Within the small city of Molalla, Oregon, Corinne and Kurt Thomas based Excessive Rating Arcade. Rising up, Corinne Thomas spent her childhood serving to her father with the household’s skating rink. “My father would have me empty the coin bins and general taught me methods to run a enterprise. He additionally used his enterprise to assist the neighborhood. He did a whole lot of work with hospitals and kids,” mentioned Corinne. This worth of supporting and selling neighborhood is one thing that impressed Corinne and Kurt.
In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurt purchased and glued up previous arcade video games as a passion and an exercise to share with their grandchildren. Because the Thomas’s assortment of restored video video games grew, they noticed their passion as a chance to attach with the Molalla neighborhood.
In 2020, the Thomas’s bought a 100-year-old constructing to begin Excessive Rating Arcade. Whereas the couple lastly had an area to retailer and share their online game assortment, the constructing wanted to bear many repairs earlier than opening. After discovering the infrastructure had no current insulation, Corinne knew the constructing was losing vitality and cash.
“It was freezing after which scorching, even with our AC, nothing stayed within the constructing. I didn’t wish to freeze within the winter and roast in the summertime,” mentioned Corinne. With an extended upkeep listing, Corrinne needed to prioritize tasks based mostly on funds and necessity.
To analysis monetary help for the insulation mission, Corinne reached out to Portland Common Electrical (PGE) who knowledgeable her about Power Belief of Oregon money incentives for energy-efficient constructing upgrades. This led Corinne to schedule a constructing evaluation with an Power Belief vitality advisor to judge the house and supply info on the subsequent steps to put in insulation that certified for money incentives.
Excessive Rating obtained $6,300 to put in 2,700 sq. ft of high-performance insulation, which coated 100% of the mission price* eliminating any out-of-pocket bills. “With out the incentives, we’d not have been in a position to put the insulation in. We might have needed to open with out it to make the cash to pay for the mission,” mentioned Corinne.
With decreased air leakage and pressure on current HVAC techniques, the brand new insulation will save Excessive Rating Arcade an estimated 54,400 kWh every year, which is equal to almost $8,000 in annual utility invoice prices.
Moreover, the constructing is now extra comfy year-round and has improved temperature management resulting in a major discount in vitality consumption. “After the insulation was put in, even the earlier house owners mentioned the temperature felt significantly better, “mentioned Corinne.
After finishing the insulation mission, Excessive Rating was in a position to open and proceed its aim of supporting the neighborhood by internet hosting household occasions, performing as an after-school hub for native highschool college students and partnering with native non-profits. “We’ve to maintain the earth for future generations, so we wish to lower our carbon footprint the place we are able to,” mentioned Corinne. Along with growing effectivity, “the incentives allowed us to repair the temperature drawback and put a refund into the enterprise.”
“As a small enterprise, most of our overhead prices have gone to vitality, so growing vitality effectivity is big for saving cash.” – Corinne Thomas, co-owner, Excessive Rating Arcade
Study extra about saving vitality and cash for your corporation with help from Power Belief by visiting our money incentives web page. To get began in your energy-saving mission, e-mail existingbuildings@energytrust.org or contact an vitality advisor.
*With extra bonus incentives
