In 2020, The Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation awarded Sarasota County and the Sarasota Housing Authority (SHA) a grant to support housing affordability through energy efficiency. The grant helped to expand our Energy Upgrade program by supporting a full-time employee to manage this project and opening the door for numerous energy efficiency projects on-site at the Sarasota Housing Authority. Below, we’ll highlight our biggest milestones and share our experiences!
Early Efforts: 2018-2020
Prior to the award of the Barancik Foundation grant, Sarasota County staff compiled various federal and state grants to purchase energy-efficient devices and begin outreach on the importance of energy and water efficiency. Statistics from a US Dept. of Energy study on energy burdens in 2018 revealed that Sarasota County has a large disparity between what our high- and low-income community members are paying for their utilities. Low-wealth households are paying up to 19% of their annual earnings on utility bills, whereas median-income and higher households are paying 2-3% of their income on the same utilities.
An early partnership with the Sarasota Housing Authority allowed us to reach their residents with materials for retrofitting their properties, educational resources, and the opportunity to be a familiar face they could trust. A total of 152 households at the SHA were inspected and retrofitted with energy- and water-saving devices between 2018-2020.
Rethinking Our Approach in 2020
With financial and health disparities growing throughout 2020, we knew our program would need to adapt to the rapidly changing world around us. Our team shifted Energy Upgrade workshops and 1:1 consultations to a virtual format, and staff participated in a number of drive-thru events throughout the County. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we found ways to reach vulnerable and underserved populations safely where they were. Following proper safety procedures, staff completed inspections and retrofits at 102 SHA households during this time. With less focus on in-person interactions, we bolstered our outreach materials and resources as well in 2020. Factsheets and contacts for financial assistance were translated into four languages – Spanish, Haitian Creole, Russian, and Portuguese – to improve our communication with households speaking limited English.
The Sarasota Housing Authority, in partnership with Southface Sarasota, also started an insulation project in late 2021. Their insulation project, referred to as a “Level 3 improvement”, was a pilot study that entailed the installation of new spray-foam insulation at 11 SHA homes and observing the effect on indoor air quality and energy efficiency.
Closing the Final Gaps: 2022-2024
The last two years we’ve been working on this grant have been defined by continuing our services and measuring our impact. As community members became more comfortable with attending in-person events and workshops, we did our best to continue to meet those in need where they are. Regular monthly workshops at our public libraries and stronger connections with other community partners allowed us to reach large amounts of people face-to-face. These face-to-face connections were crucial to establishing our trust in the community, learning about specific needs for different areas of Sarasota County, and setting up partnerships beyond the closing of this grant.
The insulation pilot project, a collaboration with Sarasota Housing Authority and Southface Sarasota, was completed in late 2023 and opened the doors for future insulation replacements at other properties. Several “Level 2 improvements”, or larger retrofits that require professional installation, were also purchased during this time to alleviate households of inefficient fixtures and appliances. Examples of “Level 2 improvements” that were purchased include energy-efficient LED light fixtures (recessed lighting), split-system A/C units, and water-efficient toilets.
Between late-2022 and 2024, staff performed low-level retrofits and inspections at the remaining 56 SHA households. Although this number is not as large as the previous 2-year periods, these final homes were nearly twice the size of the apartments and duplexes we retrofitted prior to 2022.
Numbers at a Glance (2020-2024)
- $182,455 saved off utility bills
- 4,088,476 gallons of water conserved
- 1,307,134 kWh of electricity conserved
- 310 households retrofitted and inspected
- 6,798 community members helped
What’s Next?
The Energy Upgrade program will continue its offerings through a Department of Energy grant awarded in 2024, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG). With $300,000 in new federal funding, we can focus on two major milestones:
- Continuing existing outreach: The foundations of our Energy Upgrade program – meeting people where they are with the resources they need – will continue in the coming years with EECBG funding. From empowering workshops about energy efficiency to at-home consultations and retrofits, we will continue outreach and education to County residents.
- EnergyStar-certified Appliance Rebates: An added element we brought to Sarasota County through this federal grant is an appliance rebate program for affordable housing providers. To alleviate the split-incentive problem – in which landlords aren’t incentivized to upgrade appliances and renters cannot afford to – we offered complete reimbursement towards the purchase of EnergyStar-certified appliances for affordable housing providers. Based on applications received at the time of this posting, we expect to award nearly $200,000 in appliance rebates.
Learn More!
- Follow our journey from 2018 to today through our blog updates:
- Check out our Eventbrite for upcoming energy efficiency classes and webinars: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/program-sustainability-213939
- Browse our website for more information on financial assistance and incentives available locally in Sarasota County: https://www.scgov.net/government/sustainability/sustainability/energy-upgrade
- Register for our virtual Energy Upgrade course to learn about energy and water conservation at your own pace: Take our virtual, self-paced Energy Upgrade course on Canvas at: https://ifas-sarasota.catalog.instructure.com/browse/sustainability/courses/energy-upgrade
- Watch a recording of the Energy Upgrade workshop here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNDZvlN-4hg
- Check out a DIY Home Energy/Water Audit Backpack from the Sarasota County Libraries! More details and availability of the backpacks can be found here: https://scgovlibrary.librarymarket.com/event/do-it-yourself-home-energy-audit-kits-demand-0
This post was written by Devin Beede.