With energy costs on the rise and rebuilding decisions peaking when Road Home funds start flowing, the Preservation Resource Center’s Operation Comeback and the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources are teaming up to make sure property owners are well-informed about how to cut energy costs using new products and technologies available for rehabbing historic homes (or building new ones).

The "Keep Your Cool! Windows and Doors" workshop is the third in a multi-part monthly series of energy efficiency workshops. The October 11 workshop will explain how retro-fitting and repairing old windows and doors can yield weatherproof, leak free results, while maintaining the historic character of your home. When new materials are called for in a historic home renovation, use the guidance offered at this workshop to shop for water- and impact- resistant products for new construction.

Future workshops explore innovations in the consumer appliance industry which save homeowners money and reduce the amount of energy used in the home.

As the workshop series progresses, the PRC’s Operation Comeback and the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources will devise energy efficiency plans for five properties owned by the PRC in the Holy Cross neighborhood, including four rehabilitations of historic houses and one new construction. Plans will be unveiled at an upcoming workshop and intermittent demonstrations will take place on-site at the Holy Cross houses as equipment is installed.

The series concludes in the spring with a tour of the Holy Cross homes that were part of the demonstration project. All workshops are free