in a multifaceted way.

Mobile Homes in Town
We could move toward a building practice that owned, operated, and maintained by tribal members. This will not only provide the community with additional high-quality housing options, more jobs, independence from third-party builders who may have ulterior motives, and solidarity through self-sufficiency.

Although informed, well-designed investments are essential, education is another key component to the solution. If we also invest time in effort into the education of our laborers, we have the potential to create a more sophisticated workforce that can fill the spaces of the outsourced contractors and builders. If we create specialists with a strong background in sustainable building practices, we will no longer have to put money into the hands of private corporations whose priorities lie in financial gain, rather than the well-being of the Apache people. Educating our workforce directly feeds our local economy, which in turn directly complements the sovereignty of the nation.

This is a very ambitious approach to tackling the issue. Something far more reasonable would be to start smaller and create a branch of the Department of Energy Weatherization Assistance Program in the community to help identify and address areas of energy inefficiency.




There are numerous ways the community could benefit from home weatherization. The most obvious is money saved on heating and cooling bills, which keeps more of the consumer’s hard earned money in their pockets. There are also potential health benefits to be seen by residential home weatherization. Proper sealing and adequate ventilation will help to minimize mold growth and minimize flow of allergens into the home, which promotes a healthy respiratory system. Another potential positive outcome would be the benefits seen by the environment. A properly weatherized home will inherently consume less energy as less energy is being wasted to compensate for heat or cool air being lost through air infiltration. The less energy we use today, the more energy we conserve for the use of future generations.

Until larger socioeconomic issues can be tackled, I believe retrofitting current structures to meet national standards of energy efficiency is a great first step in addressing the housing problem. Not only will it help to reduce energy costs, it will help to improve the quality of life of the community members. We have the potential to create a community not dependent on outside sources for prosperity.

For more information on the Jicarilla Apache Nation visit JicarillaOnline.com

Photographs courtesy of Cougar Vigil

Sources

“2009 Poverty Guidelines for the 48 Contiguous States and the District of Columbia.” THE 2009 HHS Poverty Guidelines: One Version of the [U.S.] Federal Poverty Measure. aspe.hhs.gov: 10 April 2010. Web. 6 July 2010.

http://indoorenergy.com/home_weatherization/home-weatherization-the-basics-and-its-advantages

Cortelyou, George H. “An Attempted Revolution in Native American Housing: The Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act.” Seton Hall Legislative Journal: Vol. 25, No. 2, 2001. Web. 4 July 2010.
“Bricklayer – US National Averages.” Salary Wizard. Salary.com: July 2010. Web. 5 July 2010.

“Census 2000 American Indian Alaska Native Summary File: Jicarilla Apache Alone.” American FactFinder. Census.gov. 6 July 2010. Web. 6 July 2010.

Manwell, Lisa. Telephone interview. 6 July 2010.

Muniz, Tywla. Personal interview. 1 July 2010.

Pesata, Melanie. Phone interview. 6 July 2010.

Quintana, Valencia. Telephone interview. 6 July 2010.

Valdez, Shane. Telephone interview. 6 July 2010.

Vicenti, Sashiin. Personal interview. 30 June 2010.


About the Author:
Anne Pesata is an intern from Fort Lewis College where she is currently a senior pursuing an Environmental Policy degree and a Peace and Conflict Studies minor. Originally from northern New Mexico, she has been living in Durango for the past four years with her son, who is now 5-years-old. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and analog photography.




Thursday, April 14, 2011

Air Conditioning Tips to Help Save Money

If you have central air conditioning or a window air conditioning unit, you can save money on your electric bill by following these energy-saving tips this summer:
  • Replace the filter monthly during the cooling season and have a professional service your system at the beginning of each cooling season. Keeping your filters clean can cut energy consumption 5 to 15%. An annual pre-season check-up by a contractor should include the following:
  1. Balancing refrigerant levels
  2. Making sure all electrical components and controls are working properly
  3. Checking and cleaning the evaporator and condenser coils
  4. Oiling motors (if applicable)
  5. Checking the thermostat for functionality
  6. Checking filters
  • Regularly make sure the condensing unit located outside is not covered up or clogged with leaves or debris. The unit needs to breathe, to draw air into the system. Not performing yearly maintenance on air conditioning units results in a 5% loss of efficiency for each year of operation.
  • Install a programmable thermostat so you can vary the temperature according to when you're home. Through proper use of pre-programmed settings, a programmable thermostat can save you about $180 every year in energy costs.
  • Plant shade trees and shrubs around your house to help reduce the heat of the sun. Close drapes on the sunny side of your house or install awnings. 
  • Make sure the cooled air coming from your air conditioning vents is not obstructed by furniture or draperies.
  • Turn off lights when not in use. Lights produce heat, which makes your air conditioning system work harder (and cost more). Your computer and other home office equipment also generate heat. Turn them off when not in use.
  • Weatherstrip all doors and windows.
One last word of advice in regular air conditioning maintenance is to ensure that your ducts are properly sealed. When cooled air leaks from supply ducts, or when hot air creeps into return ducts, this can lead to wasted energy, and an overworked air conditioner. Your ducts need to be airtight for the most efficient performance from your cooling unit.

