Project Porchlight

Project Porchlight Alberta

Project Porchlight Alberta, thanks to funding from the Government of Alberta and EnCana Corporation and with support from the 4-H Foundation of Alberta, has set a goal to distribute one million energy efficient light bulbs in Alberta. We need your help to bring Project Porchlight to your constituents!

Project Porchlight is an energy efficiency campaign run by One Change, a not-for-profit organization that advocates community engagement and environmental sustainability.

The campaign promotes a practical and realistic way to use less electricity. Volunteers and staff hand out energy-efficient light bulbs, door-to-door and through community events. The small change of switching to energy-efficient light bulbs can represent the first step in a lifetime of making energy conscious choices.

By working with a broad network of community groups, Project Porchlight makes proactive energy savings a topic of neighbourly conversation. And it goes a step further—it empowers residents with the immediate means to start saving energy for themselves.

Putting a free, energy-efficient bulb in someone’s hand for them to install, decreases energy consumption, lowers greenhouse gas emissions, and effectively communicates a critical message: saving money and protecting the environment start with simple actions like changing a light bulb. Independent analysis of the One Change approach confirms that getting someone to change even one bulb stimulates broader energy conservation action—more bulbs are purchased and installed, and consumers consider “energy efficiency” as a factor for other purchases and behaviours (Ekos Research, 2007).

Why is this campaign important to Albertans?

The environment is the number one issue for Alberta voters today. Project Porchlight is giving the average person a realistic action that they can take, so they can participate in positive environmental behaviours.

Replacing even one 60-watt incandescent bulb with a 13-watt CFL bulb in each of Alberta’s 1.3 million households can save up to $65,000,000 in energy costs for Alberta residents over five years. It would also reduce GHG emissions by approximately 2.5 million tonnes – and save enough natural gas to heat 8400 Alberta homes for a year.1

Albertans want to make a positive change for the environment. Help show Albertans that there’s a practical and straightforward way to start!

You can respond to Albertans’ concerns by:

• Spreading the word about Project Porchlight—post a Project Porchlight volunteer recruitment poster in your office, include an article about Project Porchlight in your newsletter and web site, and send an email to your network.
• Gather community contacts —we work very closely with community associations, youth groups, and multicultural associations, among others.

Please visit our web site, www.projectporchlight.com, (Drayton Valley) for detailed information about our program and how you can be involved. All of the benefits of the campaign are described in detail, and we also feature important information about disposal of CFL bulbs.

Please contact Janice Roberts for more information on how you can be involved with this exciting campaign: janice@onechange.org

Project Porchlight Success to Date

• Working with the Government of Alberta (Alberta Energy), EnCana Corporation, the 4-H Foundation of Alberta, and Alberta Junior Forest Wardens
• Project Porchlight Alberta team formed
• Partnership with the municipality of Medicine Hat
• Broad political, foundation and corporate support
• National and regional media coverage

1. Natural Resources Canada, www.energystary.ca

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