Every year, Americans observe Hispanic Heritage month from September 15 to October 15, a celebration of culture, traditions and contributions. Here in Westchester, we celebrate the rich history and culture of the Latino community and residents and all that they bring to the fabric of the County.

As the end of Hispanic Heritage month coincides with the start of October Energy Awareness Month- we are taking the opportunity to discuss the importance of sustainable energy for the well-being of our families, our environment, and future generations.

Latino Americans embody the best of American core values – family, community, faith, a love for the earth and environment. We are aware, however, that many in the Latino community may live in areas of the County that bear a greater than average burden in terms of the harmful effects of current environmental policies and a greater percentage share of energy costs.

As we look to protect and nurture our families and continue to teach our children, we need to discuss and explore ways to protect our environment and ensure that all community members are able to access the benefits of a just, sustainable and clean energy future.
We must use our natural resources efficiently and wisely, and continue to embrace clean energy solutions as the path forward.

Simple Energy Actions Make a Big Impact

Many of these simple energy actions can be taken from the comfort of your own home.

Westchester Power offers access to affordable clean, renewable power through a program vetted by your municipality. The fixed-rates and a level of cost control, providing insurance against potential rate fluctuations. The program provides a vetted and easy way for municipal residents and small businesses to participate in renewable energy supply options without having to navigate the confusing world of Energy Service Companies (ESCOs).

Participants also have access to many education materials through Sustainable Westchester, including “How to read your bill” & more. Visit https://sustainablewestchester.org/wp/ to see if your municipality is a participant in the program, learn how to opt-in and take a look at some of the energy education materials.

Community Solar allows NYSEG and Con Ed utility customers – homeowners, renters, nonprofits, houses of worship, and many businesses – to support local, clean energy produced by a community solar farm, while benefiting from savings on their electricity bills. With no cost to join or cancel, Sustainable Westchester’s Community Solar makes going green easy and accessible. Participants subscribe to a nearby solar farm, the generated solar credits are reflected on their monthly utility bill and these provide savings of up 10%. The program supports access to the benefits of solar technology among residents of all socioeconomic levels and encourages regional development furthering build solar power capacity. Take action and support Community Solar by visiting https://sustainablewestchester.org/solar/.

GridRewards is an app created to improve grid efficiency and track energy usage in close to realtime, thus allowing you to better control your energy use. This app utilizes Con Edison’s installation of smart meters throughout Westchester County, providing account holders with an opportunity to participate in programming to have more oversight over their energy usage within monthly cycles. Ultimately, account owners become aware of what is occurring on their regional grid, learn how to save energy and money, as well as earn cash rewards by reducing electricity usage when the electric grid is most stressed.

GridRewards supports collective action for a clean energy future by encouraging participation in demand response events, reducing energy use when the grid is on peak load. This effort helps to reduce reliance on peaker power plants that are fired up during times when energy grids are in high or peak demand. These peaker plants use the dirtiest fossil-fuel sources, are generally located in lowincome communities of color, and have devastating impacts on the public health of residents who live within proximity of the plants. Residents can sign-up for GridRewards now and be enrolled in the Summer 2022 demand response events; visit https://sustainablewestchester.org/gridrewards/ to learn more.

EnergySmart HOMES can help you put a stop to energy waste, eliminate fossil fuel usage, increase the value of your home and harness additional savings with energy efficiency and clean heating and cooling upgrades. You will be connected with local energy experts in the field of heating and cooling efficiency who offer the latest clean energy technologies. Experts will first begin with a home energy assessment to diagnose your home, and then get started on retrofitting solutions that will pay off with savings and comfort. Take advantage of significant programs and incentives for air source and geothermal heat pumps! Call a contractor to schedule your assessment or reach out to Sustainable Westchester for assistance. Visit https://sustainablewestchester.org/energysmarthomes/ or call (914) 242-4724 x2 for assistance in Spanish.

We also encourage everyone to reach out to us at Sustainable Westchester to learn more about the issues and solutions, to see how you and your family can get involved or have your energy questions answered. Although we are living through uncertain times, we can take small steps toward protecting the health, safety, and resiliency of our community and the planet. Every action adds impact. The collective action of our families, our friends and our communities can be powerful agents of change not only for the present, but also to allow future generations to meet their own energy needs.

Westchester Neighbors Get EnergySmart by Electrifying with heat pumps!

Lily Carey, EnergySmart HOMES Associate

Though Westchester has long been a very environmentally-minded community, many homeowners are still unsure of how to make their home more eco-friendly. Fortunately, clean heating and cooling options are becoming more widespread and affordable. Thanks to new incentives from power companies and the government, homeowners can upgrade their homes to air-source or geothermal heating systems at a discounted price, all while reducing their carbon footprint.

Hundreds of homes across Westchester have chosen to go green over the past several years, and there has never been a better time to do so. Pelham residents Mike Beilstein and Amy Kwan feel lucky to have upgraded the heating and cooling systems in their historic home just before the pandemic hit.

“We’ve worked from home for the last 15 months, and we upgraded to our system at a really lucky time, because I don’t know if I would’ve been able to survive without it,” says Mike.

