SEEDS Event

You’re Invited to SEEDS’s Annual Picnic!

Join us for the SEEDS Annual Picnic! This is a FREE event and it is open to everyone. Click here to RSVP by August 2.

Join us for a fun day at Promised Land State Park on Sun, Aug 04, 2024 starting at 11:30 AM. Bring the family and reconnect with the SEEDS community for an afternoon of sustainable fun, including games and demonstrations. This is a potluck – please bring a dish to share, along with your own (preferably reusable) place setting (plates, utensils, cups).

We can’t wait to see you there! Feel free to email us with any questions at info@seedsgroup.net.

Message from the Exiting Director

To the SEEDS Community,

It has truly been a pleasure and honor to be able to hold the title of Director for SEEDS for the last three months. After being on the board for years, it seemed like a natural progression to fill in when it was needed. SEEDS is a remarkable organization that holds great promise for the future. We have new energetic board members, exciting plans for the future, and a community that supports the amazing work that is done by a small staff and amazing volunteers. I look forward to seeing the SEEDS that were planted continue to grow, to flourish, and to thrive in the days to come.

I’d also like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the board for their unwavering support, to the unsung heroes among our volunteers whose contributions have been invaluable in enabling me to fulfill my duties effectively, and to the fantastic organizations with whom I’ve had the privilege to collaborate, all of whom have played pivotal roles in the success of SEEDS.

If you are looking to find out more about the ways we educate, promote, and support our community to grow in sustainability, or to get more involved either as a volunteer or to join our small but mighty staff, please explore the SEEDS website at seedsgroup.net or reach out via info@seedsgroup.net.

I look forward to seeing the wonderful SEEDS members at future events.  Have a great summer!

With warmest regards,
Jamie Reeger

#SEEDSBlog

 How to Reduce Your Electricity Usage and Save Money
Hint: it begins with a free SEEDS Energy Efficiency Assessment

By Beth Billyard, Milford, PA

My husband and I have been working towards a more sustainable lifestyle over the past few years but had no idea whether we were focused on things that could truly make a difference. So, when we discovered SEEDS, one of the first things we did was to schedule an energy efficiency assessment (EEA). An EEA is free of charge for SEEDS members, and it was easy to fill in the online form and get our assessment scheduled.

One year ago, I wrote an article for the SEEDS newsletter in which I described our  experience when SEEDS came to our home to conduct an EEA. This is a follow-up report with the results we achieved by implementing SEEDS’s recommendations. Spoiler alert! We are thrilled to report that the SEEDS EEA really works. As of our most recent electric bill our annual usage is down 30%! I will explain how we achieved such impressive results.

Prior to the EEA, our average 12-month usage was 2,183 KWH/month. In other words, during the 12-month period from April 2022 to March 2023, we used an average of 2,183 KWH of electricity each month. Of course, it varied greatly from one month to another; it was higher in the winter due to heating and hot water, and in the summer months due to air conditioning. But overall, the average was 2,183 KWH/month.

After implementing most of SEEDS’s recommendations, our average 12-month usage as of the May 2024 billing period is down to 1,513 KWH/month. That is a reduction of more than 30% {calculated as (2,183-1,513)/2,183 = 0.3069 or ~31%}.

We made the following changes and improvements based on SEEDS’s recommendations. I am including the dates because not everything was done at the same time; improvements made later than May 2023 will not have had a full year’s impact yet and we may expect further reductions in our average 12-month usage.

1. Our home has a crawlspace instead of a basement. SEEDS noted several unsealed vents, loose or falling insulation, and a problem with moisture getting into the crawl space. In April of 2023, we had our crawlspace sealed and the insulation repaired. We also had a new dehumidifier installed – one that could better handle the size of our crawlspace.

2. In the attic, SEEDS identified exposed floor joists where there was no insulation and they suggested blown-in cellulose to cover the exposed areas. They also noted that the pull-down attic door needed weather-stripping to prevent warm air from escaping into the attic. In May 2023, we had our attic re-insulated and installed a new, better pull-down door. The company that did the work made sure to seal up all cracks and gaps before installing the new insulation.

3. In June 2023, we installed an Emporia energy monitor in our breaker box. This allowed us to see which circuits are using the most energy, allowing us to adjust our habits based on data. Hot water is a major use, along with the heat pump. Back in 2022 we had already switched to only cold water for laundry. Based on feedback from the energy monitor, we have been careful to limit our hot water use. For example, reducing the flow of hot water during showers.

4. In March 2024, we replaced a damaged storm door. The new door eliminated gaps, which should better seal our house from cold air drafts and prevent heat from leaking out.

While we are very happy with the savings we have seen thus far, there is still more that we can do. For example, our heat pump is old and still works but it has a lower efficiency rating than newer models available on the market today. We plan to replace it in the next 1-2 years, which should further improve our energy efficiency and reduce our electricity usage.

Get more information about EEAs at the SEEDS website.  And feel free to email me at ebillyard2k@gmail.com if you have questions or would like more details on how we achieved these results.

Good News

Converting Diesel School Bus Fleets to EV Yields Monetary and Health Benefits

We knew that the switch from fossil fuel sources of energy to EV would benefit the climate, but does it benefit one’s health as well? The answer is an astounding yes! A study by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in May 2024, suggests that replacing diesel school buses with electric ones could yield up to $247,600 in climate and health benefits per bus, especially in large cities and with older buses. Read about it from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health here, or see the full study here.

Benefits include reduced greenhouse gas emissions and lower rates of adult mortality and childhood asthma. While the initial cost of electric buses is higher, the long-term health and climate savings, particularly in dense urban areas, make them a valuable investment.

But that high initial cost doesn’t have to be a barrier.  According to this Pennsylvania Independent article, the EPA “announced on May 29 that Pennsylvania has been awarded nearly $55.7 million in federal rebates to 21 school districts in the state to be used for new clean energy school buses.”  As the article further explains, funding for the program comes from the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program, which is part of the IRA, “The program will provide local school districts across the United States with $5 billion in funding over a five-year period to transition from existing buses to zero-emission vehicles.”

While the PNAS study suggests that most health benefits can be yielded by urban school districts that make the switch due to overall pollution in those areas, all districts can enhance the health of their students with this change and gain from the monetary savings of eliminating dependence on fossil fuel sources of energy.

Read the full article here.  And read more about the Clean School Bus Program from the EPA here.

Good News

In Hail Storms vs Solar Panels, One for Solar Panels

As the the world moves steadily toward more and more renewable sources of energy, backlashes against that change are inevitable and have become coordinated and well documented (see Sierra Club, Mother Jones and this working paper from the Peterson Institute). However, the best strategy for combatting misinformation-based attacks is always more and better information.

Dan Gearino drafted this piece for Inside Climate News to explain how challenges to solar energy like hail storms, which can increase with the growing effects of climate change, can be met with advancing technological innovation.  While the path towards total clean energy is long and winding, it is paved by innovation cultivated by responding to challenges, and certainly not curtailed by those challenges.  Read the full piece here.

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