Seattle City Light will be partnering with Preservation Green Lab in its mission to “strengthen the fabric of communities by leveraging the value of existing buildings to reduce resource waste, create jobs, and bolster a strong sense of community.”
Preservation Green Lab, supported by the U.S Department of Energy, is a local program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Currently, Preservation Green Lab is participating in a nation-wide 3-year initiative “America Saves! Energizing Main Street’s Small Businesses.” This program is designed to promote and encourage energy efficiency while realizing the true financial benefits associated with it. By focusing their efforts on small buildings and businesses in Main Street communities, Preservation Green Lab sees an opportunity to generate economic and environmental benefits. In addition to raising awareness of the potential for these Main Street communities to save money by altering their energy usage, the program also encourages reinvestment back into the community.
Locally, under this program, Preservation Green Lab will work with 150 small businesses in Seattle’s Capitol Hill EcoDistrict. In order for this program to be successful, it is crucial that Preservation Green Lab has access to data from local utility companies. City Light will provide energy consumption data on behalf of participating businesses along with funding for eligible conservation measures.