air sealing

LEAP, Charlottesville Gas Collaborate with CRHA to Improve Comfort and Save Energy in Westhaven Homes

LEAP, Charlottesville Gas Collaborate with CRHA to Improve Comfort and Save Energy in Westhaven Homes

##PRESS RELEASE## For Immediate Release Charlottesville, VA – Energy-efficiency upgrades to residents’ units will bring them utility bill savings at no cost to them. The Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP), Charlottesville Gas, and the Charlottesville Redevelopment Housing Alliance (CRHA) are currently finishing up a series of weatherization updates to the Westhaven housing community. LEAP’s weatherization read more...

Insulation – the unsung hero of energy efficiency. Yes, you probably need more of it!

Insulation – the unsung hero of energy efficiency. Yes, you probably need more of it!

From the Desk of the Executive Director I spent part of my Memorial Day weekend installing insulation under a mobile home trailer. Even though 90% of LEAP’s work is implementing energy-efficiency measures like installing insulation, and I think about it a lot, I don’t usually spend my free time installing it. Have you ever read more...

LEAP Showcases Fletcherville Neighborhood’s Home Energy-Efficiency Retrofits

LEAP Showcases Fletcherville Neighborhood’s Home Energy-Efficiency Retrofits

##PRESS RELEASE## For Immediate Release Warrenton, VA The Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) recently unveiled the results of a full-neighborhood energy-efficiency retrofit project – including 7 Fletcherville, VA homes – along with a live demonstration of the work still being done. To help reduce the high energy bills these residents face due to poor read more...

LEAP and the City of Charlottesville’s Home to Hope Program Partner to Put Time-Served City Residents Back Into the Workforce

LEAP and the City of Charlottesville’s Home to Hope Program Partner to Put Time-Served City Residents Back Into the Workforce

##PRESS RELEASE## For Immediate Release Charlottesville, VA Over the last couple of months, the Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) and the City of Charlottesville’s Home to Hope program have collaborated to place two local residents with lived criminal justice experience into new careers as Retrofit Technicians, helping to weatherize local residents’ homes. Despite COVID-19, read more...

Dominion Energy Virginia Awards EnergyShare Grant for Piedmont Region

Dominion Energy Virginia Awards EnergyShare Grant for Piedmont Region

##PRESS RELEASE## For Immediate Release More Than 50 Low-Income Homes in Greater Charlottesville Area to Receive Energy-Efficiency, HVAC Upgrades Charlottesville, VA The Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) is excited to announce a new grant award from Dominion Energy Virginia to reduce energy usage in low-income households and enhance workforce development in the Greater Charlottesville read more...

Time on Your Sanitized Hands? Use It to Spring Clean Your Home’s Energy Use.

Time on Your Sanitized Hands? Use It to Spring Clean Your Home’s Energy Use.

Despite how different things are in the world this time around, spring is here again. Though our day-to-day lives have changed in the past few months, stay-at-home order conditions make it even more important to get your home in tip-top shape in preparation for the changing, warmer months ahead. Some of our usual suggestions read more...

The Intersection of Affordable Housing and Home Energy Efficiency

The Intersection of Affordable Housing and Home Energy Efficiency

by Chris Meyer, LEAP Executive Director I’m now a couple of weeks into my role as the Executive Director at LEAP – diving into the energy efficiency world with gusto. The more I’ve been learning about energy efficiency, the more I’ve seen how it is linked to solving two problems many cities in Virginia read more...

Stack Effect: The Driving Force Behind Heat Loss in Homes and What to Do About It

Stack Effect: The Driving Force Behind Heat Loss in Homes and What to Do About It

In buildings, stack effect is the phenomenon whereby warm air rises in a house and cold air enters to replace it. It is sometimes referred to as the chimney effect because it is also the driving force behind a fireplace draft up a chimney. In most houses, it is the single largest source of read more...