A Communal Effort: Upgrading Ellis Point
Written by Dan McBrien, Energy Advisor
Energize Delaware would like to recognize all our trade allies involved in coordinating and executing on the Ellis Point community project in Dagsboro over the past few months. This energy efficiency project, led by SchagrinGAS Company, was a huge success and a win-win for all those involved! This project serves as a great example of how communities can work together to get the most out of our Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Program.
Bob Kabacinski has been a homeowner within the Ellis Point community for 10 years. He and his wife are well known within the community, for good reason. Bob initiated this year’s home improvement project with SchagrinGAS as well as another similar communal project a few years back. Bob played a key role in organizing a large group of his neighbors to collectively participate in our Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Program. A total of 20 Ellis Point homeowners teamed up to address their outdated water heating systems, only to find additional opportunities within the program.
SchagrinGAS partnered with Al Boro, owner of Energy Solutions, a long-standing trade ally within our Home Performance Program. A seasoned energy auditor with a decade of field experience under his belt, Al conducted each homeowner’s initial energy assessment. Scheduling as many as three site visits a day, Al worked around each homeowner’s schedule to get the ball rolling as quickly as possible. Each customized report accurately reflected the return on investment of Schagrin’s proposed water heating upgrade. Al was able to identify other underperforming areas of each home and provide a prioritized list of recommended improvements to each customer. For a limited time, the program has cut out-of-pocket customer co-pays in half. That’s right! Each customer received an on-site home assessment and their own comprehensive report for only $50!
Homeowners needing insulation and air sealing work were referred to Delmarva Insulation, another trade ally within our Home Performance Program. After program incentives were applied, the out-of-pocket cost of this work was discounted to a fraction of Delmarva’s quote.
SchagrinGAS Company serves communities throughout the entire state of Delaware, from Wilmington down to Fenwick Island. Over the course of the Ellis Point community project, Schagrin replaced 20 propane-fired storage water heaters with high-efficiency Navien tankless systems. Moving at a pace of two installs per day, they made quick work of this project, leaving a trail of satisfied customers. Those also in need of heating and cooling equipment upgrades were easily accommodated by Schagrin’s team. Their price was compared to competing quotes from local contractors. Homeowners discovered Schagrin’s group discount reduced the installed cost of each Navien system by roughly 20%. This group discount, coupled with a $600 Home Performance incentive per unit, generated thousands of dollars in front-end savings.
Now that is what we call a win-win! GREAT JOB to all those involved!
Right to left:
Eid Nouhra (Delmarva Insulation), Al Boro (Energy Solutions), Tyler Boro, Bob Kabacinski, Marc Frey (SchagrinGAS Company)
