Go Green, Young Man

Published: 3/16/2009 12:00:00 AM

Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day, a day when green takes center stage. Today I’d like to talk about a different kind of green, the green that refers to helping the environment. Nearly a year ago, KCDC installed energy-conservation measures in all KCDC public housing developments and in our offices. Changes included things like energy-efficient upgrades to refrigerators, lighting, toilets, HVAC systems, temperature controls, washers and windows.

Transformations
Alvin Nance
Go Green, Young Man

Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day, a day when green takes center stage. Today I’d like to talk about a different kind of green, the green that refers to helping the environment.

Nearly a year ago, KCDC installed energy-conservation measures in all KCDC public housing developments and in our offices. Changes included things like energy-efficient upgrades to refrigerators, lighting, toilets, HVAC systems, temperature controls, washers and windows.

These changes are projected to reduce electricity use by 19 percent, natural gas use by 3.5 percent and water use by 20 percent. The switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs alone will generate an annual savings of more than $208,000.

As a guy who’s focused on the bottom line, I have to say that I’m excited about these savings. But, I’m also glad to know that we’re also helping the environment. We project that we’ll reduce water use by more than 50 million gallons per year and greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 4,000 tons per year.

If you haven’t made changes to make your home or office more energy efficient, I encourage you to do so. You’ll not only keep more green in your wallet, you’ll also help keep our environment green.

KCDC’s mission is to improve and transform neighborhoods and communities by providing quality affordable housing, advancing development initiatives and fostering self-sufficiency. For more information, call (865) 403-1100 or visit http://www.kcdc.org.