Invest $5 to save much more on your biggest energy use: your house

Here at LOVESalemHQ, we have enjoyed almost $20,000 of tax and rebate incentives for our solar hot water system and our 4.4 kW solar electric system, helped support good jobs in Oregon, and significantly reduced the amount of carbon emitted to make this place comfortable. The Energy Trust of Oregon -- which we all pay for through a surcharge on all our power bills -- did all the hard parts for us, cheerfully and efficiently. 

And this year, ETO just helped us tap another $500 state tax credit by upgrading our furnace to a super-high efficient model. We gained a great new closet too (by moving the furnace into the attic, making the house much quieter). 

In this era of low interest rates on anything but highly risky investments, investing in your own home's energy conservation is a triple winner: you get an ultra-safe investment that adds to the value of your home, lowers your monthly cash outflow month after month, improves your home comfort, and ends up paying for itself and then making money for you after that. Even if you ignore the environmental benefits, it's foolish not to take part.  


Amateur Naturalist: Making Your Home More Energy Efficient
Thursday, June 18th         7pm - 8:30pm
$5/person      

RSVP: nichole@straubenvironmentalcenter.org
Straub Environmental Center, 1320 A St.

Increase your energy IQ through an interactive presentation by Energy Trust staff members with practical and hands-on activities for how to improve home energy efficiency and take advantage of renewable energy generation.

Lizzie Rubado, Energy Trust’s senior solar project manager, will highlight the dramatic changes in the solar market in recent years, and the range of renewable energy resources in Oregon. She will lead the class through an interactive exercise for determining the solar potential of a home. Lizzie is best known for her role helping to launch solarize efforts across Oregon that enabled communities to harness their collective purchasing power to acquire solar at a reduced rate and through a streamlined process.

Marshall Johnson, Energy Trust’s senior residential program manager, will describe the energy mix in Oregon and the opportunities to save energy now and over time in your home. He will share information on emerging technologies such as NEST and LEDs. An interactive exercise to identify energy saving opportunities in the home and determine what steps can be taken to save, will propel attendees to action. Marshall has been leading and designing programs to help homeowners save energy for seven years and draws from his past experience as a local contractor in sustainable remodeling.

This engaging presentation will allow attendees to understand the growing choices that exist related to energy generation and use, and how Oregon and Salem are leaders in this area. If you are interested in learning how you can be part of Oregon’s clean energy future, or inspire others to do the same, please join Lizzie and Marshall on June 18th from 7 pm to 8:30 pm.

For more information on Energy Trust cash incentives and services for customers of Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural and Cascade Natural Gas visit www.energytrust.org.

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Our mailing address is:
Straub Environmental Center, PO Box 12363, Salem, OR 97309