(Photo above: AmeriCorps Silver 5 | Photo Courtesy of the Environmental Center)
Over 2,200 homes have already received resources to help save energy.
The Environmental Center is sponsoring a team of 12 AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) members over the next six weeks. The AmeriCorps team is in Bend to assist primarily with The Bend Energy Challenge’s Free LED Program, in addition to other Environmental Center sustainability and stewardship initiatives.
AmeriCorps NCCC is a full-time, team-based residential program for men and women ages 18-24. Teams work in partnership with nonprofits, local municipalities, government, national and state parks, indigenous tribes and schools to complete service projects throughout communities across the United States. This is the first project of the year for NCCC Silver 5, and the team is excited to make a great impact.
“We are excited to be working with the Environmental Center in Bend to further assist the community save tons of energy, and to have a better understanding of the importance of energy conservation,” said Carey Davis, NCCC member and media representative.
Each member has a unique background and skill set – and collectively, they will be a tremendous asset to our organization this winter. “They will be experts on installing LED bulbs in no time, and will be reaching out to our community to spread awareness of the program, complete installations, and ultimately help us win the $5 million Energy Prize,” said Lindsey Hardy, project director for The Bend Energy Challenge.
As a NCCC sponsor for the fourth time, The Environmental Center requested the assistance of AmeriCorps by submitting a project application to the Pacific campus. We worked with this campus to complete the application, develop a comprehensive work plan, and prepare for the arrival of a team in Bend. Team Silver 5 hit the ground running in November with lots of hands on training, including a mock energy audit with GreenSavers, a presentation on solar from Sunlight Solar, a Rethink waste presentation, and canvassing the Bend area to educate the community about this free LED program.
Through the Free LED Program, Bend residents can sign up to receive up to 16 free energy efficient LED light bulbs and water-saving fixtures to be installed at no cost. This program is made possible through collaborations with Energy Trust of Oregon and Central Electric Cooperative. They’re investing in LED technology because it’s one of the most cost-effective ways for both homeowners and utilities to reduce energy use.
The Bend Energy Challenge has currently completed over 2,200 installations. The goal is for Silver 5 to complete at least 500 installations during their time in Bend.
“Working with NCCC will allow us to reach hundreds of additional families before the end of the year. The energy savings from these installations will total $60,000 annually,” said Hardy. “Since these bulbs will last for over twenty years, that’s a lot of savings for a very long time.”
During their free time, Silver 5 team plans to visit Pine Mountain Observatory, explore the Old Mill and Downtown districts, snowboard at Mt Bachelor and participate in a variety of outdoor activities.
If you see the AmeriCorps team volunteering around town, please don’t hesitate say hello or ask questions!
The Bend Energy Challenge
The Bend Energy Challenge is a project of The Environmental Center, a Bend nonprofit organization that is leading the local team effort in the national Georgetown University Energy Prize competition. The Energy Challenge is a collaborative effort of local and state government, the energy utilities that serve our community, local schools, businesses and nonprofits, and statewide energy organizations. For more information, visit www.bendenergychallenge.org or contact Lindsey Hardy at 541-385-6908 x11 or lindsey@envirocenter.org.
About Georgetown University Energy Prize
The Georgetown University Energy Prize is challenging millions of people in communities across the country to tap their imagination, creativity, and spirit of competition to become more energy efficient.
After a rigorous six-month application and filtering process, fifty communities were announced in January 2015 to compete for two years to be among the ten finalists selected in April 2017. The winner will be announced in the summer of 2017 with judging based on performance, innovation, sustainability and replicability.
For more information, visit www.guep.org or call Chris Nelson, Project Director, at christofer.nelson@georgetown.edu or 202-642-2061.
