EOS BPI energy audit field week!

Over the last two weeks EOS Alliance Sustainability Team members have been in homes all across Seattle learning the ropes of BPI energy auditing. We've learned how to operate blower doors, manometers, and furnaces under the tutelage of energy auditing expert Bruce Minturn.

Our week of fieldwork was, at first, a difficult transition. We moved from a classroom full of breakfast pastries, never-ending coffee pots, and after-lunch cookies into homes with cold basements and cramped attics. It certainly appeared as if our best days might be behind us, but in time the intrigue of mysterious air leaks and strange building construction made it our best week yet. As it turns out energy audits have more in common with CSI than any of us could have imagined. Turning on the blower door will tell you if a house has air leaks, but determining where they are and how to fix them is a challenging logic puzzle. Of course any good drama requires some danger, and what could be more ominous than an invisible and harmful gas leaking into a home? Well we encountered not one, but two furnaces leaking dangerous levels of carbon monoxide! By the end of training we were a team of unflappable detectives ready to solve energy cases all across the Puget Sound.

Field training wasn't just about television style drama, it was also a chance to become acquainted with the field of energy auditing. Hands-on training made concepts clear and applicable. We calculated volumes of homes and determined their minimum airflow, which we then compared to airflow measurements from blower door readings to make air quality recommendations. We measured air leakage using the blower door and then used a duct blower to determine leakage within the duct system. We also learned how awkward it can be to search through a homeowner's closet in search of air leaks, and how nice it is when a homeowner offers you pumpkin cake.

Next step, field tests, and then we start performing EOS audits all over Seattle!

Salmon Recovery Conference Happening Next Week!

Join us October 28-30 for the 2009 Pacific Salmonid Recovery Conference!  Forty presenters over three days will cover a range of salmon science topics: fisheries science, policy updates, strategies for assessment, and innovative restoration and monitoring techniques.  Presenters from featured organizations include NOAA, Puget Sound Partnership, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Sustainable Fisheries Foundation, and many more!

For more information and to see the full conference schedule, visit us online at http://nwetc.org/salmon2009

To register online, follow this link: https://nwetc.org/registration_process/reg_bio-500_10-09_attendee/registration.htm

Group discounts, volunteer rates, and scholarships for students and tribes are now available!  For more information, call us at 206-762-1976, or email Leah at lbaugh@nwetc.org

EOS Helps Out with Duwamish Alive!

Last Saturday, EOS joined forces with CleanScapes and the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition to host one of nine Duwamish Alive! river rehabilitation volunteer events around Seattle. While the total number of volunteers for the day has yet to be calculated, our site alone drew 56 dedicated volunteers out of bed to partake in the clean-up effort. In addition to the volunteers attending from local Seattle neighborhoods, we were also joined by 10-15 Japanese students spending the fall at the University of Washington studying Environmental Science. 

Despite an extremely wet morning, the rain cleared up just in time for us to get our hands dirty and move the project forward. Located at Gateway Park North at 7699 8th Avenue South in Georgetown, the volunteers worked to rid the industrial area of materials contaminating the Duwamish River as well as clear the park of invasive species to create a safe and enjoyable space for visitors. By picking up garbage on and around 8th Avenue, transplanting trees and shrubs, removing invasive blackberry, and mulching path and planting areas, we made significant progress in the effort to transform the area from a polluted and weed-infested piece of land to an inviting and sustainable green space. 

In the coming weeks, we will be participating in a follow-up volunteer event to plant trees and shrubs in two freshly installed bioswale natural drainage areas located on 8th Avenue South. Not only will these drainage areas serve as storm water retention ponds to prevent toxins from flowing into the Duwamish River, but the plants and soil within them will act as additional barriers by filtering pollution from the water itself. With ongoing efforts, we hope to completely rehabilitate the river, park space, and native wildlife in and around Gateway Park North into a clean and self-sustaining space for Georgetown residents and river enthusiasts to enjoy. For more information about the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition and the projects they are currently conducting with Duwamish Alive!, visit their website:  http://www.duwamishcleanup.org/programs.html#DuwamishAlive

Full day of energy talk at EOS!

This past Friday was a big day for us at EOS. The Building Performance Inspection course was wrapping up and we had a 100% pass rate for the students taking the certification exam, including our eight AmeriCorps members taking the exam that day. In the afternoon, we were joined by US Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Senator Patty Murray, and Washington state energy leaders for a roundtable discussion. The roundtable discussed possibilities for energy investments in the state, including pump hydro power, which stores excess power from wind turbines in the potential energy of water. At the end of the day, Secretary Chu and Senator Murray met with EOS staff. Secretary Chu encouraged EOS in the Greenblocks program, and stressed the importance of such programs that can provide solid data of residential energy savings. He also mentioned plans for implementing a mandatory energy audit as an accompaniment to the building inspection any time a home changes hands. Senator Murray also highlighted the need to expand home energy audits and create green jobs in this field. Here at EOS, we are incredibly thankful for the opportunity to meet these leaders and host them at our offices.

Secretary Chu and EOS Executive Director, Erick McWayne

Meet and Greet at EOS office

Secretary Chu and Chair Nancy Sutley (from the White House Council on Environmental Quality)

The BPI students practice setting up the blower door (used in energy audits) with the help of instructor Bruce Minturn

Secretary Chu talks to the BPI class