<gy conservation is a big focal point in the Climate Action Plan. One of the ways we can achieve this is by adopting building energy conservation measures. Especially in places like Minnesota, simply installing proper insulation can lead to drastic energy savings. To do this, a pilot program was developed to perform energy audits on several residential houses. The ultimate goal is to perform energy audits in all campus buildings. In an attempt to increase student participation in this process, the Residential Energy Audits Program has been upgraded to include not just the student house liaisons, but the entire Carleton community.
The Energy Audit Program consists of four information sessions on building energy performance. Topics covered are energy audits, deep retrofits, building and construction standards, renewable energy, and more. The program also offers hands-on blower-door test demonstrations and field trips to deep retrofitted houses and passive homes. This a unique opportunity for students interested in buildling energy performance as there are no classes offered at Carleton that cover such topics.
Last Saturday, the first information session took place, where we learned about the basic structure of houses, energy audits, insulation methods, and how to quickly visually assess buildings. We also reviewed the energy consumption of various buildings on campus. Each participant was also able to sign-up to be a part of the energy-auditing process of the residential houses.
If any of this sounds interesting, is not too late to join!
Contact Martha Larson (mlarson) for more information and to get involved.