Media Release

​ALACHUA COUNTY, FL – The Alachua County Office of Sustainability invites citizens interested in weather-proofing their homes and decreasing their utility bills to the “Lunch and Learn” weatherization and energy review training. The training is on Friday, October 23, 2015, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., in the Grace Knight Conference Room, on the second floor of the Alachua County Administration Building (12 S.E. 1st Street, downtown Gainesville). It is free, and is the first of a monthly series of workshops and information sessions offered by the Alachua County Office of Sustainability, for the Water Energy and Waste Opportunities for Conservation (WEWOC) program.

The training will be led by the Community Weatherization Coalition (CWC), and provides information on how to examine buildings for energy-draining or water-wasting issues. Topics covered include leak detection and sealing, window treatments, and best practices for appliances and electronics.

County employees who are members of the “Champs” program are encouraged to attend. The Champs program, launched in 2013, empowers County employees to reduce their carbon footprints while on the job, and train their colleagues how to do the same. By reducing the County’s energy consumption, the Champs help decrease operating costs, leaving more funds to put into the community. The Champs will also support efforts to educate the community on energy and water conservation, waste reduction, and sustainable food and transportation.

The Office of Sustainability offers programs in conjunction with goals established by the Energy Conservation Strategies Commission, formed in 2008, which recommended several initiatives to reduce energy conservation across the County. These initiatives are sought through a number of overlapping County programs and policies, many of which include partnerships with the School and Library Districts, the University of Florida, Santa Fe College, and local nonprofits and small businesses.

The CWC is a grassroots community coalition whose mission is to improve home weatherization and energy efficiency for low-income households through education, volunteer work projects, and community-building. They focus on small, simple changes that add up to lowered utility bills and conserving our planet’s natural resources.

For more information, contact the Alachua County Office of Sustainability’s Program Development Specialist Rachel Wayne at 352-264-6986 or rwayne@alachuacounty.us.