Evanston Porchlight Campaign

On Earth Day 2010, the City of Evanston launched a new campaign to promote residential energy efficiency – the Evanston Porch Light Campaign. The campaign encourages residents to “light the way” by changing their porch light from a regular incandescent light to an energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL), demonstrating simple actions can make a difference, one porch at a time.

As part of the effort, the City will distribute 2,500 free ENERGY STAR®-qualified CFLs to residents that sign the Energy Star Pledge. The CFLs are part of an 18,000 bulb donation to the City by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus for signing the Greenest Region Compact in February 2008. Residents can fill out the Energy Star Pledge on-line here... and get their free CFL at the Morton EvanstonWomensClub.jpgCivic Center, Room 4600, 2100 Ridge Ave. Please either e-mail your pledge confirmation or bring in the printed confirmation when you come to get your free CFL.

“Simple actions add up” is one of the core messages of the Evanston Porch Light Campaign, which calls upon residents to display their pledge to reduce energy by switching a light visible to their neighbors – their porch light. “Block by block, we hope to see neighborhoods switching their porch lights to CFLs,” says Elizabeth Tisdahl, Mayor of Evanston, who has a CFL in her outdoor light fixture.

The Evanston Porch Light Campaign is one of more than 200 strategies outlined in the Evanston Climate Action Plan (ECAP), which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions community wide. Inspired by the lake shore community’s symbol of the lighthouse, the initiative will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 857,745 lbs of CO2E annually.

HistoryCenterCFL.JPG“We want all our residents to know they can individually make a difference in our community and encourage them to spread the word to friends, family and neighbors. Saving electricity saves money and helps the City meet its community-wide greenhouse gas emissions reduction target.”

CFLs use about 75% less energy than traditional standard light bulbs, last up to 10 times longer, and each one could save you up to $70 in energy costs over its lifetime.

PorchLightCampaign.jpgCFL bulbs contain a very small amount of mercury, so they should not be put in the garbage. There are many locations around Evanston that accept bulbs for recycling for free, including select City of Evanston facilities. For more information on CFL bulb recycling, click here.