What We Do
Based in Cambridge MA, we organize free energy-upgrade work-parties to teach volunteers hands-on skills in lowering their energy bills and carbon emissions. We teach the skills while making the building we’re in more energy efficient.
Our team leaders use materials and tools largely available from any hardware store. The skills we teach are highly effective in cutting energy and water use (such as installing programmable thermostats or low-flow showerheads).
Over 70% of our surveyed volunteers take their skills back to use them in their own homes.
Since the work is through volunteers, it is free to the owners/tenants. They only pay for materials, which range between $200 and $900 depending on the size of the building. We lower their heat, electricity and water bills by 6 - 10% and the work lasts a decade, saving between $3,000 and $9,600 overall.
We do a thorough audit before each event to make sure we pinpoint the work that will effectively lower energy use. Our audits include a blower door test, combustion analysis, and more.
At our events, neighbors meet each other and work together, building community. The parties also socially market energy-efficiency behavior, since all the volunteers see people like themselves working on these tasks, helping convince them this work is something they should do.
In 2009 we started to help other communities to organize and host energy-upgrade work parties. Spread by word of mouth, over 20 sister groups have sprung up. Working with our sister groups, we have trained over 2,000 volunteers and in 150 buildings. HEET incorporated in 2009.
HEET won a 2010 EPA Regional Environmental Merit award, a Massachusetts Climate Action Network Climate Superstar award and the City of Cambridge’s GoGreen Award.
