Winter could be less chilling, at least for your wallet

Going over a solar hot-water system at the Inman Square Apartments: (from left) supplier David Walsh, engineer Bill Ferguson, Energy Alliance chief Josh Hassol, and owner Lansing Fair. (Alice Leung)

Just where the economy's going is anyone's guess, but Cambridge residents can count on two certainties this winter: The weather will be cold, and heating bills will be higher than last season's.

Given that, the Cambridge Energy Alliance - a nonprofit service that helps owners and tenants invest in saving energy and money while reducing carbon emissions - recently began offering free energy audits. After determining what can be done to prevent energy (and cash) from going out the window, a comprehensive team of consultants, contractors, engineers, and lenders customizes a plan for installation, financing, and follow-up.

As the leaves turn and temperatures dip, now is the time, said Energy Alliance president and CEO Josh Hassol, for people to identify how they can make their homes more energy-efficient.

"Efficiency is a hedge against future uncertainties," said Hassol. "You can't control the prices, but you can protect yourself against them."

And saving money on utility bills by investing in updated furnaces, faucet aerators, proper insulation, new windows, and compact fluorescent light bulbs is also the "right thing to do for the planet," said Hassol.

The Cambridge Energy Alliance was born early last year, after the City Council realized it needed to do more to reach the goal of dropping greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2010.

Research shows that roughly 85 percent of the carbon footprint in Cambridge comes from existing buildings, said Deborah Donovan, the alliance's program manager.

"No program was specifically geared toward cutting building emissions until now," she said. The alliance was officially launched in March 2007, and the past year and a half was spent "working behind the scenes," said Hassol, aggregating existing technology, energy companies, and financial institutions that offer low- or zero-interest loans for people wanting to invest in making their homes or businesses energy-efficient.

"It's one-stop shopping," said Hassol. "It brings all elements together so that we can penetrate the market. This is a new, unique model being watched closely from all over the country."

The goal is to reach a 50 percent participation rate in Cambridge in the next five to seven years, said Donovan.

Although the alliance is affiliated with the city ("They have been champions for us," said Hassol), it isn't officially sponsored by Cambridge or its taxpayers. It is partnered with the Henry P. Kendall Foundation, which funds programs involved in climate change solutions. According to Hassol, the alliance is raising capital now, and will eventually be self-sustaining.

The free audits were launched Aug. 11. Since then, more than 70 residential and small business audits have been completed. Hassol said the hope is to reach a pace of several hundred audits per month. Outreach programs and contracts with larger corporations are the next step in promoting the program.

"We need to let people know that, if they haven't done anything in their homes during the past five years, we tend to see average utility savings of about 10 to 20 percent," said Donovan.

Many of those who've called to get audits were already conscious of conserving energy, she said.

One of the first participants was Keren Schlomy, a 12-year Cambridge resident and environmental lawyer who focuses on clean energy.

"When the program was announced in 2007, I was excited by the concept and wanted to get in on it, so I signed up online," said Schlomy, who lives in one of four units in a townhouse complex. "They finally called me about a month ago and they did the audit, looked at my bills. Unfortunately, they weren't about to find any opportunities that would make a big savings difference."

Schlomy bought a new furnace three years ago and already had updated appliances in her kitchen. She inquired about installing solar panels on her roof (the alliance also consults on renewable energy), but the investment didn't make sense.

"There is a view that these kinds of things are for middle-class people who can afford to take big steps," said Schlomy. "But if you haven't taken any steps, it can be good for anybody. Programmable thermostats cost next to nothing, and the payback period is within a month."

One of the greatest challenges facing the alliance is the high percentage of renters in Cambridge. A program called Green Lease is in the works to bridge the disconnect between renters and building owners, said Hassol.

"In the case of a rental property, the owner is paying for the upgrades, the tenant reaps the benefits in the form of lower bills," he said. "We're trying to let landlords know that there is a way of sharing the savings. Plus, it makes the building more desirable in the future."

Especially in an unstable economy, the alliance emphasizes the long-term goals of the program - a smaller carbon footprint and monetary savings - versus short-term financial realities.

But the alliance has a message of urgency: Not only is global warming a reality, but this winter's heating bills are sure to hit hard.

The Energy Information Administration, which provides official energy statistics from the US government, predicts increases across the board for the upcoming heating season.

Expenditures for the average household using oil as its primary heating fuel are expected to increase by $585, or 30 percent, over last winter.

Natural gas is predicted to increase by 19 percent, and propane by 13 percent.

"Actions need to be taken yesterday, and this is the easy stuff," Schlomy said. "It's the low-hanging fruit that pays you back quickly."