Millwood community invited to energy efficiency event

Mon., July 30, 2012

Renée Sande Down to Earth NW Correspondent

Saving money by making your home more efficient will be the focus of a community event in the City of Millwood on Wednesday, Aug. 1. Sustainable Works, a Spokane-based non-profit funded through the State of Washington, with offices in both Seattle and Spokane, is inviting residents to learn how they can upgrade their homes through reduced-cost energy audits and home retrofits. Since 2009, SustainableWorks has spurred over 1,500 homeowners to explore weatherization measures for their homes and have completed 500 retrofits throughout Washington with the aid of grant funding. Participants can save on items like furnaces, heat pumps, water heaters, insulation, weatherization and solar projects. Residents who have participated are now saving up to 20 to 40 percent on their energy bills, with the benefit of healthier, more comfortable homes. At the Energy Efficiency Kick-off Event, residents can learn about the SustainableWorks program, ask questions of SustainableWorks’ building analysts, sign-up for a reduced-cost home energy audit, and meet the program’s partners. While home energy audits usually run $600, SustainableWorks is able to provide the service to the home or business owner for only $95. An energy consultant will analyze the home or business’ energy usage and contributing factors to loss of energy. Then contractors managed by SustainableWorks will perform and/or install the energy saving measures chosen by the homeowner. SustainableWorks is a pioneering organization in the field of energy efficiency, operating with a triple bottom line mission to create quality jobs, reduce our collective carbon footprint and build strong communities. The non-profit has also created 55 jobs, helped keep 2.5 million pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere and saved 3,019,000 kilowatt hours in Washington State annually . An impressive army of nearly 200 volunteers help spread the word by staffing tables and phone banks, canvassing neighborhoods door-to-door, speaking at their churches and community clubs, and sending out social media updates, said Kellie Stickney, director of marketing and outreach for Sustainable Works. “Volunteers are the lifeblood of (our) efforts.” SustainableWorks has completed energy efficiency projects in Seattle, Spokane, Federal Way, Edmonds, Lynnwood, and Shoreline, with the support of city, county, state, and federal funding, and the support of hundreds of community partners and volunteers. SustainableWorks’ Millwood Energy Efficiency Kick-off event is taking place at The Crossing Millwood Community-Youth Center at 8919 E. Euclid in Millwood, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. To learn more about the program, or to sign-up, visit www.sustainableworks.com or call the SustainableWorks office at (509) 443-3471.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.