Councilman Greg Sellers put his home to the test last week when
he took part in a new program that improves energy efficiency and
the comfort level of his home.
Councilman Greg Sellers put his home to the test last week when he took part in a new program that improves energy efficiency and the comfort level of his home.
The program, called the California Home Performance Program, is designed to match homeowners with contractors and currently operate in Santa Clara County and Fresno. They have worked on more than 20 homes in Fresno and around 12 in the San Jose area.
Sellers lives in a historic house on El Toro Street in a quiet neighborhood near Britton Middle School, built in the mid 1920s. The area is filled with older homes that were built with thoughts of uniqueness. Though it is just off Monterey Road, one would not know that busy downtown is just blocks from Sellers’ home.
Sellers told the inspectors that the house was being cooled unevenly and wanted to know what else needed to be done.
“I’m looking forward to getting the list of what needs to be improved and how to save money,” he said.
For $100 a contractor will come in and test the air flow through the vents and look for leeks. The contractor then makes recommendations on how to make the home better as well as saving the homeowner money on their energy bill.
Sellers says that he received no special treatment for the fee and paid the $100.
Repairs to the home could run much higher. To replace heaters, window stripping or anything else that may come up could set people back thousands of dollars.
“Typically the cost depends on the condition of the home,” said Steve Sokolsky, spokesman for CHPP. “It could be a couple thousand dollars and could go more than $15,000. It depends on what homeowner wants to do.”
He estimates that Sellers’ repairs could be $5,000 for the repairs he needs. Sellers needs to replace weather stripping, insulation, the furnace and the air conditioner. The final cost depends on what Sellers’ decides to do.
The inspectors came to Sellers’ home and performed different tests. Sellers initially complained about rooms being unevenly cooled, so they tested the air vents to determine their output.
Uneven air flow, according to Sokolsky, is caused by either poor insulation or leaks in the ducts. The result is that one room will be cooler than another or will receive poor ventilation.
After measuring the vents, the inspectors tested the insulation. They sealed off the house and depressurized it to see where any leaks may be.
The inspectors found that Sellers had an air flow problem with his vents.
“The system is only running at half efficiency,” said contractor Greg Torre.
CHPP takes a holistic view of the home. Sokolsky says that the home is more of a machine. Each part is a system and they are dedicated to improving the entire system.
CHPP has trained contractors to go to homes and do a total diagnosis. According to Sokolsky, they provide contractors for people when they may not know whom to call.
“It’s hard for homeowners to know whom to call,” he said. “They could be calling the wrong people. It’s like having a problem with your car and taking it to a tire shop; they can fix your tire but nothing else. We can diagnose everything.”
CHPP is the only program in California that will improve energy performance approved by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. It is administered through a grant from California. The grant is in place to help the program cover costs while they build up a customer base. All costs for repairs must be paid for by the homeowner.
Sokolsky acknowledges that the energy savings would take years to cover the investment. He says, on the other hand, that the benefits are more than monetary.
“We’re emphasizing that we want to make the homes safer, healthier and more comfortable,” he said. “You can’t make the improvements and not get energy savings.”
The pay back could take as little as three years or as much as 20 years depending on what the homeowner decides to do.
“A home in Fresno that had $28,000 worth of repairs is saving $6,500 per year and will take four-and-a-half years to recover,” said Sokolsky. “It all depends on how you put a package together.”
Sellers learned about the opportunity through a representative from CHPP. He was contacted to let the city know about the program and decided to take advantage of it.
For people who can’t afford the repairs, Sokolsky says that there is financial aid available. Depending on what is needed, a homeowner can receive a 5 percent loan through the Electric, Gas Industry Association. He says not many people take advantage of the loans, but they are still out there.
Sokolsky says that CHPP works best for older homes, though the newer ones can be looked at as well.
“You get the most bang for the buck in older homes,” he said. “You can do it in newer homes, but it works best on the older ones. You will find that technology has changed enough that it is worth the investment.”
While energy efficiency is the obvious benefit from CHPP, Sokolsky says that there is much more. They want to make homes better to live in and help make the homeowners happier to be in the homes.
“We want to emphasize that this is not a typical energy program,” he said. “We see energy efficiency as the icing on the cake. The state wants homes to be safer and healthier. Fresno is real bad because of air quality. If the house is not performing correctly, than it is not an escape from the bad environment. It is the most cost-effective way to save on energy costs.”
Despite the potential cost, Sellers says that the CHPP is something that all homeowners should look into.
“I believe that it is a great idea for anyone who has environmental issues in their house or want to improve comfort,” said Sellers.
Sellers has not received the finial report, but says that he plans to make as many of the recommended changes as possible.
“We plan to do the easy stuff, like replacing the insulation,” said Sellers. “We will make plans to do the other stuff, depending on what is needed.”
Details: Contact CHPP at 888-352-2722
