That Fresno Blog

Engage 360 aims at energy conservation by “hitting people with their wallet.”

Meet Lenny Sharlet. He is an active member of Engage 360, a community outreach programed aimed to educate people on how to save energy. By 2020, Engage 360 wants Californians to save 20 percent of our energy.

I met Lenny and other members of Engage 360 at the Fresno Chile Festival. They were handing out paper fans to people in the infamous Fresno heat. Being the shy person I am, I lingered around their booth, hoping they would give me a hand fan. I found myself there for several moments, enthusiastically listening to Lenny explain to me the importance of conserving energy in the Fresno area.

WHY SHOULD FRESNO CARE?

Jackson Taylor (center), Engage 360 member.

Engage 360 is currently focusing on spreading the word about conserving energy in the Central Valley. The Central Valley, Lenny says, is a big target for solar energy, and Fresno especially. We get a lot of sunlight.

The valley’s potential for solar energy, however, is wasted, Lenny says. We get a lot of our energy from non-renewable sources. Because of the demand for air-conditioning in Fresno during the summer, our waste is already high. About fifty percent of energy across the valley, he says, is wasted, be it from transporting energy from the plant to our home or by leaving the air conditioner on when nobody’s home.

Lenny says that Engage 360 aims at “hitting people with their wallet.”  They let people know how they can directly help the environment and save money at the same time. Lenny thinks this can help our community by stimulating the local economy. “With the money people save,” he says, “they can support local businesses.” Not only do we benefit, Lenny adds, but utility companies benefit through decoupling.

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

Brendan McPhillips (left) is the community manager for Fresno.

Engage 360 plans on getting the word out in Fresno by having booths at local events, such as Old Town Clovis Farmers Market. They are also looking for volunteers to help canvass neighborhoods and talk to residents directly on what they can do.

TIPS

The informative paper fan I wanted to get my hands on.

Lenny and other members of Engage 360 give the following tips on how people can immediately save energy and money for this summer:

Wash clothes in cold. Ninety percent of energy is used to heat the water, according to Jackson Taylor in his interview with KSEE 24. Engage 360 advises residents to wash clothes in cold water.

Change the thermostat to 76 degrees. You can reduce your energy bill by fifteen percent by changing the temperature setting of your air conditioning from 72 to 76 degrees. To save more money, use your ceiling fans more. A ceiling fan uses less energy than a light bulb.

Seal cracks. A large amount of cool air is leaked out of your windows. Weather stripping and caulking can reduce your energy bill by 14 percent.

Invest in a smart strip. You are wasting up to 25 percent of energy when you leave your unused electronic plugged into an outlet. Plugging in your electronics into a smart strip prevents this vampire effect. In the meantime, you can unplug your electronics when you’re not using them.

More tips can be found on their Web site.

CONTACT

You can find Engage 360 on Twitter, Facebook, and their Web site.

Brendan Mcphillips of Engage 360 is the community manager for Fresno. He is looking for people who want to get the word out about conserving energy! You can email him at [email protected].

Have a lovely day in Fresno!

Veronica Stumpf