When they first moved in, Mike and Amy’s home used an oil heating system and had no insulation. When they heard about ConEd’s new incentives for geothermal energy, Mike and Amy scheduled a home energy assessment, in which local contractors would come to run tests on their home to see how they could benefit from energy upgrades.

“The remote has a mode button which allows you to switch from heating to cooling…it’s very simple, and the best part is that it’s environmentally friendly.”

These are just a few families out of hundreds in Westchester who have installed new heating and cooling systems in their homes or have upgraded their insulation. These eco-friendly systems use far less energy to heat and cool the home. Homeowners can save thousands on their heating bills – not to mention that these clean energy options can reduce your home’s carbon emissions.

Going green is easier and more affordable than ever, and every home can make a difference. Switching over to air-source or geothermal heating systems is not only more efficient and cost-effective in the long term, but also contributes greatly in reducing destructive greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, carbon emission rates have skyrocketed to almost 410 parts per million in the last 2 years; a rate that is 100 times faster than any natural increases we’ve seen in the past. But by having our communities join together, we are taking great steps in reducing our carbon emissions and creating a better world for generations to come. Interested parties can contact Sustainable Westchester (email/phone) to get started.

The Power of the Sun for Everyone
through Community Solar!

Leo Wiegman, Director of Solar Programs,
Sustainable Westchester

What if everyone could have access
to renewable solar energy without installing solar?

Powering our lives through renewable solar energy has become more accessible and affordable than ever before.

In fact, the number of solar installations on homes and businesses is growing rapidly, and by the end of 2021, more than 8,300 homes and businesses in Westchester County will have installed solar systems, chiefly on roofs.
Just over 330,000 households call Westchester County home. Even if rooftop solar on homes in Westchester increased tenfold to 83,000 solar systems, that still leaves over three quarters of our households without direct access to the benefits of solar energy.

Between 2014 and 2018, twenty-two municipalities hosted Sustainable Westchester’s Solarize Westchester campaigns. Over 600 homeowners were able to install solar systems through this Solarize effort, which has been a great success.

However, during these Solarize campaigns, we found that almost 8 out of every 10 homeowners who inquired about solar on their homes were not able to proceed.

A household may not be able to install its own solar panels for many good reasons: The home may have too much shade from trees; The roof’s orientation may not be sufficiently south-facing; The roof size may not be adequately rectangular or large enough; The household may be a condo, co-op or rental unit without access to the roof; Or the household may not wish to borrow needed funds.
But did you know that these same homeowners can still reap the benefits of energy-efficient solar power? That’s where Community Solar comes in!

Who benefits?

First, the utility benefits from avoiding the production of that energy itself and the site owner is now earning a lease payment for a roof or other area that was not earning revenue before. Second, the solar developer is getting subscribers who want to benefit from solar and the subscriber benefits from a monthly savings on each bill from the solar credits that their share of the farm has earned. In the end, all parties receive some form of benefit from the development of Community Solar.

Access and equity for all!

Community Solar opens up access to the benefits of solar energy to every household that pays an electric bill. Customers who enroll in Community Solar will see monthly savings for twenty years or longer. With no cost to join or cancel and no solar installation on the subscriber’s property, Community Solar removes the barriers for households who rent or live in multi-family buildings.

Community Energy Programs:
collective power

Dan Welsh, Director Westchester Power Program
Jasmine Graham, Manager Westchester Power Program

Unless you are living off-grid and out in the wild (in which case it’s doubtful that you are reading this), you are probably consuming electricity. Electricity connects us all, but for many of us, it’s one of those everyday things that in the background
until it’s time to pay the bill.

The full integration of Community Solar into the Westchester Power program will offer a valuable opportunity to channel available bill discounts to low-income individuals. The program is expected to be in place by the second half of this year and will consult with community groups throughout the process to understand how to effectively share information and deploy this resource to maximize local benefit.

In the longer term, it is our goal to create program structures that give people a stake in newly created renewable energy generation assets. After all, it’s our power bills that ultimately pay for these facilities. That’s why we believe that as a large purchaser we should have the ability to change the rules a little.

The wealthy shouldn’t be the only ones capitalizing from this. Consumers of all income levels should be allowed to build equity in their community, or at least, gain a long-term value of some form.

With emissions-free electricity provided by the Westchester Power community energy program, as energy consumers, municipalities and their residents are helping nourish a clean energy economy. They are sending a message to friends, neighbors, and to other municipalities around New York State who are contemplating following suit that clean, emissions-free electricity is attainable but if we seek to achieve sustainability, we must first come together for a more just and equitable economy. It is only then that can we provide clean-energy solutions to all communities and, ultimately, a message that everyone can be proud of.

What will this structure look like, you ask? Well, frankly, we’re not entirely sure. Developing a well-balanced system is not a simple task, but the good news is that our size and visibility means that we can talk to leading developers and environmentalists who may have some answers. And we want to hear from you too! What do you think such an initiative would look like? We plan to organize brainstorming sessions in the community to get your ideas and opinions.