For the last several years RENew Northfield has partnered with Three Rivers Community Action to provide household energy efficiency upgrades for several mortgage rehabs in the city. The upgrades have included solar hot water supply, energy efficient furnaces and hot water heaters, insulation and even a rain garden! RENew in partnership with the Northfield Public Library has also provided a fleet of Kill-a-Watt energy appliance monitoring meters available for check-out to anyone with a Northfield library card. The monitors can be used to record electricity usage of any household appliance with a plug and project weekly, monthly, and annual costs. Particularly revealing can be the cost information provided about electronic devices (e.g. computer monitors), that even when nominally “off” are still drawing current.  The original funding for both projects came from a Northfield Area Foundation grant to RENew.