Agenda 10-19-2021; 6-a - Community Climate Action Grant (CCAG) – FY 2021-22 Project Selection for General Applicants

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9 also be a retrofit Shadowing Day where residents can watch the contractors assess one of the homes and learn how to increase the efficiency of their homes In addition, several educational materials will be created that will be available to share with all Carrboro citizens." "Nearly half of the funds ($62K) will go towards the retrofit equipment for the neighborhood residents and the labor necessary to install the equipment. Remaining funds will go towards the administrative effort and materials needed to manage the project, include a community organizer, implement an education campaign and carry out analysis of energy use to measure impacts. NCSEA,through support from Coastal Credit Union,will be providing$10K towards the project to support the creation of educational materials." Project Benefits: "The direct beneficiaries of the project will be the residents in the neighborhood of focus for this project.These are the homes that will be considered for energy retrofits that will result in lower energy bills, healthier homes, and more stabilized communities.The residents who do not receive retrofits will still benefit from receiving energy conservation education through the project's community workshop, Shadowing Day, and promotion of energy efficiency resources. Educating residents on energy conservation may also result in lower bills and healthier homes, albeit likely on a smaller scale compared to the retrofits." Grant Dollars Requested Per Metric Ton of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduced During Project Lifetime: $816.99 HRC Comments:The HRC had high praise for this application, and encouraged the use of this proposed project as a model for others.They appreciated that a local community activist put together the project idea and then reached out to NCSEA to help organize the grant application and administer the project.They also pointed out that this community activist has an education plan in mind and would help to connect all collaborators to the community as she lives in the community. Impacts of the project would be expanded as the proposal includes a plan for interested community members to shadow the contractors as they do the work to learn more and be able to conduct their own energy efficiency work in the future. CFE Comments:The CFE felt that this project was very much in line with the goals of the grant program as it directly reduces energy use and bills and improves quality of life for households in a marginalized community. Relatively few residents will receive support, but the project will create significant benefits for those who do, and other County residents will receive information about the improvements and ways of saving energy. Wherever possible,the project will purchase from Orange County vendors, although collaboration with partners outside of Orange County likely reduces the amount of funding that will be spent in Orange County. NCSEA, through support from Coastal Credit Union,will also be providing$10K towards the project to support the creation of educational materials. The applicant has the capacity to complete the project. If insufficient funds remain to fully fund this project, based on its rank the CFE would recommend partial funding of up to $90K.The CFE points out that the budget line items for data analysis and/or educational materials might be reduced in favor of more direct energy efficiency materials and labor for more homes. Once the impacts of this pilot program are clearer, a larger focus on outreach might be better justified to spread the model. The CFE acknowledges that education is important to encourage participation, but would recommend a focus on more direct impact in this initial phase. Data analysis might be done directly by NCSEA in order to redirect funding towards energy efficiency work or reduce overall project costs.