Smarter Home Guide - 2015 Fall Edition - Dubuque

THE DUBUQUE SOLAR TOURPAGES 18-19

DO YOUHAVE A

HEALTHYHOME?

PAGES 12-13

ENERGIZEDUBUQUE!PAGE 7

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SMARTERHOMEGUIDE.COM

GREEN VISION EDUCATION SCHOOLS:

Announcing the new GVE Energy Patch

Resurrection Catholic Elementary SchoolTable Mound Elementary School

St. Columbkille Catholic Elementary SchoolLincoln Elementary School

Dubuque Montessori SchoolMazzuchelli Catholic Middle School

St. Anthony/Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic SchoolHoly Ghost Catholic Elementary School

Sageville Elementary SchoolHempstead High School

For more information about Green Vision Education,contact the Solid Waste Education Office at 563-588-7933.

CONTENTS

Your local guide toefficient & sustainable

homes, products,services, & contractors.

ENERGIZE DUBUQUE!Help our community win the $5 million prize

ENERGY ASSESSMENT OPTIONSIn Dubuque, there are several places to start

INSULATION CHECKLISTFor big energy savings, focus on the details

DO YOU HAVE A HEALTHY HOME?Take action to improve indoor air quality

LIVING IN A CHRISTMAS STORY HOUSEHow to battle a fire-breathing monster furnace

IS SOLAR RIGHT FOR YOU?Explore the Dubuque Solar Tour, October 17

BUILD TIGHT & VENTILATE RIGHTThere’s a new mantra in new home construction

FIND A PRO DIRECTORY

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PUBLISHEREric Coffman

EDITORElesha Coffman

PHOTOGRAPHERKelly Kohlhaas

CONTACT USSmarter Home, LLC3395 Ashley Lane

Dubuque, IA 52001563-265-1944

[email protected]

Smarter Home Guide is published by Smarter Home, LLC.

All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be used without

written permission from the publisher.

Photo by Kelly Kohlhaas

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SMARTER

GUIDE.COMHOME

Energy Efficiency is something that most people would agree is a good thing. In fact, according to a survey by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), nine out of ten buyers would prefer to buy a home with energy efficient features that lower their utility costs rather than pay 2 or 3 percent less for a home without those features.

If you live in Dubuque and you’ve been thinking about making energy improvements to your home, this is the year to do it. Dubuque is competing with 50 other communities around the United States in the Georgetown University Energy Prize and the winner gets $5 million! You can read more about the competition on page 7 in our article about Energize Dubuque.Home energy professionals always

WELCOME

say, “efficiency first,” but once you’ve tackled insulation, your furnace and air conditioning, lighting and appliances, then it’s time to look at solar! Be sure to check out the Dubuque Solar Tour information on page 26. Visit one or all six of the locations throughout Dubuque and learn from the experience of your neighbors who have invested in solar.

This edition of Smarter Home Guide is packed with advice about how to make your home healthy, safe, and comfortable, as well as energy efficient. We’ve got recommendations for products and local contractors that can help you have the home of your dreams – not just a beautiful home, but one that you can feel good in, and feel good about.

ERIC COFFMAN, [email protected]

The publisher will be opening his house for the Dubuque Solar Tour on October 17 (see p. 15).

The“Home Performance”

approach:making homeshealthy & safe,

comfortable& efficient.


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ENERGIZE DUBUQUE!Help our community win the $5 million prize

What if communities across the country came together, in the spirit of friendly competition, to significantly raise the bar on energy efficiency? That’s where the Georgetown University Energy Prize comes in. This multi-year, $5 million prize was born of a mission to tap the imagination, creativity, and spirit of competition between communities across the country to develop sustainable energy-saving innovations.

Through this competition, communities will be challenged to work together with their local governments and utilities in order to develop and begin implementing plans for innovative, replicable, scalable and continual reductions in the per capita energy consumed from local natural gas and electric utilities.

Dubuque is one of 50 communities (see map below) competing to win the $5 million prize. For more information about the prize, go to www.guep.org.

ABOUT THE PRIZE

oes your house need more insulation? Is it drafty? Do you spend way too much money on heating bills?

Now is the time to improve your home and make it more energy efficient.

The City of Dubuque wants you to improve your home right now because they are competing with other communities across the country to see who can reduce their energy use the most over a two-year period (2015-2016). The winner gets $5 million.

