Projects

The Cleveland Carbon Fund has selected initial projects to fund the installation of 10,000 compact fluorescent lightbulbs in 2 Cleveland neighborhoods. Click on the map below to learn more about the project details.

View Cleveland Carbon Fund Projects in a larger map

Projects such as the ones summarized below are representative of the types of initiatives that may be selected for funding by a rigorous RFP and committee selection process.

Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) Installation

Replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents is one of the first things that families and businesses can do to be better stewards of the environment. While CFLs are slightly more expensive, they last far longer and use 75% less power. A simple switch to CFLs will save a household between $100 and $150 each year. Based on installation projects spearheaded at Brown University and Oberlin College, it is estimated that $20,000 from the Cleveland Carbon Fund could fund local community development organizations to install 8,000 CFLs in 1,000 low-income homes across Cleveland. In five years, this initiative would save these homeowners $250,000 and reduce carbon emissions by 2,000 tons at a cost of $5 – $10 per metric ton of carbon reduced.

Showerhead Replacement

Low-flow showerhead valves use half as much water while providing the same level of pressure. According to the Department of Energy, installing these valves saves $11 in water heating every three months. Based on research from Middlebury College and the Department of Energy, a $30,000 grant from the Cleveland Carbon Fund could fund non-profit organizations to install these valves in more than 200 low-income homes across the Cleveland community. This project would save Cleveland homeowners almost $10,000 in hot water heating and annually reduce carbon emissions by more than 100 tons at a cost of less than $10 per metric ton of carbon dioxide reduced.

Home Weatherization

Winters in Cleveland are rough—especially for people living in older homes. These structures are more likely to have windows and doors that are not properly sealed, causing heat to escape instead of warm the home. As natural gas costs continue to rise, this leakage presents a bigger financial problem, especially for those least equipped to handle increased expenses. For approximately $50,000, the Cleveland Carbon Fund can support more than 20 weatherization projects in low-income neighborhoods across the community, employing many local citizens. Sealing and insulating homes to better retain heat during the winter will save Cleveland homeowners more than $5,000 in energy bills and reduce carbon emissions by 40 tons each year.

Disclaimer: The Cleveland Carbon Fund provides technical expertise and financial support to select projects. It does not purchase or sell carbon credits and prohibits the sale of carbon reduction credits by all projects in the portfolio. The Fund uses the total carbon reductions of its projects as a key performance indicator and uses the commodity price for certified carbon dioxide equivalent reduction credits and emission allowances as a benchmark. The performance of the current project portfolio is $20 per metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent.