Program targets energy-hog homes

Apr 20 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Anne Paine The Tennessean, Nashville

Keith and Camilla Spadafino have an attractive 1940s Inglewood home with energy-efficient windows and a colorful garden, but they've learned a secret side of their house -- for free.

The building is an energy hog, from leaky ducts in the crawlspace to lack of insulation in the attic.

The Spadafinos, both Metro teachers, are taking part in the new Nashville Energy Works program announced Tuesday that provides free energy audits to the first 600 Nashvillians who sign up. It also offers up to $1,000 in incentives for energy improvements.

The program runs in conjunction with a similar Tennessee Valley Authority program that charges $150 for an audit but refunds the money for energy-saving changes. The TVA program also offers incentives.

"This is my art studio, and in the summer it's really hard to work up here," Camilla Spadafino said during a tour of the home.

"It's really hot. That's one of the reasons I thought about doing this."

She along with Mayor Karl Dean, TVA energy efficiency expert Bob Balzar and several TV cameramen and reporters were lining her small, second-story studio as energy specialist Jon Lowrance climbed a ladder to the attic.

"This is pretty typical," Lowrance said as he pulled off a plywood board that covered the opening into the attic.

The thin board, with no weather stripping around it, provided little barrier to stop cool air from escaping in summer or heat in winter.

Lowrance talked about the need for more insulation before the crowd followed him to the basement to see the ducts leading from the central heating and cooling system. One of the flexible pipes wasn't connected to the register in the kitchen above.

Instead, the air that the couple was paying to heat or cool was wasted, he said. The sealing on the joints of some ducts was loose, too, so air escaped. Duct leaks of 20 percent to 40 percent are generally found in a home, Lowrance said.

Adding insulation and air sealing in a home are ways to save the most money quickly on utility bills, he said. The audit showed that the Spadafinos could reduce energy costs by as much as 50 percent if all the recommendations were followed.

Little things matter

With what can be about a $300 monthly bill in summer for the 2,500-square-foot home and rebates available, Keith Spadafino said the couple seriously will consider the recommendations.

While all of the improvements together could cost thousands of dollars, some little things can make a difference.

"A lot of this is weekend warrior stuff," Balzar said, referring to such items as making an opening into an attic more airtight or caulking around window and door frames.

Nashville is one of about a dozen cities receiving U.S. Department of Energy stimulus money for the free audits and financial incentives through the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance.

"There's no reason not to do this," Dean said.

Not only can a homeowner save money on utility bills, but the environment benefits too, he said. About half of the greenhouse gas emissions in the county are produced from the energy that powers homes and office buildings. Nationwide, the figure is about 40 percent.

Coal-fired power plants are a major source of greenhouse gases. Such plants provide at least half the electricity in the TVA region. The gases contribute to global warming that drives climate change, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says.

If Nashvillians show strong support for the new program and follow through with energy fixes, more money could be made available to help more than 600 residences, according to the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance.

About $250,000 has gone into the grant program for Nashville residences, with TVA reimbursing the program for the costs of each energy audit when homeowners make changes of $150 or more.

Contact Anne Paine at 615-259-8071 or apaine@tennessean.com.

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