The competition looks at the total energy use in Dubuque homes, schools, and city-owned buildings. Buildings owned by commercial businesses are not included. The “benchmark” period for comparison is 2013-2014.

A local nonprofit, Trailhead Energy, is running an outreach campaign called Energize Dubuque to make homeowners aware of the competition and help guide them through the process of making energy upgrades.

Initial funding for the campaign was made available through a Sustainable Dubuque grant. Partners include the City of Dubuque, Green Iowa AmeriCorps, Operation New View, Alliant Energy, and Black Hills Energy.

If you would like to get advice on how to make energy efficient improvements to your home, contact Eric Coffman at [email protected] or at www.energizedubuque.org.

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Dubuque is competing with 50 communities across the country to reduce energy use the most and win the grand prize of $5 million.

ENERGY ASSESSMENT OPTIONSIn Dubuque, there are several places to start

An infrared camera is the best way to see where heat is escaping and where your house needs more insulation.

he first step in making your house more energy efficient is to get an energy assessment. There are basically three

options in the Dubuque area.

OPTION 1: Schedule a FREE assessment through Black Hills Energy or Alliant Energy. Whichever company is your primary heating provider will provide the assessment.

This is typically the best place to start because you will need to have this done in order to get rebates for any energy upgrades you perform. The rebates are significant, so don’t miss out on them.

You can also pay $100 for a more comprehensive assessment that includes a blower door test, but, as you will read next, option 2 comes with a blower door test that is free.

A blower door test is a special diagnostic test that tells you how drafty your house really is. The biggest “bang for your buck” in terms of energy savings comes from sealing up all the leaky areas in your house. The way to know how well a contractor did at air-sealing is to measure before and after the work.

OPTION 2: Schedule an assessment and light weatherization through the Green Iowa AmeriCorps program. The assessment is FREE to anyone and includes a blower door test.

The light weatherization work is free for low-income households, senior citizens (ages 65+), persons with disabilities, and/or military veterans. Anyone else has to pay for the weatherization materials (caulking, window plastic, etc.) but the installation labor is free and the assessments are always free to anyone.

OPTION 3: Hire a professional energy consultant like the company, Degree Days. They typically charges $500 but it’s worth the money if you have some significant issues.

While the first two options are focused on assessing energy savings, someone like Degree Days will do a full “Home Performance Assessment,” which means they will evaluate health and safety issues like proper ventilation and carbon monoxide levels from a backdrafting water heater or furnace. They are also experts at solving comfort issues, like rooms that are too hot or too cold.

When hiring a professional energy consultant, look for someone who is “BPI certified” which is the leading certification for doing home energy assessments.

Energy Assessment Contacts:

Alliant Energy alliantenergy.com 866-255-4268

Black Hills Energy blackhillsenergy,org 888-567-0799

Green Iowa AmeriCorps greeniowaamericorps.org 563-690-6032 [email protected]

Degree Days degreedayswi.com 608-217-3487 [email protected]

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Photo by iStock

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INSULATION CHECKLISTFor big energy savings, focus on the details

Sealing all the cracks and penetrations around your house is tedious work, but it pays off big time in energy savings.

START IN THE ATTIC. Make sure you’ve sealed (use a foam gun) all the major holes before insulating to an R-49 level. R-49 is the building code for new construction.

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Black Hills and Alliant Energy both offer fantistic rebates for insulation and air sealing:

Air sealing/weatherization 70% of total costs up to $250

Attic/ceiling insulation 70% of total cost up to $750

Rim joist insulation 70% of total cost up to $750

Foundation insulation 70% of total cost up to $750

Wall insulation 70% of total cost up to $750

Duct sealing and repair70% of total cost up to $250

Did you know that the average duct system loses 25% of the energy used to heat and cool a house? Take advantage of this rebate to seal and insulate your ductwork.

IMPORTANT: To qualify for an insulation, air sealing, or duct sealing rebate, you must first get a Home Energy Assessment through Black Hills or Alliant Energy.

To qualify, your home must have been built before January 1, 2005. Renters need their property owner’s prior approval.

REBATES

CELLULOSE IS BEST. Made from recycled paper, this cost- effective solution is blown into your attic about 15 inches deep to get to R-49.

MOVE TO THE BASEMENT. The rim joist is one of the worst places for air leakage and heat loss. Insulate this area using at least several inches of spray foam.

RIGID FOAM BOARD. For basements that often have moisture isses, foam board is the way to go. It also works great on your home’s exterior (under siding).

