Pat Murphy

Pat Murphy

Pat Murphy is the Executive Director of the Oberlin Heritage Center. She enjoys preserving, living in, working in, and visiting historic buildings.

Oldies and Goodies: The Greenest Buildings Are Already Built

Posted by Pat Murphy
Pat Murphy
Pat Murphy is the Executive Director of the Oberlin Heritage Center. She enjoys
User is currently offline
on September 7, 2012
in Energy Matters

Older buildings are often unfairly maligned as great energy hogs and money pits that are too expensive to rehabilitate.  While not every building can be preserved, demolishing existing buildings to make way for new is costly, gobbles up new resources, and adds to the landfills of the country.  Many older buildings have irreplaceable architectural details and a strong sense of space and pride of place that is rarely found in new construction, no matter how "green."   

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, together with local preservation organizations such as the Cleveland Restoration Society and the Oberlin Heritage Center, are working to encourage property owners of older buildings to weatherize, retrofit and rehabilitate them in ways that both retain their character defining special features and adapt them for 21st century living.   Start by having an energy audit; you can call POWER at 440 789 4531 for a 1 hour assessment, or call Columbia Gas at 1-877-644-6674 to receive a thorough heat loss inspection. Then learn what you can about your building's history.  Get to know your building, inside and out.  Inspect it regularly, and be proactive in addressing maintenance concerns.  

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