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Washington Agency Tests New Weatherization Effort
A Northwest community action agency recently launched field tests aimed at cutting energy costs for low-income consumers. The federal government awarded grant money to the Opportunity Council in Washington for testing methods to seal leaky ductwork, making homes more comfortable and more affordable.
The Department of Energy , the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing , in conjunction with Oak Ridge National Laboratories , divided $200,000 among five organizations across the country which are conducting the tests. The Opportunity Council chose 16 homes for the project and is now monitoring each heating system to determine how efficient it is. Eight of those households will receive hands-on conventional duct repairs this month while the other eight will receive a new aerosol spray sealant treatment. Aerosol spray sealants are injected with forced air into duct systems by a machine. Sticky particles build up in the cracks and seal the ductwork as air passes through the system.
The Opportunity Council plans to monitor the homes until April and will examine the costs and benefits of each method. David Finet , Housing Services Director, says the new aerosol technology, if proven effective, will allow weatherization services to improve energy efficiency by sealing up areas difficult or impossible to reach between floors, in wall cavities or imbedded in concrete slabs.
U.S. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson estimates as much as $5 billion is lost each year through the cracks in heating and cooling systems. This project, according to Richardson, will help American consumers save energy and money.
Corinne Hollister