Locals learn energy savings strategies

Yorktown100 and Sustainable Westchester teamed up to host an informative session on June 3 at the John C. Hart Memorial Library.   

The presenters were Robert DeAngelis (Yorktown100) and Lauren Brois (Sustainable Westchester). This session provided helpful information on how you can take simple actions to reduce energy usage at home, leading to lower utility bills and a healthier planet. The session covered how to track your carbon footprint, clean heating and cooling technologies, solar energy, and the importance of a weathertight and well-insulated home. 

Attendees learned practical steps of the "Energy Hierarchy," focusing on high-impact savings: 

• The Power of the Audit: How to access no-cost home energy assessments to find hidden drafts and insulation gaps. 

• Sealing & Insulation: Why "buttoning up" your home’s envelope is the most cost-effective first step in any energy project. 

• Heating & Cooling Solutions: Modern, high-efficiency technologies like Heat Pumps that provide both heating and air conditioning 

• Incentives & Financing: Navigate the maze of federal tax credits, state rebates, and local financing options that make these upgrades more affordable than ever. 

• Solar Power: Whether installing solar panels at home or participating in a local community solar program. 

• Cure 100 Carbon Tracker App: This tool enables you to make informed choices to reduce your household carbon emissions, take it for a spin: yorktown100.cure100.org/carbon-tracker

• Grid Rewards: You can get paid to save energy - all you need is a Con Edison account number! 

The cleanest energy is the energy you never use. This session went beyond simple tips like turning off the lights and went into how to move toward long-term structural improvements that increase your property value and decrease your carbon footprint. 

Drive an electric vehicle? Attendees learned how to earn cash when you charge your car off-hours (ConEd or NYSEG). 

Yorktown 100: A grassroots all-volunteer community organization dedicated to helping residents reduce their carbon footprint through education and collective action. yorktown100.cure100.org/about

Sustainable Westchester: A non-profit consortium that provides residents with access to renewable energy programming and energy-saving resources. sustainablewestchester.org/contactus