Last week I had the opportunity to attend an introductory webinar of the “Thousand Home Challenge” whose mission is to demonstrate the possibility of reducing our existing home stocks overall energy usage by 70-90%.  Their goal is to achieve these reductions by energy efficiency measures, renewable resources, community solutions, and behavioral changes.  The intent of the challenge is to use these thousand homes as a resource and educational platform for change to help transform our existing building stock.

The first step is to determine your energy reduction goal by using their threshold calculator.  You have two options when it comes to determining your reduction goals.  The first option or as they refer to as Option A, which is intended for high energy usage homes, sets a 75% reduction goal based upon a recent years’ verifiable energy usage.  Option B is for low energy users and sets an energy reduction threshold based upon your zip code, finished floor area, number of occupants and a few other simple inputs.

So to continue the Sym-Home mission of educating others and to show that existing homes can make deep cuts in their energy usage; I will be enrolling my personal residence into the challenge.  Considering my family has made significant energy related improvements to our home to bring down our utility costs, we are at the point of pushing the envelope, looking to make those energy related upgrades that the average homeowner doesn’t even think about.  However we are considered to be a lower energy user, so we will be enrolling into the challenge and attempting to meet the energy usage thresholds of Option B.  As you can see, by our current usage and goals set, we are still looking at a 42% reduction in energy usage to meet the challenge. I will continue the blog series, Kill’n a Hog….an Energy Hog, of tracking our energy improvements and take them to the next level as we go beyond what most consider to be a DIY project.

If you are considering some major energy related improvements to your home, consider enrolling into the Thousand Home Challenge.  The first step to participating in the Thousand Home Challenge is to attend the introductory webinar to learn more about the goals, mission, and determination of one’s threshold allowance.  So if you are interested, the next webinar is currently scheduled for May 31^st.  Check out the 1000 Home Challenge website and enroll to make some deep cuts and help our country reach energy independence.