Two representatives from the Department of Energy paid a visit to the office last week. I sat in on one meeting to explain everything that happens in the technological ether between a participant sign-up and a Home Energy Solutions visit – the “value added” we bring to help manage a program and a process that already existed. Although our process is by no means perfect, walking through it step by step reminded me how far we’d come and how much trial and error lies behind every logical step we now take. They ended their visit with a short PowerPoint on “lessons learned” from our program and the other grantees they’re responsible for overseeing – and Connecticut was cited for a sizable number of success stories. True, a lot of what we do is trial and error, but that in itself is a big part of our goal. It’s nice to be reminded of all the things we’ve learned from our mistakes, and to see that our learnings are being captured in a meaningful way that will help similar programs succeed.
To learn more about the innovative ways all the grant programs are promoting energy efficiency, visit the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program website.