BIG Celebration for National Weatherization Day today, October 30
Sure, we love Halloween at Serious Materials, but National Weatherization Day, Friday, October 30, is even more important.
In celebration, the Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County, Inc. (CEDA), along with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (ILDCEO) is set to announce the impact that home weatherization will have on Illinois families, jobs and the local economy stemming from $242 million in funding provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
At this event, CEDA discussed the details of a joint venture with Serious Materials, a leading energy-saving building materials company in the U.S., which will supply high R-5 super-insulating windows for CEDA’s Home Weatherization program.
This event is being held at Congress Commons, 5207 W. Congress Parkway in Chicago, IL and will begin with a media tour at 9:30 a.m. (Weatherization demonstration in Unit 129A), followed by a press conference at 10 a.m. with Robert L. Wharton, President/CEO, CEDA; Gil Sperling, Senior Advisor for Policy and Programs, DOE; Larry Dawson, Director of Energy Assistance, ILDCEO; Robin Roy, VP, Projects and Policy, Serious Materials; and Graham Parker, Pacific Northwest Laboratories. Tenants will also be available to discuss the upcoming weatherization of their homes.
Why does Weatherization deserve its own official celebration day? According to Vice President Joe Biden while speaking at Serious Materials Chicago window factory in April 2009, “The single greatest immediate impact on the environment that we can have as a nation, and the world can have, is weatherization. That’s the immediate biggest bang for the buck. It has the advantage of creating jobs, jobs right here in America.”
Earlier this year, the National Energy Audit Tool (NEAT) was also updated to account for super-insulating windows. According to NEAT, SeriousWindows WAP Series can create up to twelve times more energy savings per household than other common weatherization measures like hot water tank insulation or furnace tune-ups. By replacing existing windows with super-insulating, high R-value SeriousWindows, families can dramatically reduce their heating and cooling bills. R-value measures the thermal insulation of, for instance, windows and walls.
The Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County, Inc. (CEDA) is one of the nation’s largest non-profit organizations that serves more than 375,000 individuals annually and operates over 40 programs throughout Chicago and suburban Cook County in the areas of education, housing, economic development, family and children services, health and nutrition, and several others.