FINISH WITH THE WALLS. Wall insulation wasn’t required by code until the 1970s. If your walls are empty, fill them up with dense-packed cellulose.

Photo by iStock

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DO YOU HAVE A HEALTHY HOME?Take action to improve indoor air quality

ow much time do you spend in your home? Some people spend up to 90% of their day inside their home.

Unfortunately, the air inside most homes is less healthy than the air outside. But there’s something you can (and should) do to address your home’s indoor air quality.

KEY ISSUE: Carbon Monoxide Hopefully you know that it’s dangerous to operate unvented kerosene and gas heaters in your house. Anything that burns gives off carbon monoxide, which can be deadly if it reaches high levels. But even low levels can cause significant issues, especially for young children and pregnant women.

What many people don’t realize is that appliances like older furnaces and water heaters are often found to be leaking low levels of carbon monoxide into the air. Automobile exhaust from an attached garage can also make its way inside the home.

ACTION STEPS If you know you have an older furnace and/or water heater that burns gas, be sure to have a professional test for carbon monoxide leaking. A BPI certified contractor will do a “worst case depressurization test” with a blower door that simulates those days when the pressure in your house could cause back-drafting and pull carbon monoxide from those gas appliances.

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Use a carbon monoxide monitor that will alert you to dangerously high levels. Unfortunately, most monitors do not measure low levels of carbon monoxide. Also be sure that you have adequate ventilation when you operate a gas stove. You should be able to feel a pretty good suction from your kitchen fan pulling the air out of your home (not just circulating it right back inside).

KEY ISSUE: Radon Radon is a colorless, odorless, naturally occurring radioactive gas that is undetectable without special testing equipment. Leading health authorities, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), claim that radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, responsible for 21,000 deaths per year. The leading cause of lung cancer is, of course, smoking. However, the combination of smoking and exposure to high levels of radon appears to significantly accelerate your chances of getting lung cancer.

ACTION STEPS To find out if your home has a high level of radon, you can either hire a professional to install monitoring equipment in your home for a period of time (the most accurate approach) or you can purchase a do-it-yourself kit that can be mailed to a lab for analysis. Radon levels fluctuate from day to day, so the longer you can run the test, the more accurate it will be. You’ll also want to set up the test in the lowest area of your house where you spend time. Radon levels will be highest in this area, because the gas seeps in from the soil under your house and disperses as it rises through your house.

If you discover high levels of radon in your house, you will want to hire a radon mitigation contractor. A typical

approach is to run a conduit from under your house to above your roofline. A small fan attached to this conduit will pull the air from under your house and bypass the interior living space. Unfortunately, this fan will need to run constantly and add to your electricity bill. But this is a case where your health is more important than energy efficiency. One side benefit is that these systems will help keep foundations dry and lower basement humidity levels. You might be able to eliminate running a dehu-midifier, which could offset the extra cost of the radon fan.

KEY SSUE: Dust, allergens, and toxins Most people try to clean their homes regularly, but it’s usually not enough to really control the microscopic dust mites and pet dander that can be harmful and contribute to asthma problems. First and secondhand smoke is the worst asthma trigger as well as the leading cause of lung cancer.

Asbestos and lead can also cause serious lung damage and blood poisoning. These materials have been banned for many years but can still often be found in older buildings. Asbestos can be found in shingles, siding, insulation, floor tiles, and ceiling panels. Lead was commonly used in paint before being banned in 1978. Exposure to mold can cause allergic reactions, asthma, and other respiratory problems.

ACTION STEPS Make sure to deal with moisture in your home. Fix water leaks right away, use a dehumidifier, and increase ventilation in your home if you discover a problem.

Throw out any porous surfaces growing mold, like drywall, carpeting, furniture, bedding, clothing, books, and stuffed animals.

Don’t disturb any materials that might have asbestos. If you need to do something, be sure to hire a state- certified asbestos contractor. If lead is a possible issue, be sure to have your children tested for lead poisoning. Hire a lead-certified contractor if you are doing any renovations that might disturb lead paint.

You shouldn’t smoke for a variety of reasons, but it’s especially important not to smoke inside your house where children are present. Be sure that your furnace has a filter and change it regularly. Use a high quality filter like a “MERV 6” or better.

Educational Resources forHealthy Homes

• Building Performance Institute www.bpi.org

• Environmental Protection Agency www.epa.gov/radon

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov/mold

Ifyou know you have an older furnace and/or water heater that burns gas, be sure to have a professional test

for carbon monoxide leaking.

