YWCA St. Paul’s Transitional Housing Program (THP) units are running more efficiently thanks to a partnership with EnerChange, which is funded through the Conservation Improvement Program (CIP) with contributions from Xcel Energy and CenterPoint Energy.
The program is administered by the Minnesota Department of Commerce/Division of Energy Resources and provides free energy consultations and professional expertise for nonprofits. This enables nonprofits to conserve energy, reduce carbon dioxide emissions and decrease the need for new utility infrastructure.
EnerChange assessed the units’ lighting and HVAC system, with particular attention to the boilers.The total interior and exterior project is expected to result in a yearly savings of $15,533 in energy costs, and a yearly decrease of 295,722 pounds of carbon dioxide.
According to the EPA Emissions Calculator, that’s equivalent to removing 28.7 cars from the road, or saving 15,094 gallons of gasoline. In addition, the LED lights appear to be 20 percent brighter and have a life expectancy of more than 10 years, cutting maintenance cost and effort compared to incandescent lights.