Furnace & Boiler Test & Tune program

Furnace & Boiler Test & Tune
Refrigerator Replacement

FREE - Funding is Limited!!   Apply Now!! 
This program ends in December.

The Test & Tune program is designed to reduce energy costs for income eligible residents of Washtenaw County by providing energy efficient measures & repairs. These measures may include:   •  Furnace or Boiler Tune-Up; •  Minor Furnace and Boiler Repairs; •  Programmable Thermostats; •  Showerhead Replacement; •  Bathroom Faucet Aerators; •  Perform other small repairs that will increase energy efficiency; •  Eligible applicants MAY qualify for a FREE furnace; •  Eligible applicants MAY qualify for a FREE refrigerator replacement.

All services are FREE of charge to the applicant.   We use licensed contractors to complete all work.  Must be a DTE gas customer.  Program is only available to single-unit home and rental properties.   Eligibility is income based;  any household falling below the income levels outlined below are eligible for Test and Tune program.   The income threshold for a family of: •  1 is $45,500 ;   •  2 is $52,000 ;   •  3 is $58,500 ;   •  4 is $65,000 ; •  5 is $70,200 ;   •  6 is $75,400 ;  •  7 is $80,600 ;   •  8 is $85,800 .

Test &Tune applications must be received by Dec. 10th .
Refrigerator replacements only covered thru Nov. 21st .

Visit: www.ewashtenaw.org/testandtune
Or call (734-622-9025) Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development.

Energy Specialists from Better Buildings for Michigan

Energy Specialists from Better Buildings for Michigan Program,
here at St. Francis PAC on Sunday, October 14 &  21, available in the PAC during coffee and donuts after the 8:45 and 10:30 Masses.

We had an energy assessment done at the St. Francis Parish Rectory.
All parishioners are encouraged to consider similar energy saving efforts at their own homes.

Are you considering improvements to make your home warm, comfortable, healthy and energy efficient before winter?  

As Kim Peoples, (a St. Francis parishioner, and, a Realtor in Ann Arbor), said,  "We had them over to our home and it's been a good experience, we're taking advantage of some great rebates." 

It's only $50 for St. Francis parishioners who sign-up before the end of December. 

Please, contact one of these local energy specialists:
--  Chelsea Lumber (734-475-9126), 
--  Ms. Green Construction (877-466-7473), 
--  Meadowlark Energy (877-652-7578) and 
--  Pro Energy (734-827-1003). 

For a limited time they are offering $50 assessments to show you ways you can make your home more energy efficient. Enrollment in the Better Buildings program is available through ... 
Better Buildings for Michigan Program Extended!

Enrollment in the Better Buildings has been extended to March 31, 2013 or until funds run out.

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BetterBuildings for Michigan is a state government-backed program that identifies ways for homeowners to reduce energy consumption. The program’s home energy assessments (also called audits) are discounted from the typical price of $350 for such inspections.

The Certified Building Analysts who conduct the assessments can install energy-efficient lightbulbs, showerheads, faucets and programmable thermostats – at no extra cost – and suggest additional cost-effective, energy-saving improvements, such as insulation and energy-efficient appliances. Homeowners are under no obligation to act on the Certified Building Analyst report. However, BetterBuildings for Michigan offers financial assistance to those who choose to install additional energy-saving measures, including rebates totaling up to $5,000. 

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As Catholic Christians here at St. Francis Parish we serve our less fortunate sisters and brothers with so many outreach programs, just to name a few… hot meals, food drives, home repairs, Christmas gifts, and shelter programs.   And, our St. Francis Parish sustainability efforts are rooted in this same belief and concern.  Here in Michigan we are blessed with an abundance of material goods like fuel-energy for our homes.  (Written by Scott Wright on behalf of St. Francis Parish Sustainability Team 2012-12-03.)

Our religious tradition has always urged restraint and moderation in the use of material goods.   “We must not allow our desire to possess more material things to overtake our concern for the basic needs of people and the environment.” (USSCB: “Faithful Stewards of God’s Creation: A Catholic Response for Environmental Justice and Climate Change”).

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Home Energy Audit: We had a Better Buildings Home Energy Audit recently : to save energy and to save money.  It was very exciting until the night before the appointment.  I panicked.  What had I done?  We had just done many renovations to our home and I did not need a contractor to mess it all up.  My husband urged me to relax; it was a good thing to do.  As promised, the contractor arrived with a lot of equipment and checked our stove, furnace, water heater, faucets and insulation. He informed us that even new stoves and heating /air conditioning systems can have problems emitting carbon monoxide or may not be hooked up properly - so there was another reason for the evaluation - safety.  He did a door blower test to find leaks in the house and provided and installed energy efficient light bulbs (even cleaned some lamps that were out of my reach!) and noted that we had a programmable thermostat and lowflow faucets (renovation unharmed!).  He told us the results but also sent a report with estimates and available rebates.  It was a great experience that I highly recommend.    Kim Bonenberger, of St. Francis Sustainability Team 

Signs

Check this photo of our setup for Saturday's party. 

This was the setup in the gym. This setup was duplicated in the PAC. There was a sign for every serving item the guests would use during their evening. The signs also indicated where the used item should be discarded. In short, there was a general trend toward sorting but by the end of the night 5 of our 6 bags ended up in the trash. 

After the party Saturday evening one reasonably "good bag" was brought home to sort into compostables and trash. Lots of discarded cake, miscellaneous wrappers, beer bottles and other items mixed with the compostables. Saturday didn't work so well.  