About the Author:
Amanda Herron is a Colorado Native born in Denver and raised in southwest Colorado. After graduating from Nucla High School in 2005 she attended Fort Lewis College where she received a BA in Tourism and Resort Management in 2009. In her free time she enjoys making picture collages, playing at the river, reading, playing and watching basketball and anything to do with the Denver Broncos! Prior to becoming the scheduler/dispatcher she served on the first SCC Crew as a WX Technician.

Sources:
Energy-Saving Air Conditioning Tips.”ecomall.13 April 2011.
Garrett, Doug. “Service Your Air Conditioner for Summer Comfort.” City of Austin Green Builder Program.13 April 2011. 

Heat & Cool Efficiently.”Energy Star. 13 April 2011

Friday, February 25, 2011

4CORE Now in Cortez

4CORE Now in Cortez

March 22nd, 4 - 5 pm

4CORE is excited to announce the grand opening of their Cortez office this month. Come participate in the ribbon cutting, celebrate with free food and 4CORE give-aways, and learn more about the work 4CORE is doing in the Montelores Area.

Drop by the office at 10 W. Main, Suite 110 in Cortez at the Wilson Building between 4 and 5 pm on March 22nd.

Heather Wyatt, Program Specialist, will be staffing this branch office on Wednesdays and Fridays each week.

For more information, contact Heather or call 970-799-7718.

Check out this video to get a sneak preview of our new space!

Friday, February 4, 2011

REAPing an Economic Recovery

We all know that we are in a time of economic strife- nationally and locally. A lot of us are wondering, "How can we turn this around and how can I earn a living?" and moreover, "How can I earn a living while also doing something I am passionate about in my community?" How do communities encourage economic recovery that encompasses community and environment, and strives to encourage and utilize local talents, expertise, innovation and creativity? These are the questions being asked around the State and Country, and right here in SW Colorado through the regional Resource and Energy Action Plan- the REAP.

Diverse representatives from our five county region (Archuleta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma, and San Juan Counties, as well as the Southern Ute and Mountain Ute Indian Reservations) are coming together to create a plan that responds to these needs and desires expressed in our community by collaborating to formulate the REAP.


What is the REAP?
4CORE convened the REAP Advisory Board consisting of community representatives, including elected officials, ranchers, farmers, utilities, businesses, oil and gas representatives, non-profits, bankers, planners, educators, economic development, subject matter experts, and other sector representatives of SW Colorado and our regional counties.

REAP's  Mission is to ensure Southwest Colorado uses resources and energy effectively and efficiently to create economic opportunities and improve quality of life by developing and implementing the Resource and Energy Action Plan. 

REAP's Vision is that Southwest Colorado will REAP the benefits of effective use of resources and sustain a thriving region of rural, agricultural, and mountainous communities.

REAP's Guiding Principles:
  • Energy and Conservation Ensure significant progress toward more efficient, safe and healthy resource technologies in order to enhance, promote, and diversify the local economy and job market; support and strengthen the region’s agriculture and building sectors; and engage and integrate the existing energy industry.
  • Economic Vitality and Diversity Encourage local economic development and consumption that preserves and protects our heritage, natural resources, agriculture and energy production, thus providing opportunities for our diverse population to thrive in Southwest Colorado.
  • Infrastructure Improve, expand and diversify community systems and services, such as transportation, public utilities, and resource recovery options.
  • Vibrant and Involved Community Increase communication between all sectors and cultures throughout our region; promote education and involvement in existing and potential energy and economic opportunities.
  • Environmental Stewardship Protect, conserve, and ensure the quality of our ecological resources
              What has REAP accomplished so far?
              Outcomes from the REAP so far entail a regional Energy Assessment, profiling electrical, natural gas, and other fuels used in residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural sectors in SW Colorado. A Community Assessment, details the goals of the REAP and what is currently happening in SW Colorado that supports the REAP. These reports will serve as the baseline foundation to build on, incorporating regional energy efficiency, conservation and economic development strategies.

              REAP next steps
              Finalizing the strategic plan and creating action plans are scheduled in the first part of 2011, so stayed tuned for more information or check out the REAP website at 4CORE.