It’s been over a year since the Winona County Energy Contest began, and we’re excited to announce the worthy winners and share the wisdom they’ve gained over the last year. Each winner will receive a cash prize, reduced energy bills, and a lifetime of knowledge about the value of energy conservation. Based on what they’ve learned in the last 365 days, here are some insights they’d like to share for homes and businesses considering energy efficiency improvements.
- Barry Ring learned that he could reduce his energy usage by installing new energy-efficient products. When he updated appliances, he was sure to read the energy use when selecting the appliance of his energy-saving dreams.
The conservation action that took the most effort? Installing the insulation took the most amount of time, and required significant clean-up!
Barry’s tip for neighbors interested in energy conservation: Begin your efforts with an energy audit: start with the small things first, like changing lightbulbs from incandescent to LED, turning down the thermostat and turning down the hot water heater.
- Michael Hassing taught himself to
Hanging laundry to dry shut off the power strip on his computer every night and discovered that using less hot water reduced the energy use of his electric water heater.
Michael’s tip for neighbors interested in energy conservation: Hang washed clothes out to dry, and in the winter when it’s not possible to do that, hang dry them inside — this serves a dual purpose because it you can give both your dryer and your humidifier a break as your clothes put moisture in the air!
- Karen Vrchota learned a lot by making an energy efficiency plan for her business and is saving money each month with the installation of LED lightbulbs. Dr. Vrchota and her staff have built the habit of turning off their computers completely and leaving nothing plugged in overnight.
The biggest adjustment for Dr. Vrchota’s business in participating in the Energy Contest? The new fuel-efficient “smart” water boiler, which was the most expensive energy efficiency upgrade but will return the business’ investment in 5 years.
Karen’s recommendation for business owners interested in reducing their energy bills: Do an energy audit: it will help you save on bills and save our living planet!
- Jillian Blount was the randomly-drawn winner with 250+ points! Jillian learned that it was easier than she had thought it would be to save energy. Her family had been doing many of the energy-saving actions already, but as they updated their house they made sure their lights were LED and other fixtures were energy efficient/low-flow.
Jillian’s insight for interested neighbors: Look at what you’re already doing. Can you replace lightbulbs with energy efficient ones? Can you turn power strips off when you’re not using them? Just start with the easy tasks and make those habits, and then work from there — you might find it easier than you had thought!
If you’re interested in winning money and saving water and are a Winona County resident, consider entering the Winona County Water Contest, which will run from April 2018-August 2018!