A Look Back on Our Open Houses
The shift toward sustainability is no longer a vision for the future—it’s happening right now. As Oak Park seeks cleaner, greener ways to power our homes and businesses, adopting all-electric heating and sustainable infrastructure is a priority. This March and April, OPCAN hosted Clean Energy Open Houses in six of our neighbors’ homes to showcase what sustainable living looks like. Thank you to all the homeowners for hosting and to our local contractors and our volunteers who created such an informative experience.
These 100+-year-old homes showcase several cost-saving and climate-friendly upgrades, such as rooftop solar, heat pump HVAC and hot water heating systems, electric appliances, nature-based solutions, and other energy efficiency improvements. At the open houses, attendees could ask homeowners about their renovation experiences, costs, and financial incentives. Representatives from local contractors, including Ailey Solar and heat pump installer Energy Matters, were on hand to explain the technical aspects.
Many of these renovations are undetectable, but the savings are very noticeable. In one home, installation of insulation, solar panels, electric heating, and appliances has reduced energy costs by 75% and eliminated the gas bill. OPCAN’s Climate Coaches, a corps of volunteer consultants who have firsthand experience with a variety of these retrofits, are ready to share how they prioritized them, who they worked with to implement them, what the process was like, and more.
If you’re considering transitioning to all-electric heating or adopting other sustainable energy strategies in your home, now is the time to take action. Start by checking out OPCAN’s Resources page, which details the changes you can make in your life and your home. Also highlighted are the many rebates, grants, and incentives available, including Oak Park’s own Energy Grants program. For trusted contractors, check out our list, which includes many with whom our Climate Coaches have already worked.
In the following video, Aaron Stash, founder of The Electric Home Company, tours some of the featured homes and interviews homeowners discussing their renovation processes and tips on things to consider when embarking on home electrification.
If you missed these Clean Energy Open Houses, we’ll have another later this the year. Watch OPCAN’s Home page and social media posts for more information and to register. Your most sustainably-oriented Oak Park neighbors are eager to answer your questions and point you toward savings of home energy and dollars.
