Pembroke Energy Efficiency Pilot (PEEP) Program Launched
WATCH THE VIDEO: Pembroke Energy Efficiency Pilot (PEEP) – From Power to Poverty
The Pembroke Energy Efficiency Pilot (PEEP) Program launched by the Community Development Corporation of Pembroke and Hopkins Park is aimed at helping the community have clean-energy options by improving energy efficiency and electrification.
PEEP 1.0 targeted four homes in the area with the following:
- Electric Appliances: Heat pumps, stoves, and hot water heaters: To electrify the homes gas/wood appliances were swapped out with heat pumps, electric stoves, and hybrid heat pump water heaters. Without combustion occurring inside people’s homes, it was found that there is an opportunity to monitor the indoor air quality. The pollution from burning gas, propane, or wood harms our health and exacerbates climate pollution. Additionally, the group found that electric heating and cooking is more reliable, especially for people who currently use wood-burning stoves and bottled gas, as gas prices become more volatile.
- Improved Efficiency: Air sealing by replacing windows and adding insulation to crawl spaces: One of the many tests that was conducted was a blower door test. A blower door test is used on buildings to quantify the amount of air leakage through its enclosure. During this test, a calibrated fan is installed in an otherwise sealed door or window, while all the other openings to the exterior are closed. When the fan is turned on, it creates a pressure difference between the outside and the inside. Typically done under negative pressure, the fan sucks the air out of the home, causing it to come in through whatever pathways it can find — many of which are unintentional.
The pre- and post- upgrade blower door tests concluded that the homes had reduced air leakage by over 21% after the upgrades.
PEEP 2.0
Over the next year, the PEEP program will monitor our pilot homes for energy and cost savings, air quality, and overall quality of life improvements. PEEP hopes to be a leading example for other rural and historically disadvantaged communities to move toward sustainable, healthy solutions for powering their communities.
Expansion of the Pembroke Energy Efficiency Pilot (PEEP 1.0) to Pembroke Energy-Efficient Power (PEEP 2.0) demonstrates that an efficient, healthy, prosperous future can meet rural community needs.
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Scale electrical grid capacity and clean energy options
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Improve the PEEP retrofit process and engagement model
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Expand energy-efficiency services to ALL 1200 homes
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Amplify the results through education, training, and peer exchange
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Replicate the approach in other communities
Watch the video on the PEEP Program, or visit the CDC-PHP website for more information.