For large events we might need "recycling officials" at each of our discard stations.

Sunday morning's coffee & donuts was a better experience of sorting recycling and compostables. The bins were perfect! Compostables in one, recyclables in a second and trash in the third. It literally could not have been better. Apparently, the moral of the story is people who are into recycling can pull this off with no issues.       - Steve 

Michigan Interfaith Power & Light's annual Sustainability Conference

Sustainability Conference Reflection 

(article written by Kelly Gauthier)

Members of the St. Francis Sustainability Team attended Michigan Interfaith Power & Light's annual Sustainability Conference, which was held at Madonna University on 10/4.  Workshop topics were diverse.  For example:  "greening" our homes and buildings, integrating sustainability into the school curriculum; using solar power for both on-grid and off-grid power solutions; creating rain gardens; and the ability for organic farming techniques to produce healthier soil and greater year-over-year yields in DTE's "urban farms".  We hope to apply what we learned in upcoming projects at St. Francis.

Most importantly, the afternoon keynote speaker, Dr. Thomas Gladwin from the UM Business School's Erb Institute, reminded attendees of our potential to create a better world.  Governments and the business community will not solve the earth's environmental problems, he said.  But education, science, and faith communities (who are called to protect God's creation) might.  He challenged all of us to ponder three critical moral questions:

·         What do we owe to future generations?

·         What do we owe to the currently deprived?

·         What do we owe to the rest of life on earth?

RECTORY ENERGY AUDIT by Dave Barera for October 7 Forum

 RECTORY ENERGY AUDIT

In participation with the St. Francis Sustainability Project and the Better Buildings For Michigan (BBFM) program, Fr. Jim recently requested an Energy Audit for his home.

In early September, Ms. Green Construction owner April Rue, a St. Francis parishioner, performed a detailed energy audit at the Rectory. A written report summarized her recommendations, with the most significant being:

(1)   The rectory is a well sealed building.  Reduced air leakage enhances heating and cooling efficiency. To facilitate circulation, reduce humidity and improve the building's overall thermal profile, a solar-powered fan (about $300 plus installation) was recommended for the attic.

(2)   All incandescent bulbs should be replaced with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).

(3)   Low-flow shower heads should be used in all applications and aerators installed on all rectory faucets.

(4)   Foam-rubber insulation should be installed on all basement water pipes, both hot and cold.

(5)   Foundation openings around outdoor spigots should be sealed with spray foam insulation.

That's it……nothing critical or overwhelming.  Our maintenance staff is already working on some recommendations and a contractor will install the solar vent fan this fall.  Replacing the aging furnace and air conditioning systems with higher efficiency models will result in further savings. The BBFM program provides financial incentives to facilitate such upgrades.  Ms. Green estimated that Rectory utility costs could effectively be reduced by as much as one-third with these changes. We will do all we can to realize these savings.  Stay tuned for future news as our efforts progress!

All St. Francis parishioners will have the opportunity to request energy audits and participate in the Better Buildings For Michigan program. Four local energy specialists will come to the PAC for meetings with interested parishioners after the 8:45 and 10:30 Masses on Sunday, October 14 and 21. All four energy contractors have met the high performance requirements of the Better Buildings program. Look for more details in today's and next week's Forum.

Dave Barera, Parish Business Manager

I Believe We're Ready

Here's a selection of posters in place for this morning's Coffee & Donuts.
Compost and Recycling Signs in PAC at Coffee & Doughnuts 2012-09-23.

Biodegradable Cups for 60th Anniversary Celebration 10/6/12

Mustang Re-Connect Party Supports Sustainability

Numerous events within the St. Francis community marked the 60^th anniversary of our school’s founding in 1952. The All School Mass, dedication of our Peace Garden, Bishop Boyea’s concelebrated Mass with many past and present St. Francis priests and the Mustang Re-Connect Party all served to mark such an important and happy occasion. The 60^th Anniversary Organizing Committee made the Mustang Re-Connect Party even more memorable by making it the first major St. Francis evening event to actively support sustainability. The Committee chose to provide compostable soft drink, wine and coffee cups as well as compostable plates for all guests. Their foresight and commitment to sustainability prevented hundreds of Styrofoam cups, conventional paper cups and plates from delivery to the local landfill. Adding a wonderful note of generosity to the evening, an anonymous donor contributed all compostable products used for the Re-Connect Party. Thank you anonymous donor and 60^th Anniversary Organizing Committee!

(Written by Steve Lavender)

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St. Francis 60th anniversary effort team is the first to embrace the parish's efforts on sustainability.

Thanks to the anonymous donation from the "60th Team" for donating the Biodegradable Cups to the 60th anniversary event.

Hats off to the 60th anniversary team for supporting the sustainability initiative in the parish.   Sincerely,  -Colleen Pierce 

Ideally, your work will lead us to a place and time where sustainable actions become the norm for all St. Francis events. Thank you for demonstrating the parish's commitment to sustainability at such an important gathering.  -Steve Lavender

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Why BgreenToday?

St. Francis Parish shoppers, parishioners who are shopping for products to be used at St. Francis Parish events say: "I was quite pleased with Bgreen's customer service and pricing. The BGreen store's prices are not much more expensive than Gordon's or Sam's, etc. BGreen gives "St. Francis" (when purchasing products to be used for St Francis Parish events) a 5% discount. Of course, parishioners shopping for their personal use would not be entitled to the sales tax discount ..., but...

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