On her evening walk in Columbia's Meadowlake community, Tina-Maria Sandoval and her mom stop to talk with some passing neighbors. This happens often―she knows her neighbors well, and everyone loves her mom’s dog Minnie. 

But today, Sandoval has more than small talk for her neighbors. She wants to help cut their energy bills. 

Sandoval and her classmate Ella Michel recently received a grant from the City of Columbia to help residents make their homes more energy efficient. The University of South Carolina students hope to help people feel more comfortable in their homes while using less energy and paying less each month. 

South Carolina has relatively low energy costs but one of the highest energy burdens in the country. Low-income residents especially feel the hit, paying up to 45 percent of their income in energy bills each year. In famously hot Columbia, long summers and inefficient homes lead to higher electricity usage. 

“We think about other countries when we talk about energy inequity, but these problems are here, and we want to help alleviate those burdens,” says Michel, a junior environmental policy and conservation major. 

Starting close to home was an important motivator for Sandoval and Michel. Since homes in the Meadowlake neighborhood―where Sandoval’s family has lived since the 1980s―were built over 50 years ago, they are prone to inefficiencies that can lead to big energy bills. Sandoval, who’s majoring in environmental studies, anthropology and Spanish, says small, affordable improvements at home can have a big impact. 

“Something as simple as caulking around a window can make people feel more comfortable, temperature-wise, and feel empowered to make small adjustments that will impact their quality of life,” she says.  

The home improvements they have planned, called weatherization, include sealing windows and doors, adding insulation and installing LED lightbulbs. Using funding from a Youth Climate Action Fund grant, the pair will make improvements to seven homes.  

They have begun training USC student volunteers to help with the retrofitting, pairing with the Office of Sustainability at USC and the Sustainability Institute in Charleston for guidance as they begin installing the retrofits. 

Lightbulb moment 

Inspiration for their energy efficiency project came when Michel and Sandoval enrolled in a new Energy and Water Equity course. The course, created by professors Conor Harrison and David Fuente, teaches students how to address challenges of unequal access to energy and clean water. In addition to conducting research, the students learned the importance of forming relationships in the community to solve these challenges.  

One of those connections came about when the class took a field trip to the Sustainability Institute in Charleston, where they learned about weatherization and other types of services that can improve energy efficiency. 

"That trip informed a lot of things that we ended up doing,” Michel says, “It was motivating to see that not only is it possible, but there are people who are willing to help us.” 

That spark toward action is exactly what Fuente and Harrison had in mind for their students when they first envisioned the course, which will be offered again in fall 2025.

“We were hoping this class would expose students to the challenges that households face around energy and water and help them think about potential solutions,” Harrison says. “Ella and Tina have taken that to the next level and turned their hypothetical solutions into an actual program that will make a difference in the lives of people most affected by rising energy costs.” 

Currently, Sandoval and Michel are moving full steam ahead on their energy project and will have all of the homes retrofitted by the end of the year. Once that’s done, they will pursue more funding to expand the program and its impact. 

They hope to partner with Habitat for Humanity and Dominion Energy to find where they can make the biggest difference and put in place larger scale improvements. They’re also working to make the program a permanent fixture in the Office of Sustainability with student involvement, pairing volunteer and professional services. 

But their work won’t stop there. Michel will begin a new research project with Harrison next fall, looking at energy insecurity in the Southeast and how to craft better energy policy. 

As for Sandoval, she’s working towards a career inspiring the next generation of student leaders, and she plans to become a professor eventually.  

“In academia there is the power to make a difference and inspire others, and regardless of what field, I would love to be an educator like professors Harrison and Fuente, to have my work be impactful and inspire students to go into this field of work. There's always room for more young leaders.”