Energy Saving Assistance

Save energy. Reduce consumption. Cut costs. These are all excellent goals, but how can they be achieved?

The City of Allentown’s Sustainability Office is teaming with the Sustainable Energy Fund, AFC First Financial Corporation/Keystone HELP, PPL Electric Utility’s E-POWER Program, and the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley (CACLV) to provide considerable help to city residents, commercial property and small business owners, and small not-for-profit organizations.

Each of these partners is offering programs that can help property owners make energy-saving (which means money-saving) building improvements. Financial support is available for the upgrading of HVAC systems, window replacement, house insulation and weatherization, the installation of alternative heating systems (wind, solar, geothermal), and more.
The Allentown Energy Conservation Program has special funding to significantly reduce – to rates as low as 1½% – the cost of borrowing money for energy-saving projects. The city also has a rebate program for not-for-profit organizations and for small businesses that qualify. The Sustainable Energy Fund is providing low-interest loans of $10,000 to $750,000 to commercial and not-for-profit property owners. AFC First Financial Corporation/Keystone HELP is providing unsecured, low-interest loans of up to $15,000. Depending on the scale of the property-owner’s project, the cost of the loan could be as low as 1.99%. The details about these three programs can be found on the city's website

Additionally, PPL’s e-POWER energy-efficiency programs include rebates, incentives, and tools that can make a substantial difference in energy consumption in your home or business.
The Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley has a well-established weatherization program that works to help property owners tighten-up those energy-wasting leaks and even replace furnaces.

Come to a free session to learn about how one or more of these programs can help you find the financial resources to complete energy-saving projects on your home or place of business, and to start saving money. On Thursday, June 17th three sessions – 7:30 AM for contractors, 10:00 AM for commercial property owners and 7:00 PM for residents - will be held at Muhlenberg College’s Shankweiler Building. On Tuesday, June 22nd an additional session will be held at 7:00 PM for residential property owners in Dieruff High School’s Freshman Auditorium.

For more information about these programs and the events, contact Tom Kerr of the Allentown Sustainability Office at (610) 437-8713 or kerrT@allentowncity.org

Certification Made Simple

On Friday, June 11th, the Lehigh University SBDC and PTAC will host a FREE information session with the PA Department of General Services, Bureau of Minority & Women Business Opportunities that is aimed at guiding attendees through the certification process for the Deparment's Women/Minority Business Enterprise Program. This will be a "hands on", step-by-step review of the actual application. If you operate a woman-owned or minority-owned business and plan on marketing your goods or services to the State of Pennsylvania, we encourage you to register but seating is limited so make sure that you do so immediately. To register, call 610-758-3980 or send an email to insbdc@lehigh.edu

City of Allentown on YouTube

One of the benefits of being selected as the "Business of the Month" is that the company will recieve a promotional video produced by another successful Allentown entrepreuner, Jeff Tintle of Thrive Media. Olson's video is about the rich history behind their operations. Visit the City of Allentown's YouTube page to see the video for Olson Technologies as well as Lehigh Valley Grand Prix and Capital Blue Cross.