DIY Toolkits Now Available in Mendocino County

Sonoma Clean Power Introduces DIY Toolkit Program to Mendocino County

Do you want to improve the energy-efficiency of your home or better integrate water conservation elements? Well if you don’t know where to start, our Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Home Energy and Water Saving Toolkits can help!

The DIY Toolkit program was developed through a partnership between SCP, the County of Mendocino, and the Mendocino County Library. The program builds upon the successful DIY Home Energy and Water Saving Toolkit program launched in Sonoma County by SCP, the Sonoma County Water Agency, the County of Sonoma Energy and Sustainability Division, and the Sonoma County Library.

Another great feature of the DIY toolkit is a copy of a Home Energy and Water Savings Guidebook which will help you through each upgrade step, and provide additional saving tips. A copy is also available to view on our website: https://sonomacleanpower.org/diy-toolkit/.

DIY Toolkits are now available at library branches throughout Mendocino County, including Ukiah, Fort Bragg, Willits, and Round Valley. Just like a book, these toolkits can be checked out by all library cardholders from participating Mendocino County Libraries for three weeks. Currently, there are 30 toolkits available to rent within Sonoma County and 11 available within Mendocino County, and there is often a waiting list to check them out.

Each toolkit comes with water and energy saving items for you to keep, including:

• 9W dimmable LED light bulbs to upgrade the lighting fixtures in your home (60-watt equivalent)
• Weather stripping to seal leaks in windows and doors
• Outlet and light switch insulation gaskets to help maintain a comfortable temperature in the home and stop any leaks in outlets and switches
• Low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators to help you save water
• Water leak detection tablets to help you detect water leaks in the toilet
• Water flow rate bag to measure the rate of water flow in faucets and showers to determine if they are water efficient

The toolkits also come with energy measuring devices and tools that must be returned with the kit, including:

• Kill-a-Watt meter to measure which appliances or devices use the most energy in your home
• Infrared laser thermometer to detect trouble areas where heat is being lost in the winter or gained in the summer
• Refrigerator Thermometer to monitor the temperature in your fridge or freezer and make sure it’s working properly and efficiently
• Hot water thermometer to check if the temperature of your hot water and make sure the water heater is working efficiently
• Pliers to help replace old faucet aerators and showerheads
• Pipe thread seal tape (plumber’s tape) to prevent leaks in your faucets or showerheads (if needed)

Check out one of our DIY Toolkits at your local library and start saving money, energy, and water today!

For more information about the program, email programs@sonomacleanpower.org or call 1 (855) 202-2139.