Utili-bration!

RICHLAND, WASHINGTON - Search your memory banks and it's almost certain you won't be able to recall the last time a ductless heat pump was focal point of a community celebration. Wouldn't be surprised, in fact, if you asked "what's to celebrate?"

Lots. Just visit the Luther Senior Center in Richland, a central Washington city of almost 40,000 over the Cascades and about 200 miles southeast from Seattle. The Center's more than 40 years old and home to 50 elderly, low-income tenants. It's a pretty quiet place in a pretty quiet neighborhood.

That tranquility, however, was disturbed last Spring by, said one City official, "the sound of whistling drills and pounding of hammers, the sound of Federal dollars at work." And, yes, ductless heat pumps were the cause of all the ruckus.

"Our City employees," explained Richland Mayor John Fox, "have been looking at a wide variety of federal and state funding sources for programs that will help people, particularity lower and fixed income people in our community." What better way to do that than to cut utility bills and add more quite to Luther Center's peace and quiet by installing ductless heat pumps.

They're easy to install. They don't require expensive or invasive duct work. And, City staff reported, they "heat and cool homes at a fraction of the cost baseboard and wall heaters do."

The City Council "loved the idea" and quickly okayed use of $72,000 in HUD funds under the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act for the project. The Bonneville Power Administration loved it too, stepping forward to offer a $24,000 energy rebate that, obviously, reduced the project cost and saved the City more than $20,000 in Recovery Act funds to use in "affordable home buying programs."

Most importantly Luther Center residents are happy. "It's much more efficient," said Dave Hogan, "and the air moves very great through a room, residents have been able to lower their thermostats right away. The units are quiet and several people are saying I can really turn my TV down because previous systems were so loud."

Less noise. Greater energy efficiency. Lower utility bills. "It's a great example," noted Mayor Fox, "of working with two agencies to bring things together." And, added HUD Seattle's Jack Peters, what Richland's done is not only something to celebrate, but also worth "trying to duplicate" in other parts of the state.

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