By Nina Friedman, Strategic Energy Management intern

“Sometimes there is no time to wait for the storm to calm down! If you have to reach your target, let your voyage start and let the storm be your path!” -- Mehmet Murat İldan

There’s a deadly virus raging, and the world is falling apart - y'know, in case you hadn’t heard. It is indeed a precarious time, but as the Turkish playwright suggests, there is no time to wait: so the Co-op remains steadfast in providing food to the community, prioritizing the health of shoppers and employees, and to our sustainability commitments. Even though some sustainability initiatives are paused during this time of increased precaution, the Co-op charges on through the storm, controlling what we can - like focusing on strategic energy management.

Happy Spring, Co-op owners. My name is Nina Friedman and I’d like to introduce myself as the Co-op’s Sustainability Intern. I joined the team in June of last year as part of the Co-op’s enrollment in the Energy Trust of Oregon’s Strategic Energy Management (SEM) program. My sustainability focus is very specific, as I concentrate on lowering our impact through greater energy efficiency and reducing our reliance on natural gas and other finite resources.

The Co-op began its enrollment in the SEM program at the start of last year; we saved 596 therms, achieving a 2.6% natural gas energy savings compared to our baseline annual energy consumption. Not bad for our first year! Last year’s successes also include establishing the Co-op’s first comprehensive energy policy and annual energy plan. January 2020 marked the beginning of our second year of participation in the Energy Trust of Oregon’s SEM program, and we’re optimistic that our savings will be even higher than last year’s. This year we hope to draw a more complete picture of the Co-op’s energy consumption by expanding our metrics to include electricity data.

To do this work means managing the minutiae, it means investing wholeheartedly in the concept of small actions creating small savings, which create big savings down the line. Small actions, like standardizing thermostat settings, insulating exposed hot water pipes, re-caulking windows, optimizing plug loads, and encouraging staff to flip the switch when lights aren’t in use. These are the wobbly baby steps towards carbon neutrality.

If you’re wondering how to implement some of these energy efficiency practices at home, consider ordering one of Energy Trust of Oregon’s free Energy Savers Kits (only available for Pacific Power or Avista customers). They’ll provide you with products and resources to help reduce your utility bills and your overall impact on the planet. The City of Ashland also provides incentives for a variety of energy efficiency projects around the house; more information can be found on their website. If, like many, you are stuck at home during this sweeping crisis, this may be the best time ever to invest in your home’s energy efficiency.