Assistance for Qualifying Residents
Eligible households can turn to the South Dakota Department of Social Services’ Office of Energy Assistance for help with a professional energy audit. The Weatherization Assistance Program, designed to help low income South Dakota households overcome the high cost of energy by making their homes more energy efficient, is operated by the four community action programs that serve South Dakota.
Terry Olson is the weatherization coordinator for the Inter-Lakes Community Action Partnership based in Madison, S.D. ICAP serves a 12-county region comprised of Brookings, Clark, Codington, Deuel, Grant, Hamlin, Kingsbury, Lake, Lincoln, McCook, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody and Turner counties. Olson described the compreh
ensive energy audit his team does as an examination of the home from top to bottom.
The walk-through by ICAP technicians begins in the home’s attic where the amount and placement of insulation is evaluated. Windows and doors are checked for broken glass and leaky seals. If allowed by the manufacturer’s specifications, an insulating jacket is added to the water heater. Hot and cold water pipes running to and from the unit are also covered with a special insulation wrap. Bulbs are replaced in lights that are on for more than two continuous hours. Incandescent bulbs go out; energy-saving bulbs, like compact fluorescent lights, go in. The audit also includes a blower door test that identifies where air leaks occur. A blower door device, which depressurizes the house, is attached to an outside door. The blower door test “exaggerates a 20 mph wind hitting all the outside walls of the home,” Olson explained. South Dakota residents can contact the South Dakota Office of Energy Assistance regarding eligibility requirements for weatherization assistance, including a professional energy audit.
Thermography detects defects
Focusing on farm energy use
South Dakota energy auditors
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