Overview

  

 

Project GREEN is a simple approach to make your home more comfortable, save on energy bills and make Elmhurst a cool place to live!  GREEN stands for Green Retrofits for Energy Efficient Neighborhood homes. 

 

Project GREEN was inspired by the results of the recent Elmhurst Energy & Emissions Profile produced by the Center for Neighborhood Technology / Energy. The study found that the typical Elmhurst home uses 18% more natural gas than homes in DuPage County and 25% more electricity than homes in Chicagoland.   

 

 

The profile shows that our higher energy use comes from the simple fact that our homes tend to be older (70% of Elmhurst homes were built before 1970), and are larger, single-family homes (80% of Elmhurst homes are single-family). 

A modest remodeling effort, called a home energy efficiency retrofit, is the ideal solution for communities with single-family homes like ours that want to save energy. Existing homes present a huge opportunity for green upgrades, especially since the Department of Energy estimates that residential units in the United Sates consume 22% of the nation’s energy.


Elmhurst Cool Cities Coalition planned Project GREEN as a one-stop resource to learn more about energy use in Elmhurst, learn more about home energy efficiency retrofits, find contractors that can do the work, and understand opportunities for tax credits and financing help.

 

An energy efficiency retrofit can improve comfort and cut your bills. Studies like one by the Center for American Progress show that energy-saving measures can reduce household energy by 10-30%.

Other studies, including this one from the National Association of Home Builders, show these projects add value at home sale.  Stop drafts, eliminate hot or cold spots in your home, improve your home, save energy, and help the planet!  

 

The City of Elmhurst, Park District, Library, District 205, Elmhurst College and numerous churches have improved their energy efficiency in public buildings; it is now up to the homeowners to continue the good work in our community!