SustainableWorks--What is it?

SustainableWorks is a non-profit organization that assists people with the process of having an energy efficiency retrofit done on their residential home, small business or non-profit. We work with other non-profit organizations, government agencies and contractors to coordinate the project from beginning to end in order to minimize inconvenience and maximize the return on investment.

 An energy efficiency retrofit could include any number of measures (ranging from windows, insulation and furnaces to lighting and weatherization), which increase the home’s efficiency and decrease the homeowner’s energy bill. SustainableWorks assists in every step of the project, beginning with an energy audit to determine the areas where the structure most needs improvement.

SustainableWorks makes use of a network of contractors whose employees recieve prevailing wage and benefits for their services. Relationships with contractors have been built by SustainableWorks to cross-train workers between the trades, so that projects are completed more efficiently.

Dave Hales from WSU Extension Energy demonstrates how to test for interior air leaks.  

To help insure that the customer gets the best package, SustainableWorks keeps current on any grants or incentives from power companies and government, and assists the owner with applications. There are several new programs on the way including government plans to buy down the interest on loans for retrofits, but the exact percentage is not known yet. AVISTA may be granting incentives for energy audits, however, no details are available at this time.

SustainableWorks has already completed 6 commercial projects and is shifting to a neighborhood by neighborhood program with South Perry as the first neighborhood. The neighborhood program we will serve residences, apartments, small businesses and non-profits, while increasing the economies of scale, thereby saving the customer money.   

Contractors install a new boiler system at Liberty Park United Methodist Church, which greatly reduced the natural gas consumption.

Why SustainableWorks?

SustainableWorks is designed to address a number of different issues through the same project, giving it a broad, multi-faceted reach. A primary goal of the project is to reduce the amount of carbon emissions in a category that has not gotten much attention from environmental groups or regulators—building energy usage. However, reducing the energy usage of buildings is only one aspect of the underlying philosophy behind SustainableWorks.

Our project addresses other values surrounding energy consumption, like energy independence. By lessening energy consumption, SustainableWorks hopes not only to lessen the impact on the environment but to help address energy costs for lower-middle income families that are strapped financially by crippling energy bills. By amalgamating services and products for people, SustainableWorks strives to make energy retrofits available to those who would not otherwise have the time, resources or knowledge to coordinate their own retrofit.

Neighbors turnout at a community event held by the Spokane Alliance at Liberty Park United Methodist Church.

In addition to benefiting the energy consumers and the environment, SustainableWorks has a foundational goal of creating jobs that pay prevailing wage with benefits, thereby benefiting the workers and the local economy. And in the bigger picture, SustainableWorks will be training a pool of workers in a more efficient systems approach. Creating better trained labor benefits users and the economy by increasing the industries capacity and efficiency which makes energy retrofits more economical and feasible. Recruiting and training workers who are particularly vulnerable in the current economic breakdown rounds out the SustainableWorks mission. 

How it works?

SustainableWorks plans to do energy retrofits on a large scale in a series of different neighborhoods. Our goal is to maximize contractor efficiency and lessen the cost for the customer by aggregating projects. If your home is in the South Perry district (from 4th to 18th and from Altamont to Sherman), then you will have an opportunity to be one of the first completed projects.  If you are interested in this program, you can contact the Alliance Office at (509) 532-1688 or e-mail info@spokanealliance.org.

The first step is to setup an appointment for a home visit to discuss the logistics of the project. At this appointment we will offer information on:  energy saving tips; the successful retrofits already coordinated by SustainableWorks; a variety of financing options for a retrofit and a timeline. Financing options include:  paying cash (which would require a deposit); financing (which can be arranged through partner institutions); or SNAP qualification (for low income people). Our financial partners are interested in offering financing with repayment plans to be paid from savings on your energy bill.

Also completed at this appointment are a preliminary assessment and scheduling for an energy audit.  The assement  involves completing a AVISTA waiver and a Preliminary Data Sheet. These allow SustainableWorks technicians to assess the building’s potential for energy savings.

Within two weeks, SustainableWorks will have its preliminary assessment, and residents/owners will need to know which financing route they choose to pursue.  If your building is a good candidate for retrofit, you will be asked to have a financing plan and confirm your audit appointment at least two weeks before the date of the appointment.
Thorough, professional audits will be completed by SustainableWorks technicians who have met standards set by WSU Energy Extension and SustainableWorks. Audits take approximately 4 hours. At the time of the audit, we will make an appointment to go over the Audit Report with you. The Audit Report will list the various energy saving possibilities, along with estimates of costs and savings. We will assist you in choosing which measures make sense for your building, both financially and practically. 

The blower creates pressure so that auditors can identify how much air flow there is in the building.

Once we have a block of homes and businesses ready for retrofits, we will schedule start dates, and contractors will begin work. This work will be supervised by SustainableWorks managers to ensure quality and efficiency. After the work is completed, there will be a thorough inspection to ensure that all of the work is up to SustainableWorks specifications.

When?

SustainableWorks employees are making appointments now for home visits with likely candidates for the test project in the South Perry Neighborhood. Audits are planned to begin at the end of July with the bidding process and actual work to follow. Sometime in the fall, after the pilot has been completed, work will begin on the full project. We expect to retrofit 200 homes in the neighborhood. After the 200 home retrofit is completed, then a new neighborhood in the city will be selected.

Partnerships Forged and to be Continued

SustainableWorks requires the cooperation of partners from a variety of disciplines. Contractors, energy companies and lending institutions from the private sector, politicians and agencies from government and communities, unions and faith groups from civil society all must interact and maintain a dialogue as SustainableWorks strives to reach its full potential. Partnerships between these institutions ensure that costs for retrofits remain as low as possible, and that quality remains high.

Where-What areas?

SustainableWorks projects are underway in areas throughout Washington and Oregon. In Spokane, SustainableWorks has chosen South Perry as its first neighborhood. The project will eventually move to other neighborhoods as the South Perry retrofit wraps up. Retrofit projects also will be taking place in the Puget Sound area coordinated by the Sound Alliance.