Government > Sustainability > Neighborhood Energy Challenge

Neighborhood Energy Challenge

The neighborhood Energy Challenge was a year-long competition between all the neighborhoods in Takoma Park. Teams competed to earn the biggest reductions in energy use.

Points were awarded to teams for each Green Home Certification achieved. The three levels, Light, Medium, and Dark Green, corresponded to increased measures taken to save energy.

Light Green – 10 points

Medium Green – 40 points

Dark Green – 100 points

Grand Prize $2,000

Forest Park for Highest:

Average Points per Participating Household
Average Points per Home in Neighborhood
Certification Rate of those Participating

Longbranch Sligo for Highest:

Raw Data: Points
Raw Data: Certifications
Average Certification per Home
Percent of Households in Neighborhood Participating

Second Place Prize $1,500

Central Carroll for Second Place In:

Percent of Households in Neighborhood Participating
Average Points per Participating Household
Average Points per Home in Neighborhood

Runners Up $500

BF Gilbert & Old Town Residents

Watch and share this hilarious 2-minute video, created by Sister Eden Media, a Takoma Park company, which stresses the 3 simple steps everyone one can take to help Takoma Park win the $5 Million Georgetown Energy Prize!

You Can Still Get Green Home Certified!

The Green Home Certification Booklet has comprehensive information on how to save energy at home, the certification process, and resources to help residents make energy efficiency improvements.

Download the Energy Challenge Booklet and get a jump start on the Neighborhood Energy Challenge! Get an energy audit to start the certification process. Check out our list of preferred contractors to find an energy auditor and energy efficiency contractor for your energy audit.

Longbranch Sligo Team Recieves First Place $2,000 Prize — Longbranch Sligo Team receives First Place $2,000 Prize. They plan to use the prize to plant new trees in their neighborhood.

Results

171 Homes earned a Green Home Certification
61 Light Green Certifications
90 Medium Green Certifications
18 Dark Green Certifications
2 Renter Certifications

We are thrilled that residents are making significant improvements to the efficiency of their homes including making lighting retrofits, air sealing, increasing insulation, upgrading appliances and HVAC equipment, modifying behaviors, and installing renewable energy systems.

The energy savings associated with the Neighborhood Energy Challene are an estimated 477,334 kWh annually; 355 MTCO2 annually; or 739,560 pounds of CO2 annually. This is equivalent to almost 50 homes’ electricity use each year, or the impact of 318 acres of forests in one year.

These results are estimates based on the verified and reported actions residents took. Takoma Park is tracking aggregate residential energy use and will be recording actual results through December 31, 2016. Preliminary data suggests an overall decline in aggregate energy use city-wide.

Neighborhood Energy Challenge Teams Map

Custom Google Map detailing participating Neighborhood Energy Challenge teams. Select one of the colored sections for team names or view the full map on Google.