Denver Climate Challenge

Porch Bulb Project

Home Energy Audits
and Upgrades

Neighborhood
Collaborative

DenverClimateChallenge.org

Healthy Climate Healthy Community

Solar America Initiative

Neighborhood Collaborative

Groundwork Denver worked with a collaborative partnership including Mile High Youth Corps, Sun Power, Greenprint Denver, the Governor’s Energy Office, Energy Outreach Colorado, LEAP, Denver Environmental Health, Denver Office of Strategic Partnerships, and Denver Office of Economic Development to develop a pilot project to increase the impact of existing residential energy services in Denver.

In October 2008, we brought the continuum of services offered by these partners to the Sunnyside neighborhood. Groundwork Denver coordinated the door-to-door volunteer effort to canvass every house in the neighborhood. Front porch lights were swapped, junk mail was cancelled, and families were signed up for free recycling services, street trees, and energy audits.

Energy audits and minor upgrades for lower income residents were then performed by Mile High Youth Corps who have partnered with the Governor’s Energy Office and Energy Outreach Colorado to help over 2000 low-income Colorado families save energy.

Mile High Youth Corps then passed along qualifying families to Sun Power for full weatherization. For those low-income families who qualify, Sun Power can significantly upgrade the efficiency level of the house with attic, wall, and foundation insulation, new refrigerator, air sealing, duct sealing, and even a new furnace in some cases.

Energy audits for higher income residents were performed by Groundwork Denver with funding from Greenprint Denver. These audits focus on identifying priorities for reducing energy and providing technical assistance and rebate information to help facilitate the work being completed. 

Results from Sunnyside are still being tallied, but here are some results from our door-to-door effort:

• contacted 2,400 households, with over 450 households participating in some aspect;
• installed 270 compact fluorescent bulbs in porch lights;
• signed up 102 households for recycling;
• signed up 112 households for street trees; and
• reduced junk mail sent to 216 households.

Results in Sunnyside:
240 tons per year of CO2 emissions reduced.