Mayor Declares October 30 'Energy-Efficiency Day in Baton Rouge'—Energy-Efficiency Makeover at Winner's Home and Related School Events

See photos and video of the energy-efficiency home makeover of the Baton Rouge home of Cathy Clites, national winner of the Eureka $mart House Energy-Efficiency Challenge sponsored by SCI FI Channel, the Alliance to Save Energy, and the Edison Electric Institute (EEI).

Baton Rouge Mayor-President Kip Holton declared October 30 "Energy Efficiency Day in Baton Rouge" to recognize all of the energy-efficiency-focused activity by these partners.

The home energy-efficiency makeover was unveiled that day at a news conference at the winner's home where the three generational, nine-member family lives together to cope with medical adversity.

Then, participants moved to the Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts, the magnet elementary school where Clites' two grandchildren attend. The Alliance/Ad Council's dastardly, energy-wasting Energy Hog and his nemesis, the Energy Hog Buster, provided a "lesson on energy efficiency."

Other campaign partners include CMC Energy Services, The Dow Chemical Company, Whirlpool, Sylvania, the Consumer Electronics Association, the U.S. Department of Energy, the American Gas Association, and the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute. The first five also donated products and services for the home makeover.

Additional product and service donors—Honeywell, Niagara Conservation, Knauf Insulation, Tide, Brothers Ace Hardware, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Store #3288, Central Louisiana, Fi-Fold Company, Randall L. Kinnamon of RLK Construction Company in Minnesota, Rocky Johnson of Zerodraft (a SCI FI viewer and energy professional who volunteered to weatherize the home when he read the news release about the family), A&E Insulation, Insulation Technologies, and the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources.

To interact with the slide show or visit this slideshow on Flickr, click on an image.

PRODUCT DONATIONS:

• CMC Energy Services conducted an energy audit on the home prior to the makeover. This affordable energy audit helped to determine what measures could be taken to increase the home’s energy efficiency. Armed with CMC’s helpful information, we began installing the donated products.
• By donating a set of tires and free oil changes for each of their vehicles, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Store #3288, Central Louisiana, will help the Clites family increase the gas mileage for each of its vehicles.
• The Dow Chemical Company donated the appropriately-named GREAT STUFF foam sealant that helped to plug any cracks, gaps, or holes that allow energy-wasting drafts to drive up home energy costs.

• SYLVANIA has provided the Clites home with 40 ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). Each bulb has a life of up to 10,000 hours and can save consumers up to $50 dollars in related electricity costs compared to a comparable incandescent bulb.

• Two water heaters and three kitchen appliances, including a new oven and ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerator and dishwasher from Whirlpool.

• Knauf Insulation donated new insulation to the Clites home, which will increase its energy efficiency and the family’s comfort in it.

• Honeywell’s easy-to-use, ENERGY STAR-labeled programmable thermostats will help the Clites family control indoor temperatures and reduce energy use.

• Tidedonated a year’s worth of Tide HE (high efficiency), which is specially formulated with the right level of sudsing for high-efficiency washing machines to deliver outstanding clean for laundry. For more information see.

• TheConsumer Electronics Association and its member company Sharp also donated products to help the Clites family. Sharp gave an energy-efficient 42-inch LCD TV and an energy-efficient DVD player. CEA also donated three Kill-a-Watt electricity usage monitors.

• Dell donated an energy-efficient notebook computer.
• The local Brothers Ace Hardware store in Baton Rouge will help the Clites family be more energy efficient with a donation of multiple ENERGY STAR-certified ceiling fans. In addition the store also donated house paint to help the family spruce up its home.

• Niagara Conservation gave the Clites family several products that will help the family save energy, including door sweeps, weather stripping, and water-saving devices.

• TheFi-Foil Company gave the Clites its Silver Shield Attic Radiant Barrier, which helps lessen wasteful heat transfers to attics and lowers the air conditioning load needed for homes.

SERVICE DONATIONS:

• Randall L. Kinnamon of RLK Construction Company traveled all the way from Minnesota and donated his time and labor to serve as the general contractor of the whole energy-efficiency home makeover, both helping with and overseeing installation of all of the energy-efficient products in the Clites home.
• Rocky Johnson of Zerodraft, a Baton Rouge energy professional who learned of the home makeover from the Alliance’s electronic newsletter/news release, donated his time and labor to weatherize the home.
• The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources is staffing an educational event at the Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts, attended by the Clites grandchildren, third grader Charles Boyd and fifth grader Christina Boyd, including classroom visits and distribution of educational materials by the Alliance/Ad Council’s dastardly, energy-wasting Energy Hog and his nemesis, the Energy Hog Buster. In addition, the department will conduct a follow-up energy audit on the home, including blower door test, to examine energy savings to date and determine what still needed to be done to make the home even more energy-efficient.
• A&E Insulation of Port Allen, La., donated its services to install the Knauf insulation throughout the Clites home.
• Insulation Technologies of Houma, La., donated their services to install the Fi-Foil Silver Shield Attic Radiant Barrier.