LIVING IN A CHRISTMAS STORY HOUSEHow to battle a fire-breathing monster furnace

n a classic scene from Jean Shepherd’s holiday movie, A Christmas Story, little Ralphie shoots his eye out with his brand

new Red Ryder B.B. gun. Not wanting to admit that the toy is dangerous, he decides to blame the icicles dangling from the roof of his house for his broken glasses. His deceived mother replies, “Those icicles have been known to kill people!”

Earlier in the movie, Ralphie’s dad shouts (PG-rated) obscenities while doing battle with their home’s fire-breathing monster of a furnace. According to Ralphie, the Old Man was “one of the most feared Furnace Fighters in northern Indiana.”

Clearly, the Parkers’ home is not just an energy-hog, it’s a death trap! Built before the Great Depression, it had no insulation, no high-efficiency (or even reliable) furnace, and no double or triple-paned windows.

Jean Shepherd’s boyhood home (on which the movie-version is based) is still standing at 2907 Cleveland St. in Hammond, Indiana. There are, in fact, millions of pre-WWII homes still standing and occupied around the country and you may live in one yourself. But these older homes can be made safe and energy-efficient with smart improvements.

High-efficiency furnaces not only save money on utility bills but are much safer than the fire-breathing monster furnaces of old. No need to wear a suit of armor (and gas mask) when you approach one of these high-tech boxes. They’re also called “sealed combustion,” because they seal off the place where the gas ignites. That means you don’t have to worry about carbon monoxide leaking into your house.

These furnaces are called high- efficiency because they’re very efficient at turning natural gas into

heat for your house. The industry uses a measurement called AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) to compare different furnaces. High- efficiency gas furnaces have an AFUE between 90 and 97%. When it’s time to replace your furnace (about every 15 years), be sure to get the highest AFUE-rated furnace you can. It’s worth spending a little more up front. You’ll save money on your natural gas bills over the life of the furnace.

Monstrously inefficient furnaces aren’t the only things to be slain in your home. The ductwork tentacles reaching out from your furnace belong to that dirty, leaky, money- burning beast known as Ductopus. To tame this monster, you need to seal up the many cracks in your ductwork, especially those leaking heat to the outdoors. It’s best to hire a professional who knows how to tame both your furnace and your ductwork.

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The actual house from the holiday movie, “A Christmas Story.”

But what about those dangerous icicles waiting to poke someone’s eye out? They’re the result of a constant freeze-thaw cycle from heat escaping through your roof. The most efficient furnace isn’t going to stop that from happening. You need caulk, foam, and insulation to fight that battle. Again, find a professional who knows how to properly seal up a leaky attic and install insulation. If you simply throw down insulation, the heat will continue to leak through all the cracks, blowing by the insulation and through your roof (and your wallet).

Oh yeah, and that leg lamp displayed in front of the drafty, cold window in A Christmas Story? It probably wouldn’t have gotten brittle and cracked so easily if the house had properly installed, energy-efficient windows. Mother Parker would have been so pleased.

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IS SOLAR RIGHT FOR YOU?Investing in solar can produce great returns

he solar energy generation capacity in the United States has doubled over the past several years and is projected

to double again in the next couple of years. John Wellinghoff, former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, illustrates this growth rate with the following anecdote: “If a single drop of water on the pitcher’s mound at Dodger Stadium is doubled every minute, a person chained to the highest seat would be in danger of drowning in an hour.”

The utility industry is bracing itself for a tidal wave of solar installations on rooftops across the country. And a big part of the growth in solar is due to the rapid drop in the cost of solar panels. As the market expands and production grows, the price goes down, much like the prices of TVs, computers, and other electronics.

Another key factor in the cost equa-tion for homeowners is the available incentives. The federal government has been providing a substantial 30% tax credit to install solar. On top of that are state and utility rebates. In Iowa, there is an 18% tax credit, which means about half the total cost is refunded through tax credits.

Where the Sun Shines You may be thinking that solar panels are only useful for people who live in sunny locations like Florida, Arizona, and California. The truth is that solar energy is plentiful throughout most of the United States. Germany, the world leader in solar energy production, has much less sun exposure than most U.S. states.

More critical for your individual situation is the direction of your home’s roof exposure. Best case would be a significant south-facing roof. East and west-facing roofs also work

but are 10-20% less efficient. Any obstructions like large trees will also affect the efficiency of solar panels. A good solar installation company will do an analysis and give you an estimate of how much energy you can expect to produce in a year based on your location and roof position.

