Victorian to get energy makeover

Elgin and Commonwealth Edison Co. officials announced plans Tuesday to transform a drafty 1890s Victorian home into a "green" house.

"This is an opportunity to demonstrate to citizens not only how to save money but to be more energy efficient," Mayor Ed Schock said at a news conference outside the Spring Street home, showing its age with a sagging front porch and peeling blue paint.

ComEd is donating $15,000 and access to its technical services to help the city develop an energy-efficient program, said Allan Armstrong, ComEd external affairs manager.

Schock said the city's efficiency effort includes conversion of all traffic signals and park lights to light-emitting diode bulbs, for a 90 percent reduction in energy consumption.

In July ComEd initiated Customers' Affordable Reliable Energy (CARE), a program to help residential customers manage electricity bills in preparation for January rate increases, said Arlana Johnson, a spokeswoman for Exelon Corp. The rate increases will coincide with the expiration of a nine-year rate freeze in Illinois.

ComEd earmarked $10 million for the program and is working with homeowners in Chicago and Rockford too. The company plans to rehab 12 homes, and the Elgin project is the first involving a city-owned property.

The rundown two-story house at 272 N. Spring St. was bought by the city last year for $140,000 as part of its residential acquisition program. The house will be as a pilot location for a program that helps create standards for energy projects, said Ruth Anne Hall, city management analyst.

Plans for the house include high-level insulation in the walls and attic, high-efficiency natural gas furnace and air conditioning units, and Energy Star-rated appliances, said George Malek, manager of ComEd's technical services.

The house is in the Spring/Douglas historical neighborhood. ComEd officials also said Tuesday that a second house, a private residence, in Elgin has been selected for energy-efficient rehab as part of its residential CARE program.

Malek said some of the efficiency elements to be used in the house are reasonable for most homeowners.

"Some of it will be easy stuff like replacing typical light bulbs," Malek said. He said the house will be refitted with compact fluorescent light bulbs that use 13 watts versus a typical 75-watt bulb.

The city also is working with Doyle Architects of Chicago to create a comprehensive rehabilitation plan using energy-efficient systems and products.

Hall said plans are to use the Elgin house as a showplace promoting energy efficiency and eventually to sell it.

The city is seeking donations, volunteers and sponsors to defray labor and material costs.