Free "Green House Calls" Through Mid-August

Green house calls came to Albany this week, offering advice and efficient tools for water and energy, as well as training opportunities for local youth. 

These house calls are available for all Albany residents through Aug. 11 and don't cost a penny. 

There's also a related workshop coming up Aug. 16 to find out how to get rebates from PG&E to go green at home. (RSVP here for the workshop.)

The house calls are run by Rising Sun Energy Center in Berkeley, said community outreach manager Naveed Desai. 

The center has been around since 1994 and has offered the house calls since 2000. The purpose is twofold: to make homes more energy-efficient, and to give youth (ages 15-22) skills that will help them in the workforce. 

This is the first year the house calls have been offered in Albany, said Desai. A dozen other cities are receiving the service, he added. 

During each house call, a team of two youth, who are trained as "energy specialists," inspect water faucets and toilets to check for leaks; install free water-saving faucet aerators and shower heads; replace regular light bulbs with free energy-efficient bulbs; and swap out halogens for more efficient fluorescent versions of the lights. 

They also offer educational tips to residents. 

In Albany, eight youth will visit homes throughout the city to offer the service to those who are interested. Desai said Rising Sun relies on word of mouth and focuses on community events like farmers' markets to help spread the word.

He said, as of Thursday, the youth were "pretty booked solid" for next week, but had many openings after that. 

For more information, or to set up a house call, call Naveed Desai at 510-725-8914.

Everybody makes mistakes ... ! If there's something in this article you think should be corrected, or if something else is amiss, call editor Emilie Raguso at 510-459-8325 or email her at emilier@patch.com.