Armed with this data for estimated production and the estimated cost for installing a solar array, you can get a pretty clear picture of the investment you’re making.

Long-Term Investment If you’re the type of person that makes long-term investments, like saving money in a retirement account, then you should consider the 30+ year horizon of owning a solar array.

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Iowa residents get a generous 48% of the solar installation cost back in the form of State and Federal tax credits.

Of course, you’ll also need to consider how long you plan to live in your house.

One important unknown is how much the cost of electricity will go up over the next 30 years. According to the Energy Information Administration, the cost for residential electricity in Iowa has gone up 23% in the last 10 years.

Do the math and compare a solar investment with your IRA or 401k. If you have a good roof for solar, chances are it will be the best long- term investment you can make. Of course, renewable energy is not just a great financial investment, it’s a great investment for the future of the planet.

Photo by iStock

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DUBUQUE SOLAR TOUR

On October 17between10am and 4pm,six homes and businesses will be offering an “Open House” to share theirexperiences with the public aboutpurchasing andinstalling solar.

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SOLAR TOUR LOCATIONSSaturday, October 17, 2015

The tour begins downtown at 10 a.m. at Bannon Monument Company and moves to the next location on the hour, finishing up at Dubuque Sign. Meet and talk with the building owners as well as the installers at each location. This event is part of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) National Solar Tour (see www.ases.org/solar-tour/).

2 PM - 3 PM 3 PM - 4 PM

CoffmanHouse3395 Ashley LaneDubuque, IA 52002

Installed byBlue Sky Solar

DubuqueSign210 Cedar Cross RoadDubuque, IA 52003

Installed byBlue Sky Solar

10 AM - 11 AM

Bannon MonumentCompany1310 White StreetDubuque, IA 52001

Installed byEagle Point Solar

11 AM - 12 PM

Donavan House1842 Auburn StreetDubuque, IA 52001

Installed bySolar Planet

1 PM - 2 PM12 PM - 1 PM

Farm BureauFinancial Services1880 Asbury RoadDubuque, IA 52001


MuellerHouse2901 Hillcrest RoadDubuque, IA 52001


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BUILD TIGHT & VENTILATE RIGHTThere’s a new mantra in new home construction

n building construction, we certainly want a tight roof that keeps out water, doors that fit snugly, and perfect seals on our

plumbing. But the concept of keeping air from moving in and out of a building has been a controversial one. Old-school contractors are known to say that “buildings need to breathe,” as if the structures have lungs and will collapse if they don’t get enough oxygen!

What these contractors really mean is that buildings need enough airflow to dry out when they get wet, which inevitably happens. That amount of airflow used to occur in all homes, whether residents wanted the breeze or not. Then building practices changed.

Walls have traditionally been constructed with “cavities,” or spaces between the inside and outside of

the house. Starting several decades ago, builders began putting insulation in these cavities to prevent heat from escaping our homes on cold, wintery days. It’s true that if they sealed up these cavities too tightly, and the inevitable moisture made its way inside (because it WILL find a way), then our nice insulation and wood framing would get moldy and nasty because it’s unable to dry out.

Problems with moldy building cavities led to the “buildings need to breathe” quip. But contractors learned quite a bit over the past several decades of putting insulation in building cavities. If air leaks through the building cavity, then the insulation isn’t nearly as effective as it should be. Building cavities that are constructed correctly, however, limit airflow but still dry out nicely when they get wet.

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Builders who have swapped the old slogan for a new one, “Build tight and ventilate right,” can create homes that are less susceptible to moisture problems and more energy efficient. A tremendous amount of educational resources are now available for builders on this subject (see below, “Educational Resources for Building a New Home”). If you’re working with a builder who questions this approach, point them to these resources.

Dedicated Ventilation Now it’s true that humans need to breathe, preferably fresh air, not air contaminated with mold spores and other pollutants. What happens in homes that can “breathe” (i.e. are leaky) is that outside air is coming inside through the many cracks and crevices throughout the house that are dirty and often moldy and nasty.

But a tight, well-built house has specialized ventilation systems like an ERV (Energy Recovery Ventilation system) bringing in fresh air through clean, filtered duct systems that distribute the air evenly and inten-tionally—not the haphazard way that leaky homes allow air circulation. So if you and your family want to save energy and breathe easier, build tight and ventilate right!

