Help the Community Energy Challenge Reach Our Goals, Get $20

The Community Energy Challenge has been a big hit in and around Bellingham, but participation rates among homes in the other cities of Whatcom County are lower. We know that our best source of advertising is word of mouth. So for a short period, we are offering an extra incentive to refer your friends and family to the program.

Community members who refer customers residing in the small cities to the Community Energy Challenge will receive $20 for each referred customer who purchases a home energy assessment (assessment must occur within an incorporated small city of Whatcom County [Blaine, Everson, Ferndale, Lynden, Nooksack, and Sumas])*. Referred clients receive a free PSE HomePrint Assessment, which includes up to 50 free CFL light bulb replacements**.  This promotion is available through May of 2012.

New customers can sign up online HERE, or call: 360-676-6099. When they are asked how they heard about the program, they just need to give us your name (and contact information if we don't have it). It's as easy as that.

* Employees of CEC partner organizations are not eligible for this promotion.
** Certain restrictions apply

2011 round-up / special deal for small cities residents

2011 was a great year for the Community Energy Challenge! The program really hit its stride and we have some amazing numbers to show for it.

Jobs supported through the program: 84
Jobs created: 18 (full time equivalent)
Number of participating businesses: 114
Completed residential energy efficiency projects: 300+
Participating households: 625 (completed assessments)
Average annual savings per home: 20-30% or $200-$400
Average annual savings per business: 3-5% or $500-$1,000

Going into 2012 we are working hard to keep this momentum and continue to help even more homes and business in Whatcom to save serious energy and money.

Special offer for residents of Whatcom's small cities

If you live in one of the small cities of Whatcom County, the Community Energy Challenge has a special offer available to help make energy efficiency even more easy and affordable.

For residents of Whatcom's small cities*, for a limited time the entire cost ($195) of a CEC home energy assessment will be refunded when you complete any recommended home energy improvements through the CEC.  

Selling a home? Get an Energy Performance Score!

Are you a real estate agent or homeowner looking to sell a home in Whatcom County? The Community Energy Challenge is providing a new service that can be a valuable tool for anyone with a house on the market. It’s called an Energy Performance Score (EPS), and it’s like a MPG rating for your home, showing potential buyers how energy efficient it is.


GreenWorks Realty recently performed a study of environmentally certified homes in King County and found that homes with environmental certifications sold for 8.5% more per square foot and in 22% less time even while being 9% smaller on average than non-certified homes. A similar study showed that environmentally certified homes commanded a 30% premium on average in the Portland metro area. There is a distinct market advantage for energy efficient homes and an EPS can help you quantify this for buyers.

Providing potential buyers with an Energy Performance Score also empowers them with information about the home so they know what they are getting up front. The EPS report can be used as an integral part of the home's portfolio and provides a tangible takeaway for the buyer.

The EPS is different than the full residential energy assessment. It costs $125 and takes less time to perform compared to the full residential assessment. After the visit to the home by a Certified Building Analyst, the seller will receive an EPS report that they can use to inform potential buyers about how well the home performs in terms of energy efficiency, but unlike the full assessment there is no need for follow-up visits.

For more information or to fill out our form to indicate your interest in receiving an Energy Performance Score for your home, click here.

Community Energy Challenge incentives now cover up to 30% of project costs!

Good news for Whatcom residents who want to save energy and money! 

Financial incentives available through the Community Energy Challenge residential program can now cover 30% of project costs or $1,500 - whichever is more.

For a limited time, all eligible CEC residential projects have access to a cash incentive totaling 30% of the total cost of each tier (excluding tier 4--windows). The original incentive amount of $1,500 is available to projects in the case where 30% of the cost of the project is less than that amount. 

There is also an exclusive low-interest loan available to qualified participants interested in financing their energy efficiency projects.

After you have an energy assessment, a Home Energy Advisor can help you navigate the available incentives for your project to create the most cost-effective plan for completing your energy efficiency upgrades. 

It's never been easier to save energy and money, increase the value and comfort of your home, and reduce pollution in Whatcom County!

Questions? Contact communityenergychallenge@oppco.org

Another Proud Participant

We got some great feedback from Flip, a resident of the Columbia Neighborhood who participated in the residential program and is recommending the Community Energy Challenge to her friends and neighbors. Thanks for sharing your story!

We've just completed an energy conservation upgrade on our house through the Community Energy Challenge.  I cannot recommend this program highly enough! They help you make your home more energy efficient, and find every grant & rebate possible to help you afford it. It is Federal Stimulus funds that actually help Main Street.

One: it helps put out of work construction workers back to work, and retrains them to become experts in an important field.

Two: It makes our community less reliant on power plants. The cheapest way to save energy is through conservation.

Three: It improves our local housing. Our house is definitely warmer and more comfortable now after major insulating and some leak sealing as well. The CEC paid careful attention to things that would not have occurred to me, like maintaining air quality after sealing leaks, and excluding rodents.

Four: It saves money on heating, and it's affordable. They have supported loans so more people can afford to get this work done. The program is also aimed at middle-class people, so you don't have to prove you're broke to qualify.

One million square feet of local business space assessed!

 Here at the Community Energy Challenge, we're all about the numbers. The CEC is working toward the goal of helping Whatcom County save $1,000,000 in energy costs by providing affordable energy assessments to local businesses and homes. So far we've assessed 330 homes and completed projects on 80, finding potential savings of $200-$400 or 20-30% of annual energy costs per home. As for local businesses, 59 have signed up so far and we are finding the potential for an average of $500-$1,000 in annual savings per business, or 3-5% of energy costs per year.

Commercial Conservation Services, the division of the Community Energy Challenge that serves local businesses, has recently reached another exciting numerical milestone. Our Commercial Conservation Specialist, Martin Selch, has assessed over 1,000,000 square feet of local business space.