Green Story

Affordable Weatherization Solutions (AWS) is new company in a new industry with roots that go back 20 years when the vast majority of energy audits were conducted by Community Action Programs under the financial and technical support of the Department of Energy, the EPA, HUD and other governmental agencies. AWS is bringing 20 years of hands on experience to the private sector with the goal of helping home owners and businesses reduce their energy usage and costs far into the future.

AWS were excited with the Obama Administration's commitment to developing more sustainable energy solutions, and based in part on his election decided to go forward with their business model, providing scientifically based energy audits and solutions to the general public. On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed the "Stimulus Bill" (The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) that made significant changes to the energy efficiency tax credits. Many of these apply to some of the services rendered by AWS.

The primary focus of AWS's services lies in pinpointing causes of a building's heat loss and finding the most effective method of curbing those inefficiencies. As with a lot of alternative energy solutions, part of the battle is convincing the customer how much money could be saved down the road by making the proper changes and investments now. This is most especially the case for new homeowners, who often don't realize how inefficient their new home is until they move in and see firsthand.

According to Mike Greco, Managing Partner of AWS, for every energy dollar saved, 5 or 6 goes back into the region’s economy. "Cutting energy costs in the home is really one of the best things you can do for the environment, as well as for the local economy" says Greco.

AWS joined the GA to partner with businesses whose customers would be interested in making their spaces more energy efficient. The AWS energy audit includes a blower door test, a thermographic scan of the entire structure, furnace efficiency test and full annotated report to use as an energy savings roadmap.

"Getting the word out to people relative to the lasting value of an energy audit is a starting point for a long term energy savings plan," says Greco. "We need to convince people that they should stop and think before they spend thousands on new windows, when there may be far less costly and far more effective means of reducing costs and increasing comfort and safety."