Educational Resources for Building a New Home

• Building Science Corporation www.buildingscience.com

• Green Building Advisor www.greenbuildingadvisor.com

• U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America Solution Center www.basc.pnnl.gov

The old quip, “buildings need to breathe” just doesn’t make sense with our modern, ultra-tight, energy efficient building techniques.

Photo by iStock

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FIND A PROSmarter Home Directory

ENERGY ASSESSMENTS

Degree Days(608) 217-3487Madison, WI 53704www.missiongogreen.com

RADON SERVICES

Green Iowa AmeriCorps(563) 690-6032350 W 6th StreetDubuque, IA 52001www.greeniowaamericorps.org

Dubuqueland Home Inspection(563) 556-46632345 Clarke Crest DriveDubuque, IA 52001

Alliant Energy1-866-255-42684902 N. Biltmore Lane, Suite 1000Madison, WI 53718www.alliantenergy.com

HEATING & COOLING

All SeasonsHeating & Cooling(563) 582-8884798 Cedar Cross RoadDubuque, IA 52003www.allseasonshc.com

Birch Heating & Cooling(563) 588-9978565 Cedar Cross RoadDubuque, IA 52003www.hnhcenter.com

Brimeyer Heating & Cooling(563) 582-427812713 Seippel RoadDubuque, IA 52002www.brimeyerheatingandcooling.com

Patterson Heating & Cooling(563) 556-45871060 Cedar Cross RoadDubuque, IA 52003www.pattersonhc.com

ServiceOne(563) 556-55771840 Radford RoadDubuque, IA 52002www.serviceonedubuque.com

GEOTHERMAL

Four Seasons Geothermal(563) 590-17549120 Longtail LaneDubuque, IA 52003

Hefel Geothermal(563) 557-151613627 Surrey LnDubuque, IA 52002

Schuster Heating & Pump Co.(563) 582-214815674 Key City LanePeosta, IA 52068www.schusterpump.com

SOLAR

Blue Sky Solar(563) 542-57251755 Radford RoadDubuque, IA 52001www.blueskydbq.com

Solar Planet(563) 557-58882901 Hillcrest RoadDubuque, IA 52001www.solarplanet-us.com

Eagle Point Solar(563) 582-4044900 Jackson St, Suite 108Dubuque, IA 52001www.eaglepointsolar.com

Black Hills Energy1-888-890-5554625 Ninth StreetRapid City, SD 57701www.blackhillsenergy.com

INSULATION

A-A Exteriors1-866-582-43201213 N. Sherman Ave. #344Madison, WI 53704www.a-aexteriors.com

Noonan Insulation(563) 686-432417751 Bellevue Cascade Rd.Zwingle, IA 52079www.noonaninsulation.com

Spahn & Rose Lumber Co.(563) 583-6481250 Harrison StreetDubuque, IA 52003www.spahnandrose.com

Patterson Comfort & Safety1-855-263-98641060 Cedar Cross RoadDubuque, IA 52003www.radonmitigationiowa.com

RAM Services(563) 580-131013276 Harvest Moon RidgeSherrill, IA 52073www.ramservicesdubuque.com

TCO Radon(563) 451-857518357 Gary RidgeDurango, IA 52039www.tcoradon.com

Are you interested in advertising in the next issue?

Contact Eric Coffman at:(563) [email protected]

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BETTER BUILDINGS. LOWER BILLS.STRONGER COMMUNITIES.

On the path to a more sustable future

www.trailheadenergy.org

Trailhead Energy is a Nonprofit with the mission to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy solutionsfor homeowners, nonprofits, churches, schools, municipalities and commercial building owners.

Learn more at www.energizedubuque.org

Energize Dubuque is a community-led effort to help the citizens of Dubuque take control of their energy costs through energy efficiency and solar upgrades to their homes. Initial funding was provided through a Sustainable Dubuque grant.

HELP DUBUQUE BECOME A MORE ENERGY-EFFICIENT COMMUNITY AND WIN $5 MILLION!

Dubuque is one of 50 communities across the U.S. completing for the Georgetown University Energy Prize. The community that reduces energy-use the most over two years (2015-2016), will win $5,000,000. For more information about the competition, visit www.guep.org.

SIGN-UP AT WWW.ENERGIZEDUBUQUE.ORG

HOW CAN YOU PARTICIPATE?

REQUEST A FREE ENERGY ASSESSMENT

energizedubuque

Smarter Home Guide - 2015 Fall Edition - Dubuque

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