![]() ![]() When a group of like-minded environmentalists in her neighborhood met in the summer of 2008 to figure out their next project, Schulman pushed for applying her experiences at her own house to other buildings in Cambridge. Her heating bills plunged by another 40 percent over the course of five years, and her electric costs dropped by a similar amount. Among other things, she added insulation to the attic and walls, installed low-flow showerheads, and sealed pipe stacks and chimneys. By filling in many of the gaps in the basement, she ended up blocking much of the cold air from intruding into the house.įiguring out just how energy-efficient she could make her home soon became a bit of a game for Schulman. The completed basement provided a happy side benefit she didn’t quite expect: a 10 percent reduction in her family’s monthly heating bills. She was reluctant to spend the money necessary to hire a contractor, so she slowly renovated the cellar, section by section, over the course of three years. About 10 years ago, the novelist wanted to finish the basement so her two young sons could have a place to play. HEET co-founder Audrey Schulman says the group’s origins can be traced, to some extent, to the basement of her Cambridge house. The projects are affectionately known as “barn raisings,” a reference to a simpler time when neighbors eagerly joined together to help one of their own who was in need. Since its inception in 2008, Cambridge HEET and its spin-offs have made nearly 150 buildings more energy-efficient. – are looking to emulate the concept espoused by the Cambridge Home Energy Efficiency Team. But it didn’t take long for the gospel of compact fluorescent light bulbs to spread: Activists in more than 20 other communities – ranging from small towns like Harvard to big cities such as Albany, N.Y. ![]() It started as a good-hearted gesture of environmental activism in Cambridge two years ago. This weatherization thing can be surprisingly addictive. She’s still looking for volunteers for the next residential project, on Nov. In the subsequent months, Keville has helped lead volunteers in Quincy to weatherize five homes and one neighborhood center. The next step for her: Finding a way to spread energy-efficient habits to homeowners across her home city. Within a week, Keville went to the Home Depot store on Centre Street in Quincy and bought enough insulation to block the silent drafts that blew through the electrical outlets at her home in Quincy’s Houghs Neck section. ![]() When Patti Keville returned home after helping volunteers winterize a small apartment building in Cambridge last December, she immediately began to think about how to use what she learned